Newbie winterizing questions.

[stevestk]

If all goes well I'll soon be the owner of a 97 Hunter 340. I'm trying to get a quick education on winterizing. I've downloaded manuals and have been searching forums. I've a couple questions that I don't have answers for. I understand you use the 'pink' antifreeze to purge the raw water side on the engine (I see -50 stuff at local stores. People have mentioned -100. Where do you get that? Is the -50 ok?). Do you use regular automotive antifreeze for the freshwater(sealed) side? Do you use fuel stabilizer with diesel? What do you use to pump out the engine and trans oil? (where to get). Where should I get oil and fuel filters?
Thanks in advance. I'm on information overload and am sure I'll have more questions.

 

[Rocket1]

Mark-

Welcome to the club of happy 340 owners! :dance: First question - is it really titled as a '97 340? I was under the belief that '98 was the first year of production for this model (mine is a 2000, though it was built in '99). Just curious.

You can probably answer the vast majority of your questions wth a quick search of the forums, as it's very likely that you're not asking anything new.

I don't winterize my boat, as I like to be able to go out in the middle of winter if the sun is shining - and I want all on board systems ready to use. Again, a quick forum search will yield a plethora if information on this topic. If you want to PM me, I'll be happy to let you know how I get around winterization.

With regard to the oil changing issue. I utilize a manual vacuum system that I ordered online that seems to work fairly well. I just insert the provided tube into the dipstick hole as far as I can and stroke the vacuum pump a few times to start sucking the oil out of the pan. Of course there is no way to visually verify it, but I feel like I'm getting better than 90% of the old oil out of the engine. Simple, works good, no mess. Here's a link to what I have for sale on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pela-2000-Oil-Extractor-Marine-Oil-Change-Pump-2-6-Quart-/230818304107#ht_2496wt_1190

Diesel fuel treatment and biocide with every fill-up. Local Yanmar dealer for parts is the easiest, though certainly not the least expensive.

Don't forget to update your profile to include at least your geographic location, as that can have some bearing on how your questions are answered.

Cheers!