Diesel Engine Winterization

[AJ]

I have a Westerbeke 10 hp diesel on my Hunter 27. I will be laying her up for the winter but this year perform my own maintenance. The engine is internally and externally cooled. I suspect that antifreeze should be put into the engine(the fresh water side which under operating conditions runs out the exhaust).Is this correct? What needs to be done?AJ

 

[Ed Schenck]

This is what we do. . . .

on Lake Erie. Have everything at the ready. Once the boat is under the lift I remove the hose from the engine water thru-hull and place in a one gallon container of anti-freeze. Then I start the engine which pumps the anti-freeze through the system(heat exchanger, hot water tank, muffler, etc.). When the container is empty I let the diesel run another 60 seconds or so. This, I hope, gets the moisture out of the exhaust system. After the boat is lifted I open the seacock so that it drains. Then I reattach the hose and close the seacock. I also check the anti-freeze level in the engine.

 

[Steve Dion]

Ed, what about the fresh water system?

Ed:Did you omit the fresh water tank treatment or where you only replying to the engine treatment?

 

[Ed Schenck]

Don't forget fresh water tanks.

On Lake Erie when the temp goes to well below zero ALL the water has to be out of the boat. I was only responding to the engine question. But we drain all tankage first. Then we pump pink anti-freeze through the system. This includes head and holding tank. Pump some into hot water tank after draining it. Then bypass hot water tank to flush all lines to sinks and shower, otherwise you will need 15 gallons of anti-freeze just to get through that tank. I remove the hose at the main tank manifold and connect a short piece of hose to that. Then I place that in a containter of anti-freeze and turn on the pump. When the pink stuff comes out of all the faucets I reconnect the hose to the tank manifold. Then I dump a gallon of pink in each tank in case there is any water still in there. Then I go home and worry about water coming down the mast, into the bilge, and freezing there. I add a gallon of anti-freeze to the bilge about every three or four weeks.