De Winterization - approve my checklist please

[Purduebarry]

This is the checklist I've created from various sources...I have a manual in route, but I trust the forum as much as the book, so please let me know if I left anything off or have it all wrong.<br /><br />1) Marina winterized and performed top tier service - Changed drive lube, Oil & filter change, Fuel filter, Fuel stabilizer, Fogged the engine, disconnected all water hoses, removed two manifold caps and two drain plugs.<br /><br />2) I plan to replace all hoses, the manifold caps and the freeze plugs.<br /><br />3) I plan to Tune up the engine - plugs, points, cap, rotor, timing, condensor etc.<br /><br />4) I plan to replace intake impeller (preventative maintenance)<br /><br />5) What about Seafoam? Use it or loose it?<br /><br />6) Was told to lubricate the u-joint on the drive? What does this entail? What lube should I use? Or is this not necessary?<br /><br />I'll top off the tank with some Premium, take it too the lake and... anything else? Just start it and go? This is my first de winterization with this boat. Thanks!

 

[Don S]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

2) I plan to replace all hoses, the manifold caps and the freeze plugs.

WHY?????? Forget the freeze plugs, that is a waste of time. Manifold caps??? Why, are they rusted through? if they are, so is the manifold.<br />Hoses??? again, WHY? Are they soft, weather checked, hard as a rock? If they are bad, replace them, but don't just throw parts at it so you can say you kept up on maintenance. Keep up on the maintenance properly.<br /><br />It would be nice to know what year, make and model engine/drive setup you have. OOps, see it now, sorry.<br /><br />Here is a previous post that may help.<br /><br /> http://forums.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=015945#000000

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Geez, what some shops claim as Top Tier winterizing. <br /><br />Few reputable dealers would leave the hoses disconnected or drains open anymore. That just guarantees more work for them come spring. SCAM!!! The GOOD dealers do it so about all you have to do is charge and connect the battery, and put in the plug. I like most of YOUR list, tho. A bit excessive, but way better than insufficient. But scrap the frost plug idea. <br /><br />Sea Foam is one of those gasoline additives. I suppose it has it's place. I'm not a big fan, but at least you're using it in a sterndrive. I get nervous about gasoline additives in 2-strokes. Go for it.

 

[Purduebarry]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Easy fellas, maybe my terminology is a bit off. When I say replace, I meant re-attach. All the hoses are loose and the clamps are in a baggy. Yea, your right and I was pissed to learn that they charge to re-attach everything, for what I paid I expected this was included. But a baggy of parts none the less is in my hands now. <br /><br />As for the manifold caps, these are big black rubber things (caps?) that are on the risers / manifolds / water cooling system? They face down and there is one on each side. My five year old could put them on. Yes they are checked, hard as rocks and 20 years old. The pair was $7.00 bucks so it was worth it, they are rubber, so they are not rusted?<br /><br />As for the hoses I'll just reconnect them, they seem fine.<br /><br />As for the freeze plugs, they are brass (thank goodness) and there are two, one right and one left just under the manifolds close to the spark plugs, about mid-engine. I'll just screw them in, any teflon selant needed or jsut go in dry and don't over tighten.<br /><br />I agree about the service thing. This was my first winter with this boat and I'm just getting back into boating, so bear with me a bit. I don't make the same mistakes twice, but with no manual, a new to me boat, a hard frost in the forecast, nightmares about a cracked block...I caved, made the call and paid the price. Almost $200 bucks! Now they want another $90 to put it back together!!! Maybe okay for the powerboat club and $200,000 Fontaine's, but not for my dingy! <br /><br />Now it's up to me and the good folks on this forum! If you use less "???" next time I won't feel quite so stupid, I'm still reeling from the Winterization. Thanks for the input and please keep it coming.

 

[Purduebarry]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

And one last thing, what about lubricating the the u-joints? I was told this buy a certified OMC mechanic with nothing to gain. It was during a phone call about props and he was five States away. He said this is mandatory on OMC outdrives. Does he mean loosen the boots and fill em with grease? I'm afraid to ask the marina, they might make me take out a loan!

 

[Don S]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Freeze plugs are the approximatly 2" plugs in the block. 3 on each side. They are actually called core plugs, but the slang name is freeze plug. What you are talking about is the 1/4" NPT drain plugs for draining the block. Yes, with the "Freeze Plugs" being replaced, I misstook it as meaning remove and replace the actual "Freeze" plugs. From there everything else meant remove and replace with new.<br />We charge a lot more than $200 to properly winterize the boat. But it also includes the following.<br />Change engine oil and filter<br />Change drive gear lube.<br />Pull outdrive, check alignment, check bellows for water, lube gimbal bearing and ujoints.<br />Top off battery water and make sure the batteries are fully charged.<br />Change fuel filters and check old filters for water. If a lot of water is found, the water is pumped from the tank.<br />Stabilizer added to fuel.<br />Engine is fogged, run in antifreeze (closed cooled engines) or drained and filled with antifreeze (raw water cooled engines).<br />The engine is then sprayed with corrosion guard, the battery disconnected.<br />Change anodes. (It's easier with the drive off)<br />Remove the props, grease the prop shaft.<br />Grease all zirks.<br />That's just the engine, then there is the head, domestic water systems, trailer wheel bearings. Lube the tongue jack, and latch mechanism. And most likely a couple other things I forgot to mention.<br />Now, your boat is winterized.<br />Too many places think winterization means drain the block and charge big bucks.

 

[jlinder]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

I have read this thread and a little confused still about the outdrive maintenance. (I have the same year, engine and drive, just a different hull)<br /><br />I know of the zerk fitting on the outdrive, and check for drive oil, but is there anything else needed for this drive?

 

[Purduebarry]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Thanks for the list Don S...I'd bring my boat to Alaska but that's not practical. At least they replaced the gear lube in the outdrive. I was hoping my service manual showed up today but I guess I'll have to wait until next week. Oh well I have enough to do with some rotten decking until then.<br /><br />I'll tell you this much after I get it fixed, nobody gets in the boat without a towel. What a mess!

 

[Purduebarry]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Jack, I was told to grease the u-joints. I've ask the forum and not gotten an answer. I have a service manual in the mail heading in my direction, I hope this is covered. In my mind I assume it means removing the rubber boot and filling it with grease. Sort of like the CV joint on a car. I won't try this until I know for certain that this is the right thing to do. <br /><br />Stay tuned!

 

[johnbo]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Hi, <br /><br />What they mean about greasing the U-joints, is that the outdrive needs to be pulled and the zerks on the U-joints (2 of them) are used to lube the U-joints. At the same time, the gimbal bearing can be lubed.<br /><br />This is generally done at the end of the year during the winterization that Don S wrote about. I just did it myself a few weeks ago (my first boat). Not so bad, but it used the major part of a weekend day.<br /><br />Later,<br /> johnbo

 

[Purduebarry]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Wow! I just ripped up a bunch of bad wood and have enough on my hands...How much should one expect to pay for this service assuming I want an expert to do it if there is such a thing.

 

[johnbo]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

No real idea on the cost. Around here, the marine mechanics charge about $70/hr +/- $10. I've heard that someone who knows what they are doing can pull the outdrive, do the lube, alignment, and reinstall within 2 hours or so. <br /><br />This of course, would assume that nothing was found that needed repair while the drive was off. In my case, I found a bad seal and a failing U-joint.<br /><br />This was also my first exposure to this. I don't have any trouble paying a mechanic to do the work, but I like understanding how things work. Now I know a lot more about how this machine works and am more aware of possible issues. Invalueable to me. But, I'm an engineer, and we are always wired a little different.<br /><br />I hated dealing with wood decks, rebuilt mine with Trex about 9-10 years ago. Much better.<br /><br />Later,<br /><br />johnbo

 

[Purduebarry]

Re: De Winterization - approve my checklist please

Yes, the small soft spot ended up being 5 feet long! On my boat there is a small swim deck and combo ladder on one side. Theory being that all the wet swimmers came in over the years dripping wet. Then hard on the gas for the next skier, the water then goes to the back of the boat (g-force) and under the seat that had the soft spot in front of it. Now the entire seat, supports, deck and foam has been removed down to the stringers and bare hull. All this for a soft spot. Lots of water in the foam too. The wood was mush! It took two days to find firm wood again. The outdrive must wait for another day!