Just something I learned over time..... I let the clear water run on the ground until I see pink then I slide the container under the prop to catch the antifreeze then I can reuse it the following year
I think I would drain as much of the water out via the drain plugs, manifold and block plugs. I have the 12o mercruiser. After drained and not running engine I would then use this tech to winterize.
Not to mention using the wrong alcohol based RV antifreeze that is meant for winterizing plumbing systems in boats and RVs. Using a proper Marine antifreeze such as the blue -100 is what should be used, as it has corrosion inhibitors. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will put out a video thinking they have reinvented the wheel, but do the job with the wrong products or methods.
I agree 100% with @rrhistorian8828. A friend of mine thought he was saving money by using RV antifreeze, not automotive antifreeze. It ended up costing him big time as the RV antifreeze ate away his engine's gaskets!!
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259 please explain....I had zero issues and the boat ran great this year. Will be using this method again next Saturday unless you can tell me what I did wrong.
@@jbattison Did you drain the water from both sides, block and manifolds, this is the 1st step and most important. Water freezes at 32F, if the water never reached this temp then no harm was done.Mixing the existing water with antifreeze will lower the freezing temperature nut without testing the mixture with an RV antifreeze refractometer, the freezing point is a guess. If the antifreeze does have water mixed in it (it will unless the block and manifolds are 1st drained), this quickly raises the freezing temperature. So, you missed the important step of draining the water? Big no-no. Consider this, if there's no water to freeze, the block and manifolds cannot be damaged from freezing water. Sounds to me like you got lucky but if the temperature had dropped slightly more, could've been cracked block city. What part of this is so difficult to comprehend?
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259 thanks for the input. The engine was brought to temp to ensure the antifreeze went through the entire engine. also I did not mix any water with the antifreeze. Made sure the antifreeze was coming out before I out the pool under to recapture the antifreeze. There are several different ways to winterize including what you posted, but this way works for me. Not sure why you latched to my post to make a comment but thanks for giving me something to do. Seems you could have just made a general post in the comments. If you would like to look at my RU-vid channel, I have several grilling and cooking videos that probably need some critiquing though.
@@jbattison "Not sure why you latched to my post to make a comment" The reason is, you claimed to use the procedure as described in this video. Based on my memory of this video, water was not drained from the block and manifolds before proceeding to install antifreeze. Because of this oversight, there's no way of knowing the final antifreeze concentration, thus the freezing point of the fluid remaining in the block and manifold is unknown. The thermostat has nothing to do with properly winterizing the cooling system, in fact the cooling system winterizing procedure can be accomplished without even starting the engine. I have nothing else to add except for good luck.
This is the best way to winterize because simply just popping off a cooling hose without starting it doesn't allow the thermostat to open up and circulate the antifreeze throughout the whole cooling system.
keep the anti freeze separated from the waste water. You're diluting the effectiveness and risking damage especially if you store boat outside. Your method would never cut it where I live. I also use a 5 gal bucket for AF. Waste water falls to ground. Better test for density before storing that boat.
Mike, do I need a sump pump for the 5 gallon bucket method? I would think you could just drop the hose end in the bucket and leave the muffs on the motor and it should suck the anti freeze outta the bucket?
I've watched 3 marines winterize my boat and they have shared the antifreeze with other boats waste water. They have an instrument to tell them when the antifreeze is over diluted. As far as I can say, at least this guys antifreeze is new clean and he has a couple bottles so, same as the marine shops. Just saying from what I observed
I tested this method then drained the block, clear water ran out before the antifreeze came out, it would need to circulate a lot longer to clear the fresh water from the bottom if the block. Using the drains provided is a better idea but each to their own.
Thermostat doesn't need to open, water constantly circulates through the engine. You just diluted your antifreeze with a couple gallons of water that's trapped in the engine. Mix your fuel stabilizer with a gallon or two of fuel and pour that in else stabilizer doesn't make it into the fuel tank. Drain the block and manifolds 1st, before pumping (or pouring) antifreeze in. There are a couple other things, but I'll stop there. This is all well documented in the mercruiser information, please consult the manuals on how to properly winterize your boat. I really hope your engine block and manifolds aren't cracked from diluted water freeze expansion during winter.
Im pretty sure if the thermostat is closed, there will be no water flow through your heads and block, you may have water running through the exhaust manifolds and bypass.
There is definitely a thermostat. Thermostat let's seawater in to block and heads when temp hits 160. Must be open from heat or remove it before flushing for winter.
@@jski250 Block will fill with water regardless if thermostat opens or not. I'm an old boat mechanic working on these for decades. Read your mercruiser manual, it describes the step by step process of how to winterize your boat. BIG HUGE HINT: You must first, drain freshwater from the engine block and exhaust manifolds BEFORE refilling the block & manifolds with antifreeze. If the engine is V6 or V8, drain both sides. Just because you remove a block or manifold drain plug, doesn't mean the water will drain out, you mat need to shove a piece of coat hanger wire into drain hole in case the drain is clogged from the inside with debris, this is quite common and not unusual. BTW, when these were 1st introduced, the thermostats were 140F, later they changed to 160F for emissions purposes. Don't use a higher temp thermostat than 160F, 140F or removing thermostat and leave out is just fine. I prefer a 140F thermostat. The thermostat doesn't control or prevent cold water from entering the block, the thermostat regulates heated water exiting the block. Once you comprehend the correct method, please update your misleading video.
Please if you have a raw water cooled I/O, don't do it this way. Unless you pull the block drain plugs and test the freeze point of what's in there you will never know if the 'stat opened enough to let the raw water out of the engine. You can wind up with cracked block, heads and intake manifold. The only thing for sure that will be full of AF is the exhaust system. The right way to do it: read a Merc or Volvo Penta shop manual, they will tell you to manually drain, poke the holes with a small screwdriver or pick then replace the plugs. Engine/exhaust is drained, then if you want to use AF, you pour it in the feed hoses for the manifolds til it runs out the exhaust, you disconnect the big hose from the front circulating pump at the top end and pour it in till it spurts out the thermostat housing neck, and disconnect your raw water hose at the thermostat housing (Alpha) or impeller housing (Bravo or Volvo Penta) and pour in AF till it runs out the water intakes on the drive. Then reconnect the hoses. You drain to prevent freeze damage, you use AF only to reduce corrosion. On a cool fall day the thermostat on one of these may not open enough to let out the raw water. Very risky. Also, do not fog fuel injected engines, that fogging oil can damage sensors and Merc and Volvo have a specific procedure for fuel injected engines. Fogging is for carbs only!
@@leesire OK after draining and probing all the drain holes with a pick to make sure they drained, I put some gasket sealer on the threads of metal plugs then fill the engine with -100 marine antifreeze and reconnect the hoses, I leave it in. If you going to drain it there is no point to using AF. It is used to reduce corrosion. However, if it gets close to or below zero where you are, the -50 and -60 are not really adequate for a cast iron engine. Use -100 or leave it dry in that case.
@@Luigi-pk8mk previous owner never used antifreeze. He just let the water out but pulling the drain plugs and that was all he did. Anyway. Do I leave the antifreeze in there? Or let it drain out for the winter ? Thanks
@@leesire I add antifreeze because I'm in a salt water area but if you are in freshwater certainly proper draining is fine. Just make sure you get all the water out. As they say, "air doesn't freeze"
I was wondering the same thing about fogging. You don't do it on an efi. Well at least not with fogger, you can use 2cycle oil in your gas. As far as the dilution it depends on where you live.
Good video. Only thing I would do different is pull all the drain plugs from the engine and manifolds. That would drain the water from the engine and you wouldn’t dilute your antifreeze mix
I have done it like that as well before too. I have done this for 5 years now, no damage. But, maybe I have been lucky. It is hard to tell, but what is coming out of the exhaust is pink. I am sure it is diluted a little.
@@carllange3432 Yes he has and for one reason too. He is using the wrong antifreeze. That pink garbage is not meant for engines, only plumbing systems. Now, they make -100 MARINE antifreeze that is meant for engines and contains corrosion inhibitors, but at $20.00 a gallon, people cheap out and use the pink shit, which is not proper at all.
Good job dudes.....gonna try this method.........sick of coughing up at the marina to winterize my boat..........TAKE A GOLD STAR....AND GO TO THE TOP OF THE CLASS!!....
sick of coughing up at the marina??? the marina does something wrong they pay for a new block, you do it wrong guess who pays? winterize $300 . new block and labor 4000-5000. you do the math. unless you failed math in elementary school. then get someone to help you add it up
I don't get why everyone wants to warm up the boat before thermostats opens up, because once they hit cold antifreeze they close up right that second. So whats reason you are getting them to open up? Unless you warm up your winterizing antifreeze to 180 degrees, - it does not get you anywhere people!
This is how I do mine but I use 100% automotive concentrate. That way I know for sure the engine is completely safe from freezing. Rather spend the extra on antifreeze vs you know what. Nice vid and explanation Jason.
They make marine grade -100 antifreeze which is the best thing to use. Surely don’t use that pink shit he is using, which is meant to winterize plumbing systems and does not contain a corrosion inhibitor, which the proper marine grade antifreeze does.
Thanks very helpful. I think using water from the faucet kept my thermostat from opening...I'll use your method next year. Had to pay marina this time.
Not to mention he is using cheap ass $2.99 a gallon RV antifreeze meant to winterize water systems in RV’s and boats. The proper product, comes in -60, -100 and -200 and is expensive, but is well worth it. This method he is using sucks. Always drain the block and manifolds first, then add -100.
Just an observation but you said you would slide the pool under AFTER the fresh water almost runs out and it starts to turn pink but water was clearly running into the pool diluting your RV antifreeze? Any concern on this? Or am I not seeing things clearly? Cool method though!
Yes, what was coming out of the prop was diluting. Mostly, it comes out of the ports up at the transom. It was diluting. Done this for 3 winters now, no issue. Thinking about catching the prop water and getting it out of falling in the pool anyway.
Putting water back in. Why not just drain all the tubes, pull the block plugs put back together and then fill pool with Antifreeze. Weird way to do this.
Not to mention, he is using alcohol based RV antifreeze meant to winterize plumbing systems. He should be using -100 which states it is for engines and contains a corrosion inhibitor. People don’t read the bottle.
The boat weighs 4900. The tong weight is about 300 lbs. The BX2670 jerks it around perfectly. Actually, I have another Baja 272 and it pulls it around just fin as well. Now I also have a camper and I am not scared to pull anything. That little tractor is awesome. Pulls anything. Wouldn't be scared to put the boats in the water with that thing.
. Nice way I like it seems its best way doing it . Wait until you see anti freeze come out of motor . That's what you did right ? Awesome idea . Does hurt you put more stabilizer in then calls for ? GREAT JOB !! Nice Tractor also .
You should also not use the garbage shit he is using. That pink RV antifreeze is not for use in engines, period. You and I know this, too bad he doesn’t.
At last a simple no BS winterize the engine and not a long song and dance with everything else. I think some people are stroking their ego when trying help. Great father and son project..Right :)
david cockrum They are. They are pretty much amazing. Time to plane cut in half and the bow hardly rises. And proposing reduced to almost nothing. Obviously a Lenco powered system is better, but the smart tabs are simple and MUCH cheaper.
@@jski250 not sure what you mean by cold, but cold isn't necessarily a threat. as long as it doesn't freeze you'll be ok. if you think it might get close to freezing conditions, get concrete blankets ready. curing concrete creates its own heat, so trapping that during curing really helps. good luck.
Hopefully this would be done well before the dead of winter. After Summer is over the kiddie pools will be on sale so this seems like a good deal to me.
if you have a crab run to the hills with ethanol fuels, stick with recreational fuels read your owners manuals about ethanol fuels and carbs big trouble, , stay far away, buy the reck gas and save big on the shit gas
Not so sure it would suck the antifreeze against gravity with air in the line. Maybe it would if the antifreeze was above and fed down to lower unit. Still need to catch it. So sump seemed easiest.
You need to pump it up into the impeller. I use a large 12 volt bilge pump. I drain the existing water from the engine block and manifold drains 1st, so the antifreeze isn't diluted and ineffective.
what a fool! i see at the end when you're fogging your engine has the single point draining system. drain and use 2 gallons of blue -100 af instead of 6-7 gallons of -50 pink
