Winterizing for in water - engine raw water drain

[gcarmich]

I have 2005 MAG 350 MPI engine S/N 0W067905. I have my Cool Fuel module removed so I cant run engine to winterize by flooding engine with antifreeze. I removed the 5 blue plugs from the engine to drain cooling water. I am concerned that the engine block still has water in it. Do I need to drain the block separately? If so, how do I drain block? Thx, Gil

 

[Scott Danforth]

by blue plugs, you mean the plastic wingnut thingies on the bottom of the J hose, each side of the block and the bottoms of the manifolds?

if so, youre drained.

drained = winterized.

now work on the annual drive maintenance. there is a sticky in the engine forums on winterization.

 

[gcarmich]

Yes. Blue plastic wingnuts with threads but mine were not under manifolds. One was on port down low where hoses came together. Two on starboard near water pump? One up top on center forward area. And one on cool fuel module. Drive is underwater but ill look for the winterization guide. Thanks!

 

[Lou C]

Do you have the single point drain system?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Yes. Blue plastic wingnuts with threads but mine were not under manifolds. One was on port down low where hoses came together. Two on starboard near water pump? One up top on center forward area. And one on cool fuel module. Drive is underwater but ill look for the winterization guide. Thanks!

You can't winterize while in the water

 

[Scott Danforth]

Plus I will add that is you pulled the drain plug from the little manifold under the motor and nothing came out, the whole drain system is clogged.

 

[Lou C]

Sounds like that boat has to get pulled out and the drain holes need to be rodded out. Very risky to do otherwise.

 

[ROY WILLIAMS]

I have 2005 MAG 350 MPI engine S/N 0W067905. I have my Cool Fuel module removed so I cant run engine to winterize by flooding engine with antifreeze. I removed the 5 blue plugs from the engine to drain cooling water. I am concerned that the engine block still has water in it. Do I need to drain the block separately? If so, how do I drain block? Thx, Gil

ANTIFREEZE COOLANT 50%-DISTILLED WATER 50% ENGINE! YES!

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Why distilled water, have never heard of this.

 

[Lou C]

less corrosive because of no minerals, but I just use tap water, when I mix my own.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

less corrosive because of no minerals, but I just use tap water, when I mix my own.

So does the rest of the world.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Still can't winterize while in the water

It's like trying to keep your shoes clean while mucking the cow stalls while sitting 3 ft deep in the muck

 

[Lou C]

Some inboards are left in the water here, over winter, but I'd never do it with an I/O. Not sure what you'd do about the water still in the Y pipe!

 

[nola mike]

Some inboards are left in the water here, over winter, but I'd never do it with an I/O. Not sure what you'd do about the water still in the Y pipe!

That would *probably* have enough room to expand, but even I wouldn't try that experiment

 

[gcarmich]

Plus I will add that is you pulled the drain plug from the little manifold under the motor and nothing came out, the whole drain system is clogged.

There is no clog. My engine doesn't have blue wing screw plugs under the manifolds. the hoses under the manifolds all lead down to an aggregation point on the lower front port side of engine. That aggregation point has a blue wing plug that drained.

 

[gcarmich]

That would *probably* have enough room to expand, but even I wouldn't try that experiment

I'm on the Chesapeake Bay in the middle. Low temps next week will be in low 20s with highs in the mid 30s. I'm not sure how cold and for how long temps need to be to potentially cause problems with water in the block? Any thoughts?

 

[gcarmich]

Even if I did pull the boat from the water, how do I get the water out of the block?

 

[Scott Danforth]

There is no clog. My engine doesn't have blue wing screw plugs under the manifolds. the hoses under the manifolds all lead down to an aggregation point on the lower front port side of engine. That aggregation point has a blue wing plug that drained.

That is the system we call the block buster. The system does clog, and you can not confirm the point a all drained short of disconnecting all the lines from the block and manifolds and probing with wire.

If your going to pull the boat for a proper winterization, use a 60 watt trouble light in the bilge to keep things from freezing. The water temp will be above freezing for a short time

 

[Scott Danforth]

Even if I did pull the boat from the water, how do I get the water out of the block?

Disconnect the factory Mercruiser hypercomplexification drainage system from tbe block and manifolds, and probe the drain ports with a piece of wire

 

[gcarmich]

This looks like the "Mercruiser hypercomplexification drainage system" on my engine. I drained the water from the component circled in green. According to the part diagram/list #10, highlighted in yellow, is the "HOSE Cylinder Block Drain". To me, this indicates that the block water is drained through these hoses so freezing shouldn't be an issue. But based on earlier comments to this post, I think I need to put the plugs back in and fill the system with antifreeze mix to prevent rust or corrosion - does that sound accurate?