Raw Water Cooled I/O Winterization Thought?

[Ryan Hurd]

I was in wally world today looking around and getting some odds and ends so I could get ready to put my baby to bed this thurs when I started looking at the antifreeze from Prestone etc..and I though about this question:

Would running either the 50/50 Prestone stuff (-34 below protection per bottle) or a 70/30 mix (-82 below) of the same stuff work just as well as say the marine antifreeze that was designed for engines? I mean the Prestone is meant to be run through a car block etc..And they have that Sierra stuff that's non toxic like the pink bottles? And I can put out a pan under the outdrive and catch the residuals from the winterization process.

Does that sound like a good or bad idea? Just wondering..

[Bill Holzworth]

Been doing it that way for 15 years....buy the cheapest AF and mix 50/50.

[Ryan Hurd]

Sounds like a plan!!!

[flukin nuts]

I get the engine hot and run it threw like 80/20. The block is full of water and if you start with a 50/50 mix it will be very dilute buy the time it mixes in the block. I would run a 4-5 gallon mix and just shut if off. dont even drain.

[Ryan Hurd]

Yeah, I have the flush/winterize kit that is from camco, basically the 5 gallon fryer oil jug with the t valve and just fill it with antifreeze, run the motor till she's warm, open the antifreeze nozzle and shut off the water from the hose and run till the stuff comes out the back and its done!!!

greatest thing since sliced bread..but I just didn't want to spend $100 bucks on antifreeze..drained the manifolds when i ran the pink stuff through it the other week as a "temporary" measure and was amazed at how much coolant they really hold

[flukin nuts]

I would leave them full. Less oxygen in water than air. I find draining causes more rust in the manifolds and block. After draining when you first start up the water comes out rusty. If you leave full with antifreeze mix when you start in spring it will come out clear.

[Capt. Scott]

I would leave them full. Less oxygen in water than air. I find draining causes more rust in the manifolds and block. After draining when you first start up the water comes out rusty. If you leave full with antifreeze mix when you start in spring it will come out clear.

Agree...just did a pair of EFI 5.7 Mercruisers. After I drain via the drain plugs and drain the water pump...I pull all four hoses off the thermostat block and fill each hose with regular junk antifreeze (probably can get the stuff from an auto repair place for free or minimal cost...as it can be used stuff). That fills the block...about 2 gallons per 5.7...maybe 2.5 gallons...I am sloppy at that point and don't measure much as whatever winds up in the bilge...good. In the spring I drain it all and the bilge...it doesn't go in the water.

[Dunk]

Just use the pink water tank anti freeze crap.... 3 bucks a gal, cut it 50/50. It works just as well as the permanent type anti freezes..and we are talking about saltwater systems..

If you do use glycol type products like Prestone... DO NOT LET THE CRAP FLOW... Cats and dogs love the taste and it will KILL them...

[Maritime Matt]

Dunk has got it right. -50 pink is what most all yards use including myself. Just did a Merc 3.0 for a customer of mine. Ran it til hot, drained block and manifold [ easy to get to on this motor ] and stuck the drive in a 30 gal tote with 3 gals dumped in it with muffs hooked to a washdown pump with the intake hose sucking from the tote. Start it up and let er run and fog er out. No need to use toxic antifreeze and it will kill animals.

[High Wire]

If you only drain raw water cooled blocks, ('78 Crusader manual directions)sometimes the block drain plug holes are blocked with crap. Poke a pencil or something in the hole. Learned the hard way that just because the plug is out and no water comes out that does not mean the side is drained.

[Ryan Hurd]

Thanks for the replies. Was scared that the reg. pink "water line" antifreeze didn't have the "anti corrosive" properties of the regular antifreeze so went the reg. antifreeze route. Was $8 a gallon and used about 4.5 gallons and fogged her out while running the antifreeze and then pulled the plugs sprayed fogger in there and rotated the block and re installed the plugs..changed the oil, filter, lower unit oil and water filter and did the usuall maint. stuff....went by really easy.

Yeah, I know about the reg. antifreeze and the pets things so I had a catch pan under the lower unit for overflow and super flushed any residuals off the driveway with soap/water.

Now the boat is asleep for the winter and I already have the bug to go back out!!! C-mon' Spring Training!!!