Winterizing questions a Yanmar 3GMF30 on an H34

[dqb24]

Three questions that do not seem to have a clear answer after searches:

1. Can you/should you fog a diesel through the air intake - some say no - diesel is already an oil so redundant...Don Casey says yes. I've always had success fogging small sailboat gas outboards, which reliably then start on the first pull/turnover in spring, but on a diesel? Looking to coat and protect as many internal parts but not sure if the air intake is too far upstream to do any good.

2. Pink antifreeze to winterize the seawater/raw-water coolant system..is 1 gallon enough to blend/mix/purge the water? Boat is in the water on the Chesapeake for the winter, so decent temp protection (water rarely freezes), so not like storing in the midwest on the hard. Interior of boat will likely be 30-50+ degrees most of the winter. Again, boat in water so cannot watch exhaust output color. P.O. said 1 gallon did it (in WI no less), others say 2 gallons or more....

3. Diesel stabilization...Biobor versus Stabil Diesel...do they do the same thing or is one better? Had/have huge success with Stabil Gas Ethanol stablizer in my gas/etyhanol abused engines (outboard, moto, chainsaw, lawnmower), so like their products, but this may be a different animal...dealing with water and microbes, not fuel additives.

Any advice or $.02 appreciated.

Thanks much.

 

[Richard Bryer]

I have never bothered to fog the engine. Figure the diesel is oily enough.
I use about two gallons, I am up on the cradle so I can see the pink, and at about two gal it is pretty pink.

I have never used either of those but have never heard anything bad about either.

 

[s sauer]

I always go the extra $5 for the -80 degree antifreeze in the Yanmar, having seen the 'pink' turn to slush in the bilge and head system. I use at least one full gallon in a 2GM20F with a fiberglass waterlift muffler system.

 

[walmsleyc]

I remove the filter, fog my air intake, and then put a bag over it and over the alternator with an elastic to avoid any possibility of condensation turning into corrosion. I have no idea how likely it would be if I didn't do this, but I figure it can't hurt. I DO know that the one year I left my belts on (I now remove those too), there was corrosion on the pulley where the belts was. That results in your belts turning to black dust much more rapidly than normal as it's like fine sandpaper. Careful polishing the surface rust with steel wool cleans it off quickly, and my engine compartment stays almost complete free of belt dust.

With my boat on the cradle, I insert appropriate sized plastic hoses to the exhaust and to the water intake (need a water/air tight seal on the intake hose). The intake hose then sits in a bucket with about 2 gallons of anti-freeze. I then start the engine, and let it suck up the anti-freeze until I see the same colour end up in the exhaust bucket. Then I know I've purged most of the water. It usually take most of the 2 gallons.

BTW, I really like the technique of stuffing external hoses in the thru hulls to do my winterizing. I don't have to crawl around inside as much to reach the thru hulls, I don't put as much wear and tear on my intake hose and hose clamps as I did when I used to pull the hose from the inside and put it in a bucket.

Cheers
Chris

 

[jtm]

One approach to fogging the deep mechanicals- is to release your compression levers and just crank the engine on the battery for last 1 gallon ( I use 2 gall for the 2GMF) worth of RV fluid sucked into the system. I figure the unburnt oil sprayed around in the cylinders should add some coating to the system. I've also heard of folks putting an oily rag on the intake nose- but ya should put a long visible streamer on it to ensure you don't forget to remove it in the Spring. Prolly want to close the levers when finished too.

 

[walmsleyc]

One approach to fogging the deep mechanicals- is to release your compression levers and just crank the engine on the battery for last 1 gallon ( I use 2 gall for the 2GMF) worth of RV fluid sucked into the system. I figure the unburnt oil sprayed around in the cylinders should add some coating to the system. I've also heard of folks putting an oily rag on the intake nose- but ya should put a long visible streamer on it to ensure you don't forget to remove it in the Spring. Prolly want to close the levers when finished too.

By not having the engine run for the last gallon and no exhaust pressure to force the anti-freeze through the muffler, you risk backflow back into the exhaust manifold. Same problem as a engine that takes too long to start. The water pump still runs and pulls in water, but without exhaust pressure, a water lift muffler will fill up and possible backflow into the engine (very bad).

Chris

 

[Dan Johnson]

dqb24...

Answers:

1. I don't fog a diesel engine as the fuel doesn't act as a solvent like gasoline does.

2. I use two gallons of the pink stuff to ensure there is sufficient antifreeze in the muffler. It is added with the engine running to ensure it gets into all the passageways before exiting. Once on the hard, I back-flow it through the raw water strainer out the intake's thru-hull. I use a bucket with valve and hose connection to feed a valve system installed between the strainer and raw water pump.

3. I add the appropriate amount of Starbright bio-cide and Stabil diesel for the amount of fuel in the tank.

I do loosen the belts over the winter and change the raw water impeller in the spring.

One of the years we lived in Severna Park the Bay froze shore to shore so don't forget to pour some antifreeze down each sink drain and down your holding tank pump-out hose as well.

 

[Alan]

I remove the intake water hose from the thru hull and put it into a one gallon container of old automotive anti freeze that I get for nothing. Run the engine long enough(about 30 seconds) to suck the gallon in and you will see it exit the exhaust outlet on the hull. Shut the engine down and your done. No need to fog a diesel. Don Casey is talking about gasoline engines and fogging not diesel engines.

 

[walmsleyc]

Further down the in the article from Don (http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/37.htm):

"Fog intake--diesel engines only
Spray fogging oil into the intake manifold and turn the engine over slowly by hand to draw the oil into the cylinders and spread it. Do not use the starter, even with the stop control pulled out; the engine can start on the fogging oil."

 

[dqb24]

I remove the intake water hose from the thru hull and put it into a one gallon container of old automotive anti freeze that I get for nothing. Run the engine long enough(about 30 seconds) to suck the gallon in and you will see it exit the exhaust outlet on the hull. Shut the engine down and your done. No need to fog a diesel. Don Casey is talking about gasoline engines and fogging not diesel engines.

Alan-

Not to state the obvious, but...any automotive antifreeze (used or new) I know of is ethylene glycol, whether its bright yellow, green, or euro-pink. These are toxic and not to be discharged or disposed of into water or onto the ground...only the pink/potable propylene gycol is "non" toxic and ok for discharge...please tell us you are catching the auto-antifreeze for proper shop/yard disposal.

Also, I concur with walmsleyc...Don Casey does talk of fogging diesels, but since the jury is out on that one...I'm holding off.

Thanks all for your feedback - keep it comin' if you have thoughts on it.

Cheers.

 

[Alan]

You are correct about the anti freeze but I'm not advocating pumping overboard in spring. Insert the pickup hose into a gallon of fresh water and put a catch bucket under the exhaust port. Start the engine and save the anti freeze as it is expelled from the exhaust. It could take one additional gallon of fresh water but this puts to additional use what would otherwise be recycled anyway. Propylene glycol is no friend to the earth and this saves the need to buy that pink stuff.
Don Casey may have indeed been talking about fogging a diesel but I'm afraid fogging a diesel in the traditional sense is ineffective. To have the oil reach the cylinders is next to impossible unless you have a very long dispensing tube that can reach the intake valve. Trying to spray that stuff into a running engine can be harmful if too much is dispensed. If you are so inclined you could remove the injector and spray oil directly into the combustion chamber but methinks that's far to much work for so little gain.

 

[redhead78]

What do u guys think about a 55 gal garbage bag over the entire engine when done. My engine is shiny new and want to keep it that way...Red

 

[Ed Schenck]

Not a fan of the idea of covering with a garbage bag. Moisture will collect and remain under that bag. You could try it, a week without and then a week with the bag. I think you will find the motor covered in beads of moisture.

 

[dqb24]

You are correct about the anti freeze but I'm not advocating pumping overboard in spring. Insert the pickup hose into a gallon of fresh water and put a catch bucket under the exhaust port. Start the engine and save the anti freeze as it is expelled from the exhaust. It could take one additional gallon of fresh water but this puts to additional use what would otherwise be recycled anyway. Propylene glycol is no friend to the earth and this saves the need to buy that pink stuff.
Don Casey may have indeed been talking about fogging a diesel but I'm afraid fogging a diesel in the traditional sense is ineffective. To have the oil reach the cylinders is next to impossible unless you have a very long dispensing tube that can reach the intake valve. Trying to spray that stuff into a running engine can be harmful if too much is dispensed. If you are so inclined you could remove the injector and spray oil directly into the combustion chamber but methinks that's far to much work for so little gain.

Thanks for catching the antifreeze and recycling...a good plan. Really sounds lke fogging the diesel is difficult to reach the needed location and not neccessary given that our fuel is not a solvent...It was always beneficial for my gas outboard, but that is obviously a different animal. Will hold off fogging the diesel - hard to argue with tried and true.

I agree - do not cover the engine in plastic - unless hermetically or vacuum sealed you will trap condensation and moisture and it will corrode, rust, or somehow attack the engine negatively. Paint or protect it if needed, and let it breathe.

 

[Alan]

To keep your engine shinny and new looking spray it over completely with WD or any other like product. It will permeate all over the engine and prevent any rust or corrosion. In the spring you can wipe it down with a rag but the thin film will continue to protect.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

What do u guys think about a 55 gal garbage bag over the entire engine when done. My engine is shiny new and want to keep it that way...Red

I agree with the others a plastic bag is not a good idea and could result in more rust.

WD40 will work fine, I have used it for many years on motorcycle engines over a cold winter. I now use Boeshield (http://boeshield.com/features-benefits/marine/) if you want to keep your engine looking like new for many years use it year round.

Bob