Winterizing my outboard

roffey

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Nov 22, 2012
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2,206
seems a little early to winterize but,,, and I will be corrected if I'm wrong ( I own an I/O) all you need to do is put gas stabilizer in the tank and fog the motor. Tilt the motor all the way down and let the water drain out. Take the prop off and put a plastic bag over the shaft to prevent water from going back in the leg of the motor. Change the gear oil (check for water in the oil).
 
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Carver121

Cadet
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Aug 15, 2015
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27
This will be my first year winterizing my 85hp Evinrude. I was going to run the fuel stabilizer through, fog it and flush the leg with plumbing antifreeze (saw on a YouTube video)

Never heard aabouttaking off tthe prop, (I'm new to this) what's the purpose?
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
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Apr 6, 2005
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11,527
I'm a bad example, I just turn off the key or hit the stop button, end of winterizing. Taking it out winter storage is turning the key the other way and motoring off.
 

roffey

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Nov 22, 2012
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You don't need the plumbing antifreeze as when you put the motor down all the water will run out. When I do my I/O I just put the out drive down all the way. YouTube is a great source of how to for this stuff. I was told to take the prop off to stop water from being trapped but I bet some one will tell me (and you) not to bother. I have winterized my fathers outboards 40 years back and all we did was take them off the boat and store in an upright position. Keep in mind ethanol gas was not available yet, lol.

Honestly, wait for some one with current experience to pick my post apart. All my experience is with an inboard motor.
 

H20Rat

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Mar 8, 2009
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I pulled the plugs on my 4.3l yesterday... Sad day! Still plan on getting out on the water, but won't be at the cabin for 2 weeks and don't want to get caught with my pants down and a 1 night cold snap.

Anyway, don't flush it with antifreeze... Flushing with freshwater won't hurt. Also, change, or at least check the lower unit oil. If there is any sign of milkiness, change it. Other than that, don't worry about it.
 

roffey

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Nov 22, 2012
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I pulled the plugs on my 4.3l yesterday... Sad day! Still plan on getting out on the water, but won't be at the cabin for 2 weeks and don't want to get caught with my pants down and a 1 night cold snap.

Anyway, don't flush it with antifreeze... Flushing with freshwater won't hurt. Also, change, or at least check the lower unit oil. If there is any sign of milkiness, change it. Other than that, don't worry about it.

yup that's my motor as well, 4.3 TKS. Come winter I change the oil and filter, put stabiliser in gas and fog motor, pull the plugs (5 of them) and put the out drive down. I can check the gear oil from inside the dog house. Last step is put in my heated garage with a storage cover, my baby need to stay warm for the winter. All this talk of winter. I?m in Ontario and still have a month of boating left. We are still swimming at the lake!
 

JoLin

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Aug 18, 2007
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5,146
Never heard aabouttaking off tthe prop, (I'm new to this) what's the purpose?

To clean and regrease the prop shaft. Leave the prop on year after year, and when the time comes to remove it, you won't be able to.
 
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dingbat

Supreme Mariner
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Nov 20, 2001
Messages
16,657
I'm a bad example, I just turn off the key or hit the stop button, end of winterizing. Taking it out winter storage is turning the key the other way and motoring off.
Me too.....
 

TruckDrivingFool

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,818
Put fuel stabilizer in, run motor and fog into intake until the motor dies. It may be hard to get some motors to actually die if that's the case when comes close be quick and shut it off before it clears out or have a helper hit the kill for you. I also pull the plugs and give a squirt of fog into the cylinders and reinstall the plugs.

Pull the prop off and look for fishing line or other things that may have been picked up around the shaft. Wipe down/clean the shaft, regrease, and reinstall prop.

Drain the LU oil, checking for water, refill LU.

Grease pivot points and any zerks you can find.

I've noticed on my 50 that sometimes it will drain out a bit more after it's been sitting so I have also started raising the motor, let sit for a bit, lower motor, let sit for a bit, I usually repeat this until I get no a round of nothing coming out each way.

Leave motor in the down position for the winter.

I also remove the battery and take inside for the winter.

I went through this process and let my Jet sit for a year n a half when I finally got it out again here recently all I had to do was reinstall the battery, hook up the fuel line, and pump the ball. She fired right off, sputtered a bit to burn the fog oil off and then ran like a top.
 
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