Volvo penta 3.0 white smoke coming out of outdrive while winterizing!

[asleevo23]

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I purchased a boat about two years ago and was fed up with costly maintenence from the local mechanic. I decided to winterize the boat myself this year. When I was winterizing the boat, i used the DIY winterizing kit that hooks up to the muffs of the outdrive and sucks in antifreeze. While winterizing, i turned the water off and turned the antifreeze on and everything was going just fine. Also, there was white smoke coming out of the outdrive as it should. However, i've noticed a nasty burnt smell coming from the outdrive and the white smoke coming from the sides. I turned the engine off and checked the oil and there seemed to be no antifreeze or anything burning. Now, my question is, is it normal for white smoke to come out before fogging the carburator? Is it normal to have any sort of smell while winterizing? Please respond as i don't know if i just ruined my investment. :grumpy: Thanks.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Volvo penta 3.0 white smoke coming out of outdrive while winterizing!

When you were running the engine on the AF was the boat overheating, did you keep an eye on the temp gauge? I think from what you saw you might have overheated the engine and burned up the raw water impeller. I do NOT like those winterizing tanks at all. For one with a Volvo gravity feeding the AF may burn up the impeller because the AF flow is not pressurized like the water from the hose. When you turned off the water and turned on the AF did the engine suck it in? The other problem is that if the thermostat does not open on a raw water cooled engine you can wind up with manifolds full of AF and an engine that still has water in it. Drain the block right now to be on the safe side. If the engine overheated you should take it to a shop unless you feel you can replace the impeller yourself. The other damage could be burned up exhaust hoses and water tube gaskets in the drive.

 

[asleevo23]

Re: Volvo penta 3.0 white smoke coming out of outdrive while winterizing!

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. Everything was running fine while the Antifreeze was being sucked in. Like i said, this is the first time i've ever done this. Everything seemed fine with the engine as well, there were no knocking sounds or anything. The only odd thing that happened to me was the white smoke coming out while the antifreeze was coming out of the exhaust and propeller. Also, the weird burnt smell might be the antifreeze due to the hot exhaust. Is this normal when winterizing a boat? Does this happen to everybody or is this irregular? What do you think might have been the problem? Thanks.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Volvo penta 3.0 white smoke coming out of outdrive while winterizing!

Are you saying you're sure the engine did not overheat? Normally when the water is coming out the exhaust it is not that hot, I do not ever get smoke running out the exhaust when I run my boat on the water muffs. Take a look at the rubber exhaust hose that connects the exhaust risers to the exhaust pipe, do they look burned? Did the exhaust risers get really hot? Did you somehow spill antifreeze on some part of the hot engine? My engine does not usually get over 160* on the water muffs and the exhaust manifolds usually don't get over 80* or so measured with the IR temp gun. Nothing should be getting hot enough to make a burning smell.

The other problem, is that while the engine sucked AF in, it may not have made it in the block because of what I explained above. You must remove a drain plug on the engine, take a sample of the AF in a paper cup and put it in the freezer. If it freezes solid you have to drain the block right now before it freezes and cracks the engine. That means a new engine. In the future DO NOT use that method to winterize, it is a BAD short cut. You run the engine, fog it and then drain all the water and poke each drain hole. You remove the raw water hoses on the impeller housing (mark them first) to make sure the water drains. You disconnect the bottom end of the big hose on the front of the engine that connects to the front circulating pump. Then you can fill the engine and manifolds with -100 no tox AF but you don't have to. You HAVE to get the water OUT. Those winterizing tanks are only good for engines that have a heat exchanger (closed cooling). NO GOOD for raw water cooling.....

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Volvo penta 3.0 white smoke coming out of outdrive while winterizing!

I also don't like that method of winterizing and haven't used one. The people I know who do use them, drain the engine of water first and then run the antifreeze through.
It's not unusual to get steam out of the exhaust when running on the muffs. The water mixes with the hot exhaust gasses in the elbows and a small amount vaporises. If your pumping antifreeze instead of water, maybe it might smell burnt when it hits the exhaust. But like I said, I have not used the system.