GT-40 Winterization Proceedure

**Rick** · 10-16-2006, 10:14 AM

RE: GT-40 Winterization Proceedure

Search on winterize. There are about 20 articles. I would read all of them, or call SKIDIM. They can fax or email a procedure to you. In San Diego the process goes someting like this... Pull boat into garage. unhook from car. close garage door. Go have a beer.LOL

**fyerfytr** · 10-16-2006, 11:34 AM

I know there is alot on this but I thought there was a step by step on here?
Maybe not - I'll just have Luke come over and do it.

The next house I will definitly have a garage large enough for the
boat, the cars and heated, with a fridge for beverages.

**coloradonautique** · 10-16-2006, 01:42 PM

Mark,
I just winterized our '01 AIR this weekend and here is the procedure I used. I have done our '91 SKI carbeurated this way for half a dozen years with no problem in the Northeast. I modified the procedure this year for AIR GT-40 with shower and heater. I will let you know this spring if I missed something. Comments from the peanut gallery are greatly appreciated.

1) Add Stabil, fill gas tank to 3/4 mark.

2) Disconnect raw water intake, attach garden hose to intake (before the strainer), start engine and let idle until hot (170 deg).

3) Turn off garden hose, shut off engine immediately, remove garden hose and drain intake line, open drain plug in boat, open engine drain plugs on engine (if heater and shower, remove these hoses), blow or pump water out of heater and shower lines, remove plug on bottom of water pump elbow, remove/drain/clean strainer then reinstall. Replace all plugs and hoses.

4) Change oil and filter. I used a trick for the filter posted on the boards here. Get two contractor grade trash bags, place under filter, remove filter and drop into bag. Remove bag. This keeps the bilge spot clean. Install new filter (FRAM PH8A), replace oil (SAE 40), add oil stabilizer.

5) Turn on heater switch and shower switch. Hang shower out of boat with head removed and both temp valves on full. Remove backfire arrest cover on intake. Insert intake hose into 5 gal bucket of Bio-antifreeze. I use -50deg pink stuff. I have a total of 8gals on hand. Start engine, keep and eye on exhaust and shower output. When you get pink from the shower, turn it off. When you get steady pink from the exhaust, Spray fogging oil into engine intake until it dies (I could not get the GT-40 to die like my carb so I had to shut it off while fogging). Shutoff heater switch.

6) Re-install back fire arrest. Pull each spark plug and spray fogging oil into cylinder, replace spark plugs and wires. Spin engine by hand or disable ignition and spin with starter for a couple of seconds to coat all the cylinders with the fog.

7) Make sure ballast tanks are empty. Disconnect ballast tank hose from "assist pump" and let drain. Re-install. Remove impeller from water pump (store inside your house), drain any water from fuel seperator, remove battery (store inside your house and charge every month). Reinstall boat drain plug (helps keep the engine bay warmer/dryer and eliminates forgetting to install next spring.

8) Remove teak deck, clean and oil, store in your garage.

9) Keep a list of items that need to be fixed or addressed in the spring. I actually keep a checkoff list for each winterize and summer startup. It is nice to have records.

Comments anyone? :mrgreen:

- Lorin

**TRBenj** · 10-16-2006, 03:31 PM

Not a bad procedure. I assume when you drain the motor, that includes the manifolds. I remove the RWP and impeller, then pour antifreeze back in the hoses to fill the block- not sure if this is easy to do on a V-drive though. I only need 2-3 gallons using this method. I also pour antifreeze back through one heater hose until it comes out the other rather than leaving it connected to the motor.

FYI, Fram is just about the worst oil filter you can buy. Do yourself a favor and stick with Motorcraft or Napa Gold.

**coloradonautique** · 10-16-2006, 03:44 PM

Yikes. Never new FRAM was bad. I am pretty sure that is what is called out in the owners/GT-40 manual so I had no reason to think otherwise. Thanks for the heads up.

Yup, pull the header plugs too.

I use the suck and circulate method since I have no idea what the water passages look like inside the engine itself. Therfore, I don't trust gravity to make sure antifreeze gets into all the nooks and crannies that water could be hiding. I am a paranoid engineer so I figure if the entire system is flooded with antifreeze, I should be good. Costs an extra 6 gals but that's nothing compared to repairing damage later on.

**M3Fan** · 10-16-2006, 03:47 PM

Nice write-up. I'd avoid fogging through the intake on the GT-40. Not reccomended by PCM as per my manual.

I'm going to fill with A/F as TR mentioned. I have installed quick disconnects for my heater lines, with a matching fitting on an extra length of 5/8 hose with a funnel on the end. I can disconnect either heater hose and use the funnel-equipped length of hose to add A/F to the heater (which I then blow through with lung power) or connect the funnel-hose to the intake manifold-half of the heater hose and fill the block with it. Outrageously convenient. The idea was taken from a DIY on MBO back in the day. The quick disconnects come from Ace hardware- very nice quality brass disconnects. Rather than the pink RV antifreeze, I'm trying the (10.00/bottle, ack) enviro-friendly engine antifreeze that is actually formulated for engines rather than the RV stuff. I'm sure it doesn't matter, but compared to the cost of the boat, what the heck. For 10.00 a bottle, I'm defineately pouring it in manually!

As for the Fram tip- true. I didn't know that until this year.

**fyerfytr** · 10-16-2006, 04:10 PM

Great, thanks for the write-up. I am planning on doing it tomorrow.
I heard the same on the Fram filters, won't be using them in the cars anymore either. I have only used Motorcraft on the boat so far.
I will probably use the suck up anti-freeze method after getting it up to temp.

thanks for all the replies,

Mark

**DanielC** · 10-16-2006, 07:04 PM

While you are winterizing your GT-40, get a 5/16 allen wrench, and check your exhaust manifold bolts. check other bolts while you are in there.

pj · 10-17-2006, 07:23 AM

I second the fogging precaution. The GT-40 (the EFI version) is a dry intake. So, you don't want to fog it through the air intake. I usually spray a little bit in each cylinder through the spark plug holes. If you've got the carbed version, spray away. I could never get my '91 to die. It would start to get choked up when I would fog it, but it never quit.

**MNSuperAir** · 10-17-2006, 09:46 AM

Originally posted by pj

spray a little bit in each cylinder through the spark plug holes

This is the recommended procedure I remember reading in my manual

**TRBenj** · 10-17-2006, 03:17 PM

Originally posted by M3Fan

Rather than the pink RV antifreeze, I'm trying the (10.00/bottle, ack) enviro-friendly engine antifreeze that is actually formulated for engines rather than the RV stuff. I'm sure it doesn't matter, but compared to the cost of the boat, what the heck. For 10.00 a bottle, I'm defineately pouring it in manually!

I think thats the best way to go, Joel- can you find that stuff at any auto parts store? I know Walmart/Kmart only carries the RV stuff.

I installed some quick disconnects for the heater too- good idea about the extended hose with the funnel.

**bscott** · 10-17-2006, 03:42 PM

I found the "low-tox" anitfreeze at Advance Auto Parts, so I imagine you could find it at just about any auto parts store. About $10.00 a bottle there too.

**M3Fan** · 10-17-2006, 04:06 PM

I found the low-tox auto antifreeze at Ace. Keep in mind the 10.00 is for un-diluted 1 gallon bottles, so the true yeild is about 2 gallons, so that makes the price more realistic.

I like the funnel to the heater hose since it takes the A/F right into the manifold. I was marveling at it this weekend- sometimes it's the little things.

Another really cool trick with the disconnects if you have a shower as well is to attach the shower to the heater hose and have the shower pump pull the A/F through the heater core and the shower at the same time.

**TRBenj** · 10-17-2006, 04:22 PM

Originally posted by M3Fan

I found the low-tox auto antifreeze at Ace. Keep in mind the 10.00 is for un-diluted 1 gallon bottles, so the true yeild is about 2 gallons, so that makes the price more realistic.

Ahh, I was assuming the low-tox came premixed like the RV antifreeze. That will make it go a little farther.

Did you pick up some flashing to divert the water away from the carpet when draining the block/manifolds?