Did I make a big mistake here?

[Michigan Jason]

I live in the metro detroit area of michigan, 2 weeks ago the weather was near 80 degrees and i pulled the boat into the driveway, uncovered and hooked up the ear muffs. She started right up and I ran it at low rpms for about 5minutes and shut her down. I had planned to take her out on the lake for the afternoon but ended up cleaning out the garage instead. Needless to say, the weather now has been getting down to freexing temps at night. I had the boat winterized last year and they put a red chemical into it. I didnt notice any of that red stuff coming out wich surprised me. Now if it gets really cold on me am I in trouble?

Regal Valanti 202se ford 5.0 volvo penta sx

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

I had planned to take her out on the lake for the afternoon but ended up cleaning out the garage instead.

That's the only big mistake I can see.

Honestly, it takes a night with temps at least into the high 20s for multiple hours to freeze a block enough to cause damage. I haven't been watching the temps too closely at 4am, but I don't think we've been into the 20s overnight in the last couple weeks.

I think you will be fine. If the temp drops significantly and you are worried about it, run an extension cord and leave a light bulb on near the motor to warm it up some and keep it from freezing.

 

[EMC 1810SS]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

What kind of engine? I/O? Inboard? Outboard? If I/O as I assume then you need to drain the water from the block. You don't need to do a full winterization, but the block needs to be drained for sure.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

What kind of engine? I/O? Inboard? Outboard? If I/O as I assume then you need to drain the water from the block. You don't need to do a full winterization, but the block needs to be drained for sure.

I suppose this would help lol

1995 Regal Valanti 202SE FORD 5.0 Volvo Penta SX outdrive

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

That's the only big mistake I can see.

Honestly, it takes a night with temps at least into the high 20s for multiple hours to freeze a block enough to cause damage. I haven't been watching the temps too closely at 4am, but I don't think we've been into the 20s overnight in the last couple weeks.

I think you will be fine. If the temp drops significantly and you are worried about it, run an extension cord and leave a light bulb on near the motor to warm it up some and keep it from freezing.

I am pretty sure that it hasnt got below 30 recently.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

If it's an I/O I'd work on a way to keep the engine warm if you don't drain or winterize again...heater, light bulbs, etc., none of which are safe in the presence of gas fumes. If it's an outboard, no worries.

If it's 40 during the day, it won't take long to freeze if it gets down to 32.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

If it's an I/O I'd work on a way to keep the engine warm if you don't drain or winterize again...heater, light bulbs, etc., none of which are safe in the presence of gas fumes. If it's an outboard, no worries.

If it's 40 during the day, it won't take long to freeze if it gets down to 32.

Being that I got it winterized, and I didnt see any of that red chemical that they pumped in there come out, is it still in there? All that seemed to come out was clear water when it was running.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

Will it be fine if I just let it sit for a while once the weather is warmer and make sure nothing can be frozen? I still really dont understand what freezes. It will be 60+ all next week here.

 

[1979checkmate]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

chances are that the shop did it the "correct way" That being, run antifreeze through the motor to make sure there is no water. After that, they probably drained as much of the antifreeze as they could so the engine was mostly empty, and any fluid that was still left was antifreeze. There could have been very little antifreeze ( i am assuming that is the red stuff) in it to begin with.

Well, the water freezes inside the engine block causing damage. At best, a blown freeze plug, at worst a cracked block.. that is bad.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

chances are that the shop did it the "correct way" That being, run antifreeze through the motor to make sure there is no water. After that, they probably drained as much of the antifreeze as they could so the engine was mostly empty, and any fluid that was still left was antifreeze. There could have been very little antifreeze ( i am assuming that is the red stuff) in it to begin with.

Well, the water freezes inside the engine block causing damage. At best, a blown freeze plug, at worst a cracked block.. that is bad.

They did it the right way, they ran the antifreeze through there until no water came out and only red antifreeze. I only ran the muffs about 5mins, i really am hoping that there is still antifreeze in there. Why wouldnt I have seen the red antifreeze come out right away?

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

I live in the det met area also. If would have to be below freezing for a extended time. overnight, your fine. The water bottles haven't froze in my truck. Don't lose sleep over it.

 

[superpop]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

Sounds like you are OK, you will know soon enough if you have damage. In the future, and just for clarification. Once the boat is winterized it is fine in sub freezing weather. The second you hook water up to it and start it. It is no longer winterized, doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes or 5 seconds. Enough water can get into the motor and drive to cause major damage to most of the drive train. They probably drained most of the AF when they were done winterizing it, so it was dry, and that is why you did not see any red stuff.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

Did I make a big mistake here?

I live in the metro detroit area

Yes...you did.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

You're playing a losing hand if you bet there's still antifreeze in the block.

 

[gstanton]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

I have used a 100 watt light bulb down in the engine compartment several times. We pull the boat the end of Sept. but don't bring it to FL til mid Oct. There have been several snowfalls and the bulb keeps everything safe.
Another trick is to put the boat in the water. The marinas do this when they can't keep up with winterizing and it's going to turn cold.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

Put a 150 or bigger bulb in the engine area and you should be fine. All you have to do is keep it at 33 degrees.Put a thermometer in there and check the temp when cold.

 

[444]

Re: Did I make a big mistake here?

FWIW last fall when I was breaking in my new big block v8 I built for my car, I filled up the rad with straight tap water. I broke it in and drove it around for a few days like that and sometimes over night the temps dropped several degrees below zero. It was never enough to even make the water in the rad freeze or turn to slush at all.

I still really dont understand what freezes. It will be 60+ all next week here.

Water expands when it freezes. The expanding ice can crack your engine block. Once the ice fills up the nearby cooling passages it still keeps expanding. And since ice doesn't "flow" it keeps expanding outward, putting a lot of pressure on your cast iron block. If enought pressure builds up, something has to give, and that's your block. Crack.

Well, the water freezes inside the engine block causing damage. At best, a blown freeze plug, at worst a cracked block.. that is bad.

Thing is, freeze plugs aren't really designed to pop and relieve pressure when the coolant freezes. Freeze plugs are actually core plugs necessary during the casting process to form the engine block. I have seen blocks cracked in which the freeze plugs have not even bulged. Don't count on them to save your azz.

I would say just drain all the water out of the block. Can be difficult because until you flip the engine upside down, coolant/water never stops comming out of it. That's why you normally just run antifreeze through it to winterize.