Engine winterize

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Jun 6, 2004
2
Hunter 29.5 deltaville
We will be doing our own winterization this year. Could someone please detail in a list form the procedure to winterize a 30 foot sailboat with 18hp yanmar, 5 gallon hotwater heater, and freshwater cooled engine.? Just need the engine/water stuff, we do a pretty good job on the rest of the boat. Thanks
 

Sherry

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Jun 1, 2005
212
Hunter 30 Pickwick Lake, TN River
H30 list

Bryan, I have the list I made last year for my Hunter 30. Email me offline; I'll be glad to share. Sherry
 
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
Here is what I do

to winterize my Yanmar 2GM20F: with the raw water seacock closed, I take the hose off the incoming side of the water strainer. I connect another hose to it that is about 6 ft long. I put the other end of that hose in a pail in which I've poured one gal of -100 antifreeze. Start the engine and just before all the antifreeze is sucked into the engine, shut it off. (Note: PRIOR to this step I've changed the engine/trans oil, but you didn't ask about that). I reconnect the raw water hose to the water strainer. Sometimes I open the raw water pump and take out the impeller to keep it from taking a "set" over other winter, but not sure this is really necessary, but it's a good idea to check the impeller in the spring. My boat has a pressure water system and a 5 gal water heater. I drain the water tank either by pressuring up the system and turning on all the faucets, or by putting a hose in the water tank, filling it, and then dropping it overboard where the other end is lower than the tank -- and the water syphons out. This is easier on the hard when the boat is higher up. I drain the hot water heater from its petcock. Since I don't think it's possible to really get all the fresh water out of the system, I usually pour about a half gal of -60 antifreeze (the other half gal goes into the head/holding tank)into the drained tank and then run it/pump it thru the system. You are done. The whole thing takes less than an hour. Good luck.
 
N

nick maggio

Same as warren EXCEPT

I Do the same as warren,except I blow out the fresh water system with air.
 
Jun 4, 2004
844
Hunter 28.5 Tolchester, MD
Winterizing

Warren is right about using the -100 degree antifreeze because it is mixing with the water left in the syatem as it is pumped thru the heat exchanger and waterlift muffler, and one gallon is fine for a 2GM20 Yanmar. However,I drain my fresh water system and water heater a couple weeks early. I disconnect the hoses at the pump and water heater and leave the drain petcock open to completely drain the system the last few sailing trips of the season, so it does not need antifreeze. I do pour a cup or more into every hose that backs up to a seacock. If you do not know when the last time your permanent antifreeze was changed, you should check it first. You might have to remove the thermostat when you re-fill that system to keep from getting an air lock, then do the seawater side.
 
B

Bill

"T" on the engine intake...

A rather brilliant PO put a "T" fitting just past the engine intake through hull and put a 4 ft section of hose on the other side with a valve. 90% of the time that valve stays closed, but it works great for winterizing the raw water side of the engine. Simply close the seacock on the through hull and open the valve on this hose, then put it in your bucket of anti-freeze and proceed as normal. Saves time and hassle. Just a thought, B
 

RichH

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Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
What you DONT want to do is .......

Drain the engine and leave it sit with just 'air' inside. This goes for both the fresh water cooling loop as well as the raw water cooling loop. Cast Iron once it develops a protective ferrous oxide coating (black/blue rust) and allowed to 'dry' will quickly change from the ferrous oxide to ferric oxide. Ferric oxide (red) is the 'destructive' form of iron oxide; ferrous (black) rust is 'protective'. Cast iron is usually cast in such a way that there are 'stratifications' in the casting ... similar to an onion in form; and, if the ferric oxide begins to form between the stratifications in the casting will rapidly form 'slab rust' .... huge 'chunks' of rust that separate from the base casting. Ferric rust (red) is less dense than ferrous (black) rust so when it forms it can generate GREAT pressure between the stratifications .... and simply 'tear the engine apart' internally if the rust is penetrating into the stratifications. This is why US Navy ships NEVER shut down the engines for long periods of time or if they do they fill the ALL the spaces with suitable antirust compounds to protect the 'protective' ferrous rust that has developed inside the engine. The 'moral' of this story is: NEVER allow a cast iron engine to 'dry-out' for winter storage but fill all the internals with antifreeze that contains a high amount of RUST INHIBITORS ... you may want to add MORE rust inhibitors to the mix. Then in spring, "run the engine at WOT at heavy load and for as long a period as possible so that the engine temperature is HIGH .... so that you rebuild the ferrous oxide (black) coating on the internal cooling passageways of the engine and exhaust manifold.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,648
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
The "T" on the engine intake...

Works pretty well as an additional bilge pump when things really go bad. Just make sure you have some sort of strainer on the hose in the bottom of the bilge. An overheating engine and a bilge filling with water sucks way more than just the filling bilge.
 
T

Tony Z

Thermostat ????

I have been pulling the thermostat and then doing the same as outlined here. The though being the by pulling the thermostat, the antifreese will go through the block and exhaust when the motor is cold.... Is this not necessary?
 

RichH

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Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
Check your thermostat .......

If it has a teeny drilled hole in the surface of the 'plate', then the antifreeze will migrate through the small hole. This small hole is to allow air to 'bleed' through when the t'stat is in its 'closed' position. The drilled hole should be about 1/32 - 1/16 in dia.
 
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