winter storeage

[on location]

Hi

This is our first winter storeage season with our 1965 Pearson Vanguard. This is the first boat we have owned with an inboard and am unsure how to proceed with storeage. The engine is cooled with water it gets from the outside, so should I try to get all of the water out of the engine once the baot is up on the hard or should I try to get a mixture of water and antifreeze into the block to stop corrision?

Thanks Dave

[Don Moyer]

Dave,

Following is a condensed version from the winterizing chapter of our service and overhaul manual:

WINTERIZING THE COOLING SYSTEM

Step 1: If you operate in salt water, draw in at least one 5 gallon bucket of fresh water through the "T" fitting (which you should have previously installed between the raw water intake and the intake to your engine driven water pump). When the hose cavitates as the bucket empties, race the engine slightly for a second or two to partially evacuate the block and, more importantly, the exhaust system. This few seconds of running, after the bucket empties, will leave less water behind within the engine to dilute the antifreeze when you draw it in later. If you've installed fresh water cooling, proceed to step three.

Step 2: Remove the two drain plugs in the side of the block behind the starter and alternator and the single plug in the rear of the exhaust/intake manifold. If crud has settled out behind any of these plugs, it's best to take a wire and open up the area behind the plug holes so as to re-establish drainage.

NOTE: In engines with raw water cooling, I always felt it necessary to remove the thermostat prior to step 3 and to temporarily squeeze off the by-pass hose to the thermostat housing. This precaution insures that antifreeze has to flow through the block.

Step 3: Draw at least one gallon of recreational type antifreeze in through the "T" fitting previously used to draw in fresh water, or until you see antifreeze come out the exhaust.

Step 4: For early models with thermostat, I recommend drawing in one gallon of antifreeze with the thermostat installed so as to get antifreeze circulated throughout the block and manifold, and then a second gallon with the thermostat removed and recirculating hose pinched off so as to force the antifreeze through the exhaust system.

UPPER CYLINDER AREAS

Step 1: When all other reasons for running the engine are past, remove all spark plugs. Put several "squirts" of Mystery Oil in each spark plug hole. Attempt to aim the Mystery Oil toward the center of the engine (toward the pistons and away from the manifold side of the engine), as opposed to straight down from the spark plug holes, which would be toward the valves.

Step 2: Start the engine and run for just a few seconds. The goal is to shut the engine off in time to let the valve stems coated with Mystery Oil. If you have any RV antifreeze left, you may want to draw it in at this time as in step 3 above.

Best regards,

Don Moyer

[pollard]

Don,

I just read your engine winterizing instructions.... Unfortunately too late. I winterized my boat yesterday . I have a raw water cooled late model A-4 with a two year old thermostat, new pump impeller and cam shoe . I ran the engine for 30 minutes or so using a five gallon bucket continously filled from a garden hose as my cooling water source. I could not get the temperature to come up past 110 even with the bypass pinched off(engine under load typically stabilizes @ 140-150). the only way that I was able to get the engine temp up was to restrict the inlet flow with my finger (boy oh boy that pump sucks!). By doing this I was able to get the indicated temp to 140+ presumably where the thermostat starts to open. I then dumped in one gallon of strait antifreeze (bucket was nearly empty of water) and let it run till a few glugs of green came out the exhaust.

MY QUESTION: Is this good enough? should I do it again?

Also- I usually change my oil before wintering over, but when I checked the stick the oil was so clean that it looked new! (I had less than 20 hours of run time this season). Should I change the oil?

I used myster oil in the cylinders- but just turned her over by hand.

I will drain the carb , tank and filters next week. I will use the drained gas, in my snowblower. Yuck!

Michael Pollard

[Don Moyer]

Michael,

Your winterizing procedure should be perfectly OK. With your bypass hose clamped off, most of your antifreeze should have gone through the block and head.

Don

[Dave Goldsmith]

Don:
You have mentioned the "T valve" on the raw water intake for the A4. I would like to install one of these, but do not know what parts are needed for my Pearson 30 sailboat.
Could you advise me of part numbers and/or pictures that I could obtain same, and would local "home centers" be a good source??
Dave Goldsmith

[Don Moyer]

Dave,

This "T" fitting is installed between the raw water through-hull valve and the inlet to the raw water pump mounted on your engine. After closing the through-hull valve, you would run a hose from the stem of the "T" to a bucket with antifreeze while running the engine, which will draw the antifreeze into the engine. You would also want to install a manual valve on this hose from the stem of the "T" so that you can close it off when not in use.

This same system can be used for acid flushing the engine and for running the engine while on land. To run the engine on land, you would simply keep the bucket full of fresh water while the engine pump draws the water in for cooling the engine.

All of these parts are available at local household plumbing stores. You would select the size of your "T" and valve depending on the size of your raw water inlet fitting and the hose that currently runs to your engine. This hose is usually 5/8" or perhaps 3/4".

Best regards,

Don