did i winterize motor properly?

nixon186

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Oct 12, 2008
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mercruiser 140/alpha drivetrain. put oil stabilizer in the motor, ran it up to temp with muffs and fresh water.stopped motor and hooked coolant tank to muffs with 5 gallons of -60 coolant.ran boat until coolant was gone and fogged the motor at the very end. after the motor cooled i opened the riser and block petcocks(the purple coolant was coming out obviously).left the drains open. outdrive is all the way down. am i good to go? i noticed some people saying the hose to the lower unit needs attention.i figure it has coolant in it so i should be fine.
 

Lou C

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

check what comes out of your block drain, I bet it's not -60 AF, maybe so diluted with water it could freeze and crack your block. If you want to use AF, drain everything and then backfill, and use the -100 which gives you more of a safety margin. When you drain make sure you poke the drains with a small screwdriver or large screw they get clogged up with rust all the time.
I still don't know why people do this, no stern drive manufacturer ever recommended that you winterize this way. If you are in freshwater you probably don't even need AF, just drain it!
 

sea wolf

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

check what comes out of your block drain, I bet it's not -60 AF, maybe so diluted with water it could freeze and crack your block. If you want to use AF, drain everything and then backfill, and use the -100 which gives you more of a safety margin. When you drain make sure you poke the drains with a small screwdriver or large screw they get clogged up with rust all the time.
I still don't know why people do this, no stern drive manufacturer ever recommended that you winterize this way. If you are in freshwater you probably don't even need AF, just drain it!
You're right Lou. If Merc, OMC, & Volvo thought it was a good idea, they'd be marketing their own kits to hook up to a garden hose. But, it's job security for mechanics that have to replace blocks & manifolds that have frozen up as a result of guys trying to take shortcuts.
 

jerryjerry05

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

Read the other post on using muffs to winterize your boat. You need to DRAIN ALL!!!!!!! the water from the motor.The block has petcocks too.Just running the motor with antifreeze will not remove all the water.
You can run 50-100 gals of water before the thermo opens enough to get NEW antifreeze into the block.
Undo all the petcocks.Undo ALL!!!! the hoses.Then pour antifreeze solution in the hoses.Even the one leading back to the impeller.As you add antifreeze to the impeller watch out the back till you see at least a quart of stuff on the ground.
Remember AUTOMOTIVE antifreeze is against the law to introduce into a lake or river/ocean.The red stuff is fine to use and you don't have to worry about poluting the water.
The easy way will have one of use mechanics replacing you motor come spring.Jerry
 

nixon186

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

thanks jerry, thats what i was looking for.im gonna pull the hoses and thermostat and pour antifreeze down them.while i do this should i leave my two petcocks open?(they are currently open...i planned on leaving them that way all winter.)
 

jerryjerry05

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

You don't need to leave the petcocks open in fact if you have antifreeze in the motor and manifold it will stop a lot of rust.I always put them back in.
Air in an unprotected motor makes it rust a lot faster.
That is why risers go bad first,they drain out and are left hanging in the air.Jerry
 

Dakota47

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

I dont know why you make it so hard,, ALL you need to do is Drain all water from engine block & manifolds.. air dont freeze.
 

nixon186

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

so the two drains on my motor drain all water from the motor? i figured that would do it but every time someone puts a winterization question on this forum someone tells them they are doing it wrong.theres a few videos on this forum that shows different methods. the more i read on here the more im confused. if i found a person with a mercruiser 140 that drains his two petcocks every year and has never had a problem i would be happy. i just want to hear someone tell me it works.
 

waterone1@aol.com

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

Well, here is my opinion. If you have ever put water into your ice-cube tray in the freezer and the next day you had ice cubes, yet your trays are not split, cracked and leaking water everywhere, that is the theory that most people use when using muffs to winterize their engine. The idea is that if you get enough anti-freeze into the top half of the system, the bottom half will have enough room to expand without causing cracks in the block from the pressure. In moderate climates....this just might work. If rolling the dice each winter when it come to your engine block is not your style.....I would think of another approach. Yes, you can drain everything and you will not suffer freeze damage. That is a fact. You might, however cause rust and corrosion to some parts of your engine, from allowing air to mix with moisture on metal surfaces...that is also a fact. To satisfy both situations, it is not going to be cheap, you will use many gallons of antifreeze. Run your engine up to temp on the hose. Drain everything, then fill a tub with many gallons of anti freeze under your outdrive, to the point it is over your water intakes. Re-start the engine and run back-up to temp, while adding antifreeze as needed. When the engine is at running temp, and PURE antifreeze is being exhauled from the engine, you have done your job. You are protected.
 

Alumarine

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

I've drained my block by opening 1 petcock and removing 2 plugs (and poking the openings with a nail) for the last 35 years and never had a problem.

Just like my Mercruiser Operation Manual says.

And it gets -40 here at times.

It takes me about 1 minute to do it. And, at this time of year I do it after every use.

I believe in the KISS principle.

Oh yeah, my manifolds are original - but I'm in fresh water.

so the two drains on my motor drain all water from the motor? i figured that would do it but every time someone puts a winterization question on this forum someone tells them they are doing it wrong.theres a few videos on this forum that shows different methods. the more i read on here the more im confused. if i found a person with a mercruiser 140 that drains his two petcocks every year and has never had a problem i would be happy. i just want to hear someone tell me it works.
 

nixon186

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

marc, i have found 1 petcock on the lower part of the block and a plug right above that,on the manifold. i read in another thread that thoser were the only 2 on the mercruiser 140. where are your 3?what year motor is that?thanks
 

Alumarine

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

As per my sig it's a 74 (approximately).

I have a petcock for the block, a plug for the intake manifold and a plug for the exhaust manifold.

Yours might be different.

marc, i have found 1 petcock on the lower part of the block and a plug right above that,on the manifold. i read in another thread that thoser were the only 2 on the mercruiser 140. where are your 3?what year motor is that?thanks
 

xxxflhrci

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

marc, i have found 1 petcock on the lower part of the block and a plug right above that,on the manifold. i read in another thread that thoser were the only 2 on the mercruiser 140. where are your 3?what year motor is that?thanks

My 3.0's riser also has a plug. Taking it out will only drain a few ounces of water, though.
 

nixon186

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Re: did i winterize motor properly?

thanks for the replies.im gonna check for a riser plug and unhook a few hoses just to be safe, then i'll call it a day. i like the ice cube tray analogy....water is going to expand in the path of least resistance.
 
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