How cold is cold

[birdy3897]

When do all of you winterize your boats? I like to do some late season pike fishing and here in Michigan it can get cold at night during october. I do not have a warm garage to store my boat in. My question is how cold does it actually have to get outside for any water to freeze inside of the block?

 

[djk117@optonline.net]

Re: How cold is cold

put a heating blanket over the block, they sell water blankets that plug in to a normal outlet, you can check with a truck retailer store.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: How cold is cold

It has to stay at or below 32 deg long enough to suck the heat out of your block, then bingo. Something breaks. Might take hours at 32 deg or minutes if the ambiant temp is considerably lower.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: How cold is cold

32* or you are rolling the dice.....The block drains & the hose from the stern are all you should need to do....5 minutes & you are there...Don't be lazy or you will pay....+ once you have it down, I would be willing to say you could get it done in 2 minutes or less.. ...JK

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: How cold is cold

I'd build a heated garage so I could work on my boat,but if the lights go out,same problem.<br /><br />Most engines are not that hard to drain,so you should learn how.Anytime below 40 degrees,do it.<br /><br />You start at $2,000 minimum,plus labor if you don't drain.That's for a 3.0 4 cylinder.<br /><br />Don't forget to do a FULL winterize later.<br /><br />DHP

 

[Bondo]

Re: How cold is cold

Well,.........<br /><br />Water Freezes at 32*s,............<br /><br />My Mentor always told me that an engine with Water in it will stand Up to 6 hours at 28*s,+ No More,........I've personally never Tried it,...<br />I start sweating at 32*s,........<br />I'll Go,+ Drain the motor if it's predicted to go Lower,.........<br /><br />'Course,... There's always the Variables,.... Is it on a Trailer,.. Or Moored............

 

[rbezdon]

Re: How cold is cold

I wanted to do what you do and I figured I'd be OK till Nov and I lived much further south near Cincinatti. I even though, gee my buddy next door didnt winterize yet and his boat is OK. Next trip out the engine ran fine and I tought, man I'm OK. Took a lap around the lake at about 40 and my little son says to me from the back of the boat, why is there water on the floor daddy?? Turned out the 32 degrees froze EVERYTHING out, maniflods hoses and the sides of the SBC block were sticking out 1/2 inch or more. THe water pumps were just pumping water in the boat filling it up. Worst boating day of my life. Munimum estimates in 1990 were $3600 to fix it. (found someone to weld it later for a lot less and did engine the R&R mtself later ) but basically I had a ruined boat for that one last run. NOT WORTH IT. Get the thing winterized before the temp can get to 33 ort less even for a short time.

 

[swansont]

Re: How cold is cold

Oh boy, you guys are scaring the heck outa me, it got down to 28 last night, I was planning on the winterizing tomorrow. The boat is on a trailer, it is on a concrete slab on the west side of my house so I'm hoping between the warmth of the concrete and having the travel cover on that I dodged a bullet and it didn't freeze. I will be putting a drop light in tonight just in case.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: How cold is cold

Why not drain it now?....JK

 

[Hunt]

Re: How cold is cold

posted this to the wrong topic:<br /><br /><br />What about the factor that hot water freezes faster than cold water. A buddy of mine has been contimplating bowhunting around a lake in our area. There are several people who use there boats to travel to there hunting spots. How would you prevent the freeze while in the woods. Is it as simple as draining the motor/intake when you pull the boat up onto shore? Does anyone else do this? <br /><br /> Would doing this be too risky or could it be done in a manner that is safe for the motor?

 

[swansont]

Re: How cold is cold

J.Kopec, I would except I'm at work, and the boat is at home, 30 miles away and I won't be home untill after dark. I should do as much as I can when I do get home though, and then redo tomorrow when I do the full blown winterize, thanks for making me think further.

 

[rbezdon]

Re: How cold is cold

Hunt, I bet these guys all have outboards. Turned out my neighbor had an outboard. All the water drains out the bottom if you just tilt the motor down into the run position. If the boat is in the water, all the engine water drains down to water level. If the lake hasnt frozen yet, the outboard wont either. Its us guys with the I?Os that are in trouble. And the volume if water in the block is realtively small, around a couple of gallons, so it is fairly easy of the water to freeze solid, not just surface freeze. Admittedly, the situation is not quite as severe for boats in the water too. Since the hull is actually below water level (up to the static line) part of the hull at least is in the liquid water which is warmer than the air keeping the bottom of the hull above freezing. This tends to help keep temps in a closed engine compartment a little warmer than the air temp until the temp gets into the mid to low 20s. On a trailer though, it a bit riskier. I definately drain mine before the temp gets to 33 or less. I have in the last 16 years made a couple of late night trips out to the boat in the drak when the temp was getting to the 33 level to drain it. After one time I'll never get caught like that again. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!!

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: How cold is cold

Some water pumps do not drain completly. We used to put trash can in the boat with antifreeze mixed. Run the pick up hose into the tank and the exhaust pipes into it also. Idle for a long minute. Safe as hell can be with antifreeze in everything. NEVER had a problem with 100's of boats.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: How cold is cold

Originally posted by Hunt:<br /> ...What about the factor that hot water freezes faster than cold water. ...

Urban myth. Think of it this way. Assume it's a constant 20 deg outside. Compare the time it takes water that starts at 110 deg to freeze to the time it takes water that starts at 40 degrees to freeze. At some point between going from 110 degrees to 32 degrees, the 'hot' water will reach a temp of 40 degrees. From that point on, the formerly hot water will take the same amount of time to freeze as the water that STARTED at 40 deg. Add on the time it took the 'hot' water to get from 110 to 40, and the total time has got to be longer.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: How cold is cold

way off topic here but who isnt't...........<br /><br />Oxygen content of tap water is different than boiled water ... thus the freezing time difference.<br /><br />DHP<br /><br />I even know why we start cooking with cold water.Seems hot water would be faster.

 

[Hunt]

Re: How cold is cold

I have been reading about this because, well I was bored. Hot water can freeze faster than cold water if the right circumstances are present. Hot water freezes faster because of the gas like properties. The steam is gas and will freeze faster than the liquid form of water. The fact that the water inside a motor is not exposed to the outside air seems to make this arguement/discussion null and void.

 

[swansont]

Re: How cold is cold

Well, I once again cheated fate and got away with no damage to my block after being in 28 degree weather for one night. Put her away properly on Saturday morning, and not to much time to spare. Woke up to a few inches of snow, gotta love Colorado, shirtless on Saturday and 36 hours later it's snowing. I'll just have to live vicariously through you folks that are further south and can keep boating, I'll be getting the snow skiis out now. Have a great winter!