Flushing Raw Water Cooling System

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Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
I am winterizing my engine for the first time. The first thing I am trying to do is flush out the raw water cooling system and having trouble. I am supposed to remove the intake hose from the seacock so I can have it draw from a bucket but the darn thing will not come off. It has mated so well to the ribs on the nipple it won't budge. How do others do this? I am thinking I should install a T connector in the line with a valve on it so I can switch intake to this separate line when it is in a bucket. The boat used to have an Atomic 4 with something like this but when I had the new diesel put in this was lost. Thoughts???
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
I am winterizing my engine for the first time. The first thing I am trying to do is flush out the raw water cooling system and having trouble. I am supposed to remove the intake hose from the seacock so I can have it draw from a bucket but the darn thing will not come off. It has mated so well to the ribs on the nipple it won't budge. How do others do this? I am thinking I should install a T connector in the line with a valve on it so I can switch intake to this separate line when it is in a bucket. The boat used to have an Atomic 4 with something like this but when I had the new diesel put in this was lost. Thoughts???
 

mjb

.
Oct 12, 2005
63
Beneteau 473 Huntington, NY
you can use the strainer

Last year I observed while I had a mechanic perform the annual maintenance and winterizing so I could learn. He used the strainer instead of removing the intake hose from the sea cock. Here's what I'm planning to do tomorrow: 1) close the sea cock 2) open top of strainer 3) start engine and pour anti freeze into strainer (4 gal. in my case) 4) stop engine 5) open sea cock 6) pour anti freeze into strainer and gravity will pull it through sea cock 7) close sea cock After the boat is pulled from the water for the winter storage, I'll open the sea cock which probably makes steps 5 through 7 unnecessary.
 

mjb

.
Oct 12, 2005
63
Beneteau 473 Huntington, NY
you can use the strainer

Last year I observed while I had a mechanic perform the annual maintenance and winterizing so I could learn. He used the strainer instead of removing the intake hose from the sea cock. Here's what I'm planning to do tomorrow: 1) close the sea cock 2) open top of strainer 3) start engine and pour anti freeze into strainer (4 gal. in my case) 4) stop engine 5) open sea cock 6) pour anti freeze into strainer and gravity will pull it through sea cock 7) close sea cock After the boat is pulled from the water for the winter storage, I'll open the sea cock which probably makes steps 5 through 7 unnecessary.
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
mjb

Do you just pour the antifreeze into the strainer as fast as it will take it? One set of directions I had said to flush the system with clean water first, then run the antifreeze through.
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
mjb

Do you just pour the antifreeze into the strainer as fast as it will take it? One set of directions I had said to flush the system with clean water first, then run the antifreeze through.
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
Emergency Bilge

I kind of like the idea of the T connector idea; I remember seeing somewhere with this setup the cooling water intake can then be used as an emergency engine driven bilge pump.
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
Emergency Bilge

I kind of like the idea of the T connector idea; I remember seeing somewhere with this setup the cooling water intake can then be used as an emergency engine driven bilge pump.
 

CalebD

.
Jun 27, 2006
1,479
Tartan 27' 1967 Nyack, NY
We have the 'T' fitting on the raw water intake

that is routed up to a deck fitting outside the cockpit coaming. This allows us to simply close the sea cock and feed fresh water and anti-freeze through the engine (Atomic 4). You can disconnect the raw water output hose from the water pump if you can't disconnect the raw water intake hose (see Don Casey article: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/37.htm ) There is a lot more to winterizing an engine then the cooling system. Next link is the complete Don Casey library.
 

CalebD

.
Jun 27, 2006
1,479
Tartan 27' 1967 Nyack, NY
We have the 'T' fitting on the raw water intake

that is routed up to a deck fitting outside the cockpit coaming. This allows us to simply close the sea cock and feed fresh water and anti-freeze through the engine (Atomic 4). You can disconnect the raw water output hose from the water pump if you can't disconnect the raw water intake hose (see Don Casey article: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/37.htm ) There is a lot more to winterizing an engine then the cooling system. Next link is the complete Don Casey library.
 

BarryL

.
May 21, 2004
1,118
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
winterizine raw water

Hello, As Caleb mentioned, if you can't get the hose off the seacock, remove it from the engine. On my boat that is much easier. I rake the raw water input hose off the engine, put another hose in the bottle of antifreeze, and stick the other end of the hose into the raw water pump. I run the engine until I see antifreeze coming out the exhaust. That's it, the raw water side of the engine is winterized. I also drain the water lift muffler. That's the first part of my winterizing. Barry
 

BarryL

.
May 21, 2004
1,118
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
winterizine raw water

Hello, As Caleb mentioned, if you can't get the hose off the seacock, remove it from the engine. On my boat that is much easier. I rake the raw water input hose off the engine, put another hose in the bottle of antifreeze, and stick the other end of the hose into the raw water pump. I run the engine until I see antifreeze coming out the exhaust. That's it, the raw water side of the engine is winterized. I also drain the water lift muffler. That's the first part of my winterizing. Barry
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
Thanks!

Thanks all, I decided to install a T in the raw water intake and will give that a try. Appreciate the input.
 
Jun 14, 2004
79
Ericson 29 Biddeford, ME
Thanks!

Thanks all, I decided to install a T in the raw water intake and will give that a try. Appreciate the input.
 
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