Winterizing Chrysler engines on the hard- raw water system

[bill]

Michigan Winter's
This is how I winterize my Chrysler engines on the hard.
I have been doing it this way for 12 years and no problem

This is for a raw water cooled system. (lake water pumped threw engine)

I- DO NOT- remove drain plugs. However if you want to save on the anti freeze you could remove the inboard drain plugs for the block and reinstall after draing the one side of the block. I have twin 360's so the drain plugs on inboard side of each engine are easier to remove.

Gather your supplies and equipment as follows:

From Go2marine order one of these--
Qty. 1
Price 23.45

Moeller, Inboard Adjustable Motor Flusher
Mfr. Moeller
Part No. 242007 | Mfr No. 099081-00

Obtain a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Loews or Home Depot $5.00

I used 1- 1/4" clear vacuum cleaner hose that I had laying around the garage.
Long enough to reach the water pick under the boat to the exhaust line at the rear.

Note:
I used vacuum cleaner hose because it has spring wire molded into the hose and
it keeps it from collapsing under the vacuum from the engine pump and the heat
produced by running the engine.
And it was free to me.

Obtain the necessary fittings to attach the hose to the motor flusher and the bottom
of the bucket. Again Loews, Home Depot or your local Hardware store.

3 gallons -100 degree R/V antifreeze. $9.00 Blue in color not pink stuff NOTE: This is per engine

Simple attach the 5 gallon bucket under the exhaust pipe and the motor flusher under the water pick up.

Attach a 3" PVC elbow to the exhaust port.

Make sure you have a good seal between the Adjustable Motor Flusher and the hull.

Dump 3 gallons of -100 degree R/V antifreeze ( not the pink stuff) into the bucket.

Start the engine and let it idle. Have your helper momentary deflect the exhaust water to the ground by swinging the PVC out of the bucket. When you see a hint of blue devert the PVC back into the bucket.

Checking the bucket for circulation. A second set of eyes helps!

Let the engine get to normal operating temp. Mine is 140 degrees. This allows the thermostat to open
and thoroughly mix the 100 proof antifreeze with any remaining water in the engine block.
I let my engine get to 160 degrees before I fog the engine and shut it off.

Remember to recycle the left over antifreeze solution in the bucket. I use a funnel and pour the
antifreeze into the empty gallon jugs. Then take it to your local recycle center for disposal.

[dlong]

Hello Bill,
This is first winter for our 28 footer. Have mixed advice from marina about leaving it in the slip vs pulling it out and storing on trailer. We have about 4 feet water under boat this time of year in marina and I think algae growth might be accelerated because of that. I like the idea of circulating antifreeze through block and heads and shutting it off. I also have raw water cooling with NO thermostat yet because of parts availability. I know some people heat engine compartment or use resistive heaters in cooling system and leave it in water but that's ok if shore power holds up. I guess I will follow your method!

[marinetteman]

[/img]
This is how I winterize my Chrysler engines on the hard.
I have been doing it this way for 12 years and no problem
This is for a raw water cooled system. (lake water pumped threw engine)
I- DO NOT- remove drain plugs.

Gather your supplies and equipment as follows:

From Go2marine order one of these--
Qty. 1
Price 23.45

Moeller, Inboard Adjustable Motor Flusher
Mfr. Moeller
Part No. 242007 | Mfr No. 099081-00

Obtain a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Loews or Home Depot $5.00

I used sum 1- 1/4" clear vacuum cleaner hose that I had laying around the garage.
Long enough to reach the water pick under the boat to the exhaust line at the rear.

Note:
I used vacuum cleaner hose because it has spring wire molded into the hose and
it keeps it from collapsing under the vacuum from the engine pump and the heat
produced by running the engine.
And it was free to me.

Obtain the necessary fittings to attach the hose to the motor flusher and the bottom
of the bucket. Again Loews, Home Depot or your local Hardware store.

2 gallons -100 degree R/V antifreeze. Green in color not pink stuff NOTE: This is per engine

Simple attach the 5 gallon bucket under the exhaust pipe and the motor flusher under the water pick up.

Make sure you have a good seal between the Adjustable Motor Flusher and the hull.

Dump 2 gallons of -100 degree R/V antifreeze ( not the pink stuff) into the bucket.

Start the engine and let it idle. Checking the bucket for circulation. A second set of eyes helps!

Let the engine get to normal operating temp. Mine is 140 degrees. This allows the thermostat to open
and thoroughly mix the 100 proof antifreeze with any remaining water in the engine block.
I let my engine get to 160 degrees before I fog the engine and shut it off.

Remember to recycle the left over antifreeze solution in the bucket. I use a funnel and pour the
antifreeze into the empty gallon jugs. Then take it to your local recycle center for disposal.

This year I plan to use an extra Groco ARG-1001-PC cap ($27), drill a hole and attach garden hose through fitting. Tap into the top of the strainer and pump it all in. No hose removal or pain.

[bcassedy]

Bill,

Relative to the fogging of the engine....

Is this similar/same as fogging an ourboard engine in that you spray "fogging oil" (from marine supply shop such as Stabil's product ( http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sta-Bil-22001 ... l/32926613 ) down the throat of the carburator until the engine dies?

Thx,
Bill

[bill]

Bill,
YUP I have heard some shut the fuel off to the engine and just before it starts to stumble
they spray the fogging oil into the carb. I am not that quick anymore so I just spray it in till it stalls.
I believe the theory is that you wont leave any fuel in the carb to gum up the works.
I have the normal problem of the fuel evaporating out of the carb in a week so I don't bother shutting the fuel off.
I do shut off the fuel from the tank to the engine when I am all done.
By the way I paid $4.99 for 12 oz of fogging oil at Boaters World in Wyandotte MI Walmart's a little high.
bill

[Louky]

I bought my boat in the spring. The previous owner had been doing it this way for years, so I did the same.

I had my boat pulled today. The trip to the boat yard took about a half hour, so the engines were well heated. He said to just close the seacocks and then poor the pink stuff into the strainers until it comes out of the exhaust. It took about two gallons each. I did the same thing to the generator. I didn't fog the engines.

Also, per instructions from the previous owner, I closed the seacock to the heatpump and let it run until no more water came out. I ran the sinks until they started coughing, then poured the same stuff in the holding tank and turned on the faucets until pink came out. I emptied the holding tank for the head, then closed the seacock and flushed the pink stuff down.

This is my first year of doing this to this boat. It was all super easy, but is there a downside to these procedures that I should be concerned about?

Thanks
Louky

[bill]

Well, not knowing what part of the country the boat is stored in.
If you are in a warmer climate you may be okay. But up here in the North we dip below zero a few times a winter. and that pink stuff is not going to protect squat. You have to remember that you are mixing that pink stuff with the water that is in the block, manifold and heat ex changer (oil cooler)
Good Luck
bill

[jralbert]

Louky: what you describe is pretty much the way I have done .. or rather did (when I owned the boat).. for years without problem. Some changes from your description: I used three gals per 318 engine. First few yrs was pink stuff. No problem and we had a few extreme winters. Later, switched to a green anti-freeze rated at -100 (or was it minus 50) which I cut in half w/water. I used that solution because it was touted as an anti-rust mix but who knows about makers' claims. I did fog the engines but for one year and did not knowingly have a problem the following spring. Did you leave some anti freeze in the engine water intake hose & the strainer (just in case there's hidden H2O there).
Fresh water: did pink come out of the faucet farthest from tank & the shower head? Also, the shower drains into a sump with a pump in it - put some AF in there and run the pump to exhaust plain water.
HEAT PUMP/AC: I ran a little under a gal of AF (until it came out the outlet on the side of the boat) thru it. Better to fill the line with AF than take a chance that some water remained in lower spots.
TOILET: poured in some AF and flushed then left some AF in the bowl - maybe that lubes seals & keeps out odors.
HOT WATER HEATER: Did you drain it AND the hot water lines. There is a way to bypass the cold water input to the tank and route the AF protected cold water to the hot water faucets. But that's beyond the scope of this post.
I assume you have FW cooled engines so the above is pertinent to you.
I also assume from your signature that you are in Louisville KY. Don't know the climate but imagine you don't have Michigan extreme as does Bill but it only has to get to 27 degrees for water to expand to its max. Sorry to disagree w/Bill on the pink AF. I think it rarely freezes solid but instead goes into a stiff gel, not expanded enough to cause harm. There are various opinions on this online. I can only repeat I used pink but then switched to the lower temp rated green stuff (and diluted it).

[bill]

jralbert

Louky's signature below.

1987, 32' Marinette Fisherman
Twin Chysler 360's
Louky
Member

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY LOUKY KEEPS HIS BOAT IN FROM THE ABOVE SIGNATURE
bill

[Louky]

jralbert is right. Louky (Lou isville KY)

I was rushing to get the AF in the engines while they were still hot and I still had some light, but I think I'll feel better if I go through it again when I have more time. I would feel better about it if I drain the blocks. The boat yard I'm in doesn't want us to use the green stuff. I guess it makes more of a mess on the ground.

Thanks for the help guys.