Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

[thumpar]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

So can someone show an engine that has been rusted through from just draining when winterizing? I don't think it would ever happen in a boats, let alone my, lifetime.

 

[Bluestream]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

So can someone show an engine that has been rusted through from just draining when winterizing? I don't think it would ever happen in a boats, let alone my, lifetime.

Here's one, Chrysler Marine 1950 straight 8. All rusty

Same engine with anti-freeze use

 

[thumpar]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

Here's one, Chrysler Marine 1950 straight 8. All rusty

Same engine with anti-freeze use

Well that is not the difference between winterizing with antifreeze and just draining. It is also not rusted through. There is plenty of thickness left.

I also fixed your formatting in my quote.

 

[letsgo19]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

Water cooled engines are going to rust from inside no matter what you do.Nature of the beast.Having AF in engine for a few months a year isn't going to stop that.The amount it slows it down will be negligible given life expectancy of such engines due to unrelated parts.So quible all you want it doesn"t make a difference,given the thickness of the iron it would take centuries to through-rust.

 

[truckermatt]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

that first picture of the cycl head look like its been sitting out side awhile.... ant the second one looks like a restored motor.. painted and all.

Neither has anything to do with any method of winterizing.

 

[Bluestream]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

that first picture of the cycl head look like its been sitting out side awhile.... ant the second one looks like a restored motor.. painted and all.

Neither has anything to do with any method of winterizing.

It was a tongue-n -cheek posting; I thought that was obvious...

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

soooo what's the answer??

These a/f or no a/f threads always get a rouse. I'm not going to a/f mine this winter...and temps get well below 0 in MN. My dad owned a watercooled OMC I/O for 30yrs and he never used anti-freeeze. If he got away with it I think I can too.

From all the other posts I've seen on this subject this is my synopsis. It's personal preference...some recommend, some recommend against it, some do it, some don't. I know what my manual says for recommended procedure as does everyone else and there mother so there's no need to reiterate that.

I'll let you know how fun my first outing was again next april!

 

[TulsaTime]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

Well, Well, I've been gone for a few days and certainly didn't expect all the drama over this issue. Thanks for the information...and laughs. I think I'll take Don S's advice and just drain and blow. I could see adding anti-freeze if we lived in a colder climate. For what it's worth, I have to agree that air does not freeze. And here's the kicker (at least for this season) I've figured out a way to get the boat in the garage, granted we'll have to spend an entire weekend re-organizing...because the wife is not parking on the driveway. Thanks again for all the discussion. Regards! TulsaTime

 

[wire2]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

My 2?;

About 15 years ago I allowed my '84 5.7 to severely overheat (idling through heavy weeds, blocked the water inlet, no temp alarm then). The heads warped, I lost the head gaskets. I took the heads to an engine rebuild shop to true. He showed me just how much rust was in the cooling passages of the heads, probably 30% blocked.

And that's the issue, blocked water passeages/degraded cooling.

Not rusting through.

He cleared the rust in a caustic engine wash.

He reminded me that you will never drain an engine completely dry, even with compressed air. The bit of water left makes it into a humidity chamber, often left from October to May.

I had been just draining up til then, but have used $5 of anti freeze every fall since.

 

[nola mike]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

My 2?;

About 15 years ago I allowed my '84 5.7 to severely overheat (idling through heavy weeds, blocked the water inlet, no temp alarm then). The heads warped, I lost the head gaskets. I took the heads to an engine rebuild shop to true. He showed me just how much rust was in the cooling passages of the heads, probably 30% blocked.

And that's the issue, blocked water passeages/degraded cooling.

Not rusting through.

He cleared the rust in a caustic engine wash.

He reminded me that you will never drain an engine completely dry, even with compressed air. The bit of water left makes it into a humidity chamber, often left from October to May.

I had been just draining up til then, but have used $5 of anti freeze every fall since.

what do you think running water through it while in use does to it? dontcha think that maybe the corrosion is from that? or did you drain and flush the system after every use?

 

[letsgo19]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

My guesse the 84 5.7 was in salt water.Even if it was close to 30% blocked still leaves 70% or so clear.What percent difference do you think puttiing A/F in it a few months a year would make.4 -5%?I bet if any of us could look in our 11yr old water cooled engines you would see plenty of corrosion.Nature of the beast!

 

[Bluestream]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

If you have an expensive engine and you want to give it the best, use the AF. It better for the block in the long term to keep it "wet" For the rest of us it really makes no difference...

 

[wire2]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

what do you think running water through it while in use does to it? dontcha think that maybe the corrosion is from that? or did you drain and flush the system after every use?

No, I didn't drain/flush after every use, my post says I did it in the fall. No need for sarcasm.

Rust is the process of oxygen combining with iron. While a boat is in use, it's full of water, the small amount of oxygen in the water is depleted quickly. If most of the water is drained/blown out, now there's very high humidity and an unlimited supply of oxygen to cause rust.

All I'm wanting to do is pass on my engine guy's and my experience.

To each his own.

 

[wire2]

Re: Add Anti-Freeze or Just Drain & Blow?

My guesse the 84 5.7 was in salt water.Even if it was close to 30% blocked still leaves 70% or so clear.What percent difference do you think puttiing A/F in it a few months a year would make.4 -5%?I bet if any of us could look in our 11yr old water cooled engines you would see plenty of corrosion.Nature of the beast!

Nope. It's never seen salt water. All my boating is on smaller lakes in central Ontario, Canada.
We get 5 months of warm enough weather for boating, then 7 months of storage.