The boat:
2005 Searay 185Sport -- 4.3L MCM Alpha 1 drive (v6)
I want to do this from the FAQ (posted by roscoe):
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Decarbing is a 2 part process. The first part is preventative, done by using a fuel additive to prevent carbon build up. SeaFoam is one such fuel additive and can be found at most auto parts stores. It also works as a fuel system cleaner and should be used as a preventative maintenance procedure.If Your intent is to REMOVE the existing carbon buildup from the cylinders, heads, and rings, a spray decarb solvent product, such as SeaFoam Deep Creep, Power Tune, or Ring Free, is needed to do the decarb process. Free moving rings are what seals your cylinders and gives you compression. Compressed and stuck rings means loss of compression, broken rings, damaged pistons and heads, and eventually, engine failure.Run engine at fast idle, with engine running and warm, slowly spray liberal amount into each carb. Its gonna smoke up the place. Spray for a couple minutes, now spray a larger amount into the carb(s) until engine chokes out and stops.Remove spark plugs and spray the decarb product liberally into each cylinder, install the spark plugs, let it soak for an hour or more. Start the engine and run at medium throttle, or if at the lake, run it at full throttle. It won't hurt to spray some more through the carbs. Run it for atleast 10 minutes to flush the crud out of your engine. Now remove and clean, or replace the spark plugs. It works well to do the spraying, the night before you go to the lake. This way you can let it soak overnight, and run at full throttle at the lake.Don't do this in front of the garage door or the house, unless you want it covered with greasy black crud.
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Can I follow these steps exactly for a sterndrive (it appeared to be written for an outboard)?
I have a gear lube monitor in the engine bay. Last year when I winterized the boat, I took the cap off the monitor, and both lower unit plugs to drain the old lube, and then refilled it until it came out of the top plug of the lower unit. The lube in the monitor never moved, and so the lube that's in there now (as well as the tube going to the lower unit) is at least 2 years old. Should I remove it, and put the top plug back in the lower unit, then pump the lube in the very bottom until it comes out of the hose that attaches to the monitor? If the lube in the monitor is not even going down to the lower unit, then what's the point of it being there in the first place? I could leave the plug off, be on my merry way, and the monitor would tell me all is good while I shoot the grease that is actually contacting the gears out into the lake.....
Don S posted a stickied topic on winterizing. There is also one on the argument between muffs or no muffs. If I just pull the petcocks as he suggested, does that get ALL the water out, or is there some residual pockets left in there that will crack the block? What other hoses/things should I look at (such as the water pump)? I leave the petcocks out during the winter, so it seems to me that the water would just freeze on out the pipes and around the outside of the manifold, being the easiest route for the pressure to take. And what is this "traditional method" of forcing antifreeze into/throughout the block?
The boat will be stored in Alabama probably until next summer, then will likely be moved to Virginia next year.
2005 Searay 185Sport -- 4.3L MCM Alpha 1 drive (v6)
I want to do this from the FAQ (posted by roscoe):
---------------------------------------------------
Decarbing is a 2 part process. The first part is preventative, done by using a fuel additive to prevent carbon build up. SeaFoam is one such fuel additive and can be found at most auto parts stores. It also works as a fuel system cleaner and should be used as a preventative maintenance procedure.If Your intent is to REMOVE the existing carbon buildup from the cylinders, heads, and rings, a spray decarb solvent product, such as SeaFoam Deep Creep, Power Tune, or Ring Free, is needed to do the decarb process. Free moving rings are what seals your cylinders and gives you compression. Compressed and stuck rings means loss of compression, broken rings, damaged pistons and heads, and eventually, engine failure.Run engine at fast idle, with engine running and warm, slowly spray liberal amount into each carb. Its gonna smoke up the place. Spray for a couple minutes, now spray a larger amount into the carb(s) until engine chokes out and stops.Remove spark plugs and spray the decarb product liberally into each cylinder, install the spark plugs, let it soak for an hour or more. Start the engine and run at medium throttle, or if at the lake, run it at full throttle. It won't hurt to spray some more through the carbs. Run it for atleast 10 minutes to flush the crud out of your engine. Now remove and clean, or replace the spark plugs. It works well to do the spraying, the night before you go to the lake. This way you can let it soak overnight, and run at full throttle at the lake.Don't do this in front of the garage door or the house, unless you want it covered with greasy black crud.
---------------------------------------------------
Can I follow these steps exactly for a sterndrive (it appeared to be written for an outboard)?
I have a gear lube monitor in the engine bay. Last year when I winterized the boat, I took the cap off the monitor, and both lower unit plugs to drain the old lube, and then refilled it until it came out of the top plug of the lower unit. The lube in the monitor never moved, and so the lube that's in there now (as well as the tube going to the lower unit) is at least 2 years old. Should I remove it, and put the top plug back in the lower unit, then pump the lube in the very bottom until it comes out of the hose that attaches to the monitor? If the lube in the monitor is not even going down to the lower unit, then what's the point of it being there in the first place? I could leave the plug off, be on my merry way, and the monitor would tell me all is good while I shoot the grease that is actually contacting the gears out into the lake.....
Don S posted a stickied topic on winterizing. There is also one on the argument between muffs or no muffs. If I just pull the petcocks as he suggested, does that get ALL the water out, or is there some residual pockets left in there that will crack the block? What other hoses/things should I look at (such as the water pump)? I leave the petcocks out during the winter, so it seems to me that the water would just freeze on out the pipes and around the outside of the manifold, being the easiest route for the pressure to take. And what is this "traditional method" of forcing antifreeze into/throughout the block?
The boat will be stored in Alabama probably until next summer, then will likely be moved to Virginia next year.
