Over the last several weeks I have been following all of the discusions on how to Winterize your boat as this is the first year that I have to do so. (my last boat had an outboard engine, we never use the sink or portapotty) but now with a new larger boat I have to winterize. This past weekend I Winterized the fresh water system and the head on my new Hunter 290. (these were faily straight forward run the pink stuff through them), but when it came to the engine, I understand what NEEDS to be done, I just don't know HOW to do it. I drained the water out of the strainer and the lines on the front of the engine, but I don't know how to drain the water out of the back end of the engine. (From what I have read some say drain some say fill with the pink stuff). I was going to fill with the pink stuff. I had a bucket ready with the pink stuff and pulled the hose off the the strainer and put it into the bucket, but for some reason the engine would not start, so I went to plan B. and drain. So after that long winded beginning my questions are: 1. how to get the water out of the back end of the cooling system. 2. on a yamnar 2gm engine where the hell is the impeller. The manuals that come with the boat s__k. Is it behind the pully in the lower left front of the engine and do I have to pull the pully off to get the the impeller. 3. Since the engine won't start, I can warm the oil in order to pump it out. Will is still pump out if cold. 4. is it necessy to fog the engine with oil. If so what do you do. 5. Should I just pay the marine the $290 to winterize and say the heck with it. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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J. Hrab
Winterizing
Difficult to do is the engine does not start. I would first find a way to start the engine, can't see how to go around it. The Pink stuff will fill it all until it drains outside. The oil will not pump correctly if not warm I would strongly advise you to go through the whole process of removing the impeller, pulley and all: I had to do this in the middle of the night with some 20 kn of wind and I actually did it with my eyes closed (had no choice) and I was glad I did had done it before, quite a few times. Once the engine is warm the rest is a piece of cake. J. Hrab
Difficult to do is the engine does not start. I would first find a way to start the engine, can't see how to go around it. The Pink stuff will fill it all until it drains outside. The oil will not pump correctly if not warm I would strongly advise you to go through the whole process of removing the impeller, pulley and all: I had to do this in the middle of the night with some 20 kn of wind and I actually did it with my eyes closed (had no choice) and I was glad I did had done it before, quite a few times. Once the engine is warm the rest is a piece of cake. J. Hrab
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John New
Impeller and pulley
I have a Yanmar 1GM10, so this may not be entirely applicable but it might help. The impeller on my engine is located in a housing behind the belt pulley as well. However, there are small holes in the pulley, through which a small screwdriver can be inserted to unscrew the screws on the plate covering the housing. It might therefore not be necessary to remove the pulley in order to replace the impeller. Hope this helps, John S/V Dulcinea
I have a Yanmar 1GM10, so this may not be entirely applicable but it might help. The impeller on my engine is located in a housing behind the belt pulley as well. However, there are small holes in the pulley, through which a small screwdriver can be inserted to unscrew the screws on the plate covering the housing. It might therefore not be necessary to remove the pulley in order to replace the impeller. Hope this helps, John S/V Dulcinea
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Bob Zolczer
Impeller location
The impeller is located on the lower left of the front of the engine (looking towards the rear of the engine - 2GM20F). You do not need to remove the pulley, but you do have to loosen the pulley bracket to get it out of the way. I've found that a circular stainless steel hose clamp will help fit it in the impeller cavity so that the vanes are bent properly. I pour pink stuff in the raw water strainer after closing off the raw water through hull and pour it in till it comes out the exhaust I then use a turkey baster to push pink stuff into the raw water through hull cavities after disconnecting the inlet hose. I also run pink stuff through the bilge pump, icebox drain and anchor drain. Also run pink stuff into the head intake through hull cavities as well as galley sink and head sink through hull cavities.
The impeller is located on the lower left of the front of the engine (looking towards the rear of the engine - 2GM20F). You do not need to remove the pulley, but you do have to loosen the pulley bracket to get it out of the way. I've found that a circular stainless steel hose clamp will help fit it in the impeller cavity so that the vanes are bent properly. I pour pink stuff in the raw water strainer after closing off the raw water through hull and pour it in till it comes out the exhaust I then use a turkey baster to push pink stuff into the raw water through hull cavities after disconnecting the inlet hose. I also run pink stuff through the bilge pump, icebox drain and anchor drain. Also run pink stuff into the head intake through hull cavities as well as galley sink and head sink through hull cavities.
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Bill Murray
Winterize your engine
1 -- Do not use pink stuff on your engine. It is not rated for really cold weather. Some mild winters you may be OK but sooner or later you will end up sorry. Get antifreeze and mix it 50/50 with water ((or buy premixed -100 degree RV antifreeze - I think it is usually blue)) There are too many crooks and crannies in your raw water cooling system and too many places where the pink stuff will get further diluted by water and (maybe) not provide enough protection. (four years ago I lost the pump to my head in exactly this manner - now I remove it after wintereizing the system and take it home to the warm) 2. Get a 2 foot length of hose just like the hose from the strainer to the raw water seacock. remove the hose from the strainer and replace with the new hose. Put the hose in a gallon of antifreeze and start engine. when the pump sucks the first gallon dry - move to second gallon, then maybe a third. By then the coolant will start to come out of the exhaust - catch it in a bucket or a garbage can. I then pull the raw water pump- disassemble and take out the impeller for the winter. 3. $290 is outrageous! Do it yourself for less than $20. You will be happier, can buy some new electronics, and will know how your engine works so you can fix it yourself when you are on vacation next year. Good Sailing Bill Murray S/V Good Faith H29.5
1 -- Do not use pink stuff on your engine. It is not rated for really cold weather. Some mild winters you may be OK but sooner or later you will end up sorry. Get antifreeze and mix it 50/50 with water ((or buy premixed -100 degree RV antifreeze - I think it is usually blue)) There are too many crooks and crannies in your raw water cooling system and too many places where the pink stuff will get further diluted by water and (maybe) not provide enough protection. (four years ago I lost the pump to my head in exactly this manner - now I remove it after wintereizing the system and take it home to the warm) 2. Get a 2 foot length of hose just like the hose from the strainer to the raw water seacock. remove the hose from the strainer and replace with the new hose. Put the hose in a gallon of antifreeze and start engine. when the pump sucks the first gallon dry - move to second gallon, then maybe a third. By then the coolant will start to come out of the exhaust - catch it in a bucket or a garbage can. I then pull the raw water pump- disassemble and take out the impeller for the winter. 3. $290 is outrageous! Do it yourself for less than $20. You will be happier, can buy some new electronics, and will know how your engine works so you can fix it yourself when you are on vacation next year. Good Sailing Bill Murray S/V Good Faith H29.5
RV anti-freeze.
Bill: All of the RV anti-freeze that I have seen comes in -50 or -100 varities. This stuff is safe for potable water system and can also be dumped into the environment without any toxic events. The only environmentally safe anti-freeze is Propolyene Glycol. The color really does not mean too much. What makes a difference is what it is made of, either Ethylene Glycol (toxic) or Proplyene Glycol (non/less-toxic). Proplyene Glycol can also be used in the engines recirculating system. One of the brands that make a product like this is Sierra (there are several others). The point here is to NOT get confused about the color. Be concerned about the product and it's application. Sierra is not suitable for a potable water system even though it is a Proplyene Glycol solution. I just read an article that indicated that even though the RV antifreeze may become gel like when the weather gets very cold, it will NOT expand and cause things to break/fracture. I am not sure how much of the antifreeze any of these system will require, but something that you need to consider is the water muffler is full of water when you pull the boat. When you start pumping the anti-freeze thru the engine you will probably displace all of the water in the engine without much problem. But when you start pumping the mixture thru the muffler it is going to be diluted (unless you can drain the muffler). So even if the engine is only going to take maybe 2 gallons, you will probably need a lot more to displace the water in the muffler.
Bill: All of the RV anti-freeze that I have seen comes in -50 or -100 varities. This stuff is safe for potable water system and can also be dumped into the environment without any toxic events. The only environmentally safe anti-freeze is Propolyene Glycol. The color really does not mean too much. What makes a difference is what it is made of, either Ethylene Glycol (toxic) or Proplyene Glycol (non/less-toxic). Proplyene Glycol can also be used in the engines recirculating system. One of the brands that make a product like this is Sierra (there are several others). The point here is to NOT get confused about the color. Be concerned about the product and it's application. Sierra is not suitable for a potable water system even though it is a Proplyene Glycol solution. I just read an article that indicated that even though the RV antifreeze may become gel like when the weather gets very cold, it will NOT expand and cause things to break/fracture. I am not sure how much of the antifreeze any of these system will require, but something that you need to consider is the water muffler is full of water when you pull the boat. When you start pumping the anti-freeze thru the engine you will probably displace all of the water in the engine without much problem. But when you start pumping the mixture thru the muffler it is going to be diluted (unless you can drain the muffler). So even if the engine is only going to take maybe 2 gallons, you will probably need a lot more to displace the water in the muffler.
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Bill Murray
Proplyene Glycol
I agree with your advice to only use Proplyene Glycol (non/less-toxic) in your raw water system of your engine because of the envirmental concerns. but my experience is that the pink stuff I see is all -50 -- not cold enough -- you need -100. If you look at West Marine's site for example you can see that this stuff (Antifreeze, -100 Engine
I agree with your advice to only use Proplyene Glycol (non/less-toxic) in your raw water system of your engine because of the envirmental concerns. but my experience is that the pink stuff I see is all -50 -- not cold enough -- you need -100. If you look at West Marine's site for example you can see that this stuff (Antifreeze, -100 Engine
Check Kragens
Bill: Check out Kragens Auto stores. They have the -100 and -50 in the pink stuff (but we really do not care about color). I have to agree that diluting the anti-freeze with water is/may be a problem.
Bill: Check out Kragens Auto stores. They have the -100 and -50 in the pink stuff (but we really do not care about color). I have to agree that diluting the anti-freeze with water is/may be a problem.
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Bob Zolczer
Bill Murray is right
Using -100 rated propylene Glycol makes more sense for engine raw water. This is what I call blue stuff and is what I use when winterizing my engine. Pink stuff makes sense for the fresh water system and grey water through hulls.
Using -100 rated propylene Glycol makes more sense for engine raw water. This is what I call blue stuff and is what I use when winterizing my engine. Pink stuff makes sense for the fresh water system and grey water through hulls.
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