Winterizing The Diesel Myself

[Ducati]

Our boat has a Volvo MD2030 and last season I watched my mechanic winterizing the motor.

I believe I should be able to do this work myself.

Here is what I'm planning to do:

1) Take boat of the water and place on cradle.
2) Remove the freshwater intake and place the end of the hose into a bucket of anti-freeze.
3) Fire up the diesel and wait until we see the anti-freeze as it exits. (capture with a bucket).
4) Open the strainer and fill with more anti-freeze and close.

Any further suggestions? Also, what type of anti-freeze is should I use?

 

[fireman416]

Our boat has a Volvo MD2030 and last season I watched my mechanic winterizing the motor.

I believe I should be able to do this work myself.

Here is what I'm planning to do:

1) Take boat of the water and place on cradle.
2) Remove the freshwater intake and place the end of the hose into a bucket of anti-freeze.
3) Fire up the diesel and wait until we see the anti-freeze as it exits. (capture with a bucket).
4) Open the strainer and fill with more anti-freeze and close.

Any further suggestions? Also, what type of anti-freeze is should I use?

1.You could change your own oil
2.Check and or replace impeller (very easy to do and save s a lot of hastle and cash)
3. Check and or replace fuel filters and air filter
4. Check belts
5. Spray down engine with storage spray to prevent corrosion on external moving parts
This is just the basic stuff that I think a person with a little bit of mechanical ability could do on their own with some reading and patience

 

[berner73]

Make sure you run the engine long enough so that the thermostat opens before flushing. Choose antifreeze that offers protection for your climate's lowest temperatures - accounting for some dilution as a result of the flushing process.

See this post for more details

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=145824

 

[wflowe2]

Why wait until the thermostat opens? Wouldn't the cooling system already have antifreeze in it?
It seems like it would be hard to run the engine for a long time while the boat is out of the water.

Make sure you run the engine long enough so that the thermostat opens before flushing. Choose antifreeze that offers protection for your climate's lowest temperatures - accounting for some dilution as a result of the flushing process.

See this post for more details

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=145824

 

[Bob J.]

I'd also toss some diesel conditioner in your tank prior to pulling the boat out the water.

 

[Warren Milberg]

I would recommend doing the engine winterization while the boat is still in the water, just before haul out. This lets you run the engine as long as necessary (and you may want to change the oil and filter prior to adding antifreeze to the Raw Water side of the engine. In that regard, you want to close the raw water intake seacock, then remove the hose from it and put into the the bucket of antifreeze to be sucked up.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Why wait until the thermostat opens? Wouldn't the cooling system already have antifreeze in it?
It seems like it would be hard to run the engine for a long time while the boat is out of the water.

Hard and dangerous. Only raw water cooled engines need follow the advice above.

 

[berner73]

Hard and dangerous. Only raw water cooled engines need follow the advice above.

Sorry, should have been more clear re: raw vs. fresh. If you have a heat exchanger (fresh water cooled), there's no need to get to operating temperatures (other than to get rid of any condensation at start up). I also change the oil right before winterizing, so having it warmed up helps in getting the old oil out. I'd be worried about doing this on the hard if on jack stands, we do ours while still in the water. Maybe your cradle is more secure. I also pull the impeller when finished and replace it in the Spring, but don't forget to put it back in...

 

[higgs]

You can winterize the whole boat yourself. It is not that hard.

 

[Ducati]

Thanks for your help

Already ahead of the game...
Last week I changed the oil and filter + topped up the fuel with a conditioner.
In the spring I'll change both fuel filters, the air filter and will replace the impeller.

Pray for a short winter...

 

[Stu Jackson]

...and will replace the impeller.

Consider removing the impeller during the winter, reuse it next year, instead of it sitting inside the pump and getting a "set."

 

[Dan Johnson]

Engine antifreeze...

A previous owner installed a "T" and ball valve with a gardenhose male end in the raw water line ahead of the raw water pump. Once the boat's tied up at its winter storage marina, I close the raw water thru-hull, hook up a hose and bucket (fitted with a ball valve on the side at the bottom) to the "T", put two gallons of antifreeze (pink or purple) in the bucket, open the ball valves, and fire up the diesel.

When the antifreeze is all but gone from the bucket, I shut down the diesel, close the ball valves, and disconnect the bucket hose.

Once the boat is on the hard, I reattach the bucket/hose to the "T", open the raw water intake ball valve, and let gravity flow a half gallon of antifreeze back through the strainer and intake.

Close the ball valve--engine job done!

Last thing done is to open and close all other thru-hull valves to drain any water captured above the valve so there's nothing left to freeze.