Yanmar winterizing

Voyager1

Voyager1

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Oct 29, 2017
88
ODay 302 Kenosha WI
I have a yanmar 2gm20f and to winterize the engine I run 4 or 5 gallons of antifreeze through the engien. The boat is in Wisconsin so it is pulled out each year. I am wondering if any one drains the raw water system vs running antifreeze at the end of the season. Yanmar manual said to drain the raw water to winterize. There is a small drain for raw water side of the heat extchanger, small valve for muffler to drain and would need to remove water pump (good time to inspect). I did run antifreeze through the raw water system but this winter I did the listed steps as I am inspecting the heat exchanger and replacing some hoses on the raw water system. Draining was pretty easy not sure if the antifreeze is needed. Thoughts?
 
Tally Ho

Tally Ho

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Jan 7, 2011
4,776
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Why would you want to do that? Just because the instructions in the Yanmar manual?

I have had 2 boats with the Yanmar 2GM20 engine, over the last 10 years or so, in the balmy Chicago area of Lake Michigan. I have always run a few gallons of water through the engine and forget about it.

Seems like it would be way more work to try and drain it (and not know for sure everything drained empty)...and I am not sure what you gain.
 
Claude L.-Auger

Claude L.-Auger

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Dec 14, 2003
1,401
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
[QUOTE I have always run a few gallons of water through the engine and forget about it.

Surely that is a typo Greg ? Temperatures in Chicago regularly drop below freezing in December January and February.

Seems like it would be way more work to try and drain it (and not know for sure everything drained empty)...and I am not sure what you gain.
[/QUOTE]

I am in Montreal, Canada and I run antifreeze in the fresh-water system. Very simple and a lot easier than draining ! I also test density and temperature resistance of the coolant in the engine system and adjust if needed.
 
Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

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Sep 25, 2008
7,096
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
One reason to chose antifreeze over draining the system is that antifreeze contains corrosion inhibitors. Air not so much plus you can never be assured some water remains in sufficient quantity after draining it to create a problem.
 
C

Capt Robbie

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Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
I have a yanmar 3gmf engine. I've been winterizing this engine this way for 30+
Years with no issues.
1) flush fresh water thru raw water strainer for about 5 minutes.
2) flush 2 gallons of -20 windshield washer fluid thru the strainer and reclaim it
In a 5 gallon bucket at the exhaust "to be repurposed later" this helps to clean the entire system.
3) mix in a 5 gallon bucket, 1 gallon of concentrated car radiator anti freeze and
3 gallons of -20 non tox anti freeze. " I do this because I never trust regular Non tox anti freeze, had an issue due to it got diluted and damaged a commercial pressure washer" so I always when I can mix the two.
4) run the 4 gallon mix thru the system, again reclaiming the used mixture at the exhaust. After the mixture has been run thru the engine the engine is now winterized. Now you can add the reclaimed mixture into your holding tank to winterize them with out any wasted anti freeze.

The car anti freeze has much more anti corrosion additives then just non tox

Note in the spring you will need to flush the engine with fresh water and reclaim the anti freeze mixture and again dump it into the holding tank.
After the boat is in the water then go to the pump out station to pump out the holding tank. Flush with fresh water a few times.
 
Tally Ho

Tally Ho

.
Jan 7, 2011
4,776
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Claude L.-Auger said:
[QUOTE I have always run a few gallons of water through the engine and forget about it.

Surely that is a typo Greg ? Temperatures in Chicago regularly drop below freezing in December January and February.

Seems like it would be way more work to try and drain it (and not know for sure everything drained empty)...and I am not sure what you gain.
Click to expand
I am in Montreal, Canada and I run antifreeze in the fresh-water system. Very simple and a lot easier than draining ! I also test density and temperature resistance of the coolant in the engine system and adjust if needed.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah...that was a typo ( or more like a brain fart)...obviously I meant I run a few gallons of pink antifreeze through the t
engine....

Yes, it gets pretty cold here...but it was 60 F last week, and supposed to hit 60f tomorrow. Makes me want to get the boat washed and waxed!

Greg
 
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