Bypassing the Out-Drive to Winterize

[MaddyDean]

Hi All

I know it was probably answered but this is a specific question in regards to winterizing engines with outdrives.

Mercs: twin 5.7's
Alpha 1 Gen 2's

When winterizing in the past, I would warm up the engines--water to the rabbit ears. I have a Siamese connector: the single side to a short hose to the rabbit ears to the outdrive. on the double side, one connection to the water supply hose and the other side to the PINK stuff reservoir .

Engine warms up, simply shut off the water supply and open the pink stuff valve. When pink comes out the exhaust--some fogging agent...etc.


My thought: Instead of hooking up the rabbit ears to the out drive, I want to connect the hose, Siamese, antifreeze reservoir directly to the water intake on the engines.--do it all from the engine compartment

What I would like to do is disconnect that single supply hose, connect the hose that has the rigging, start the engine(s) and do all the work while in the Engine compartment.

If I do this then no water or antifreeze will be going through the outdrive(s)

My Question: Is this OK to hook directly to the cooling intake bypassing the outdrives and not supplying them with water while the engines are warming up?


Many Thanks

 

[annie]

You will toast your impellers if there is no water going to the legs.

 

[Brian 59]

Not sure if I can be any help here and I dont know about your specific arrangement, but my impeller is in the outdrive. I would burn that up if I were to bypass the outdrive and I am not sure what else.

 

[JimG]

You may need a 12VDC/120VAC pump for the pink to do it that way, as the sea water pump is in the Alpha's...

And as pointed out by the quicker responses, the impeller would fry without water!

 

[MaddyDean]

That's what I thought--Impeller frying.

OK I will do ith the old way--the reason I wanted to move away from the rabbit ears to the out-drive is because i waste so much antifreeze pissing out the sides of the muffs.

Thanks for the quick insight.

 

[Great lakes pirate]

That's what I thought--Impeller frying.

OK I will do ith the old way--the reason I wanted to move away from the rabbit ears to the out-drive is because i waste so much antifreeze pissing out the sides of the muffs.

Thanks for the quick insight.

Try using a little high speed tape to secure it to your outdrive a little better and a bungee cord. That should reduce the amout of lost antifreeze.

 

[boatrboy]

Get better muffs. Try the real Merc ones with a rod thru the center. They cost a little more but they won't fall off.

 

[Woody]

Why not drain the water then poor the pink in via the hoses at the thermostat housing. There's a recent winterizing thread that covers that process.

 

[JVM225]

Why not drain the water then poor the pink in via the hoses at the thermostat housing. There's a recent winterizing thread that covers that process.

That's how I did my old motors that were raw water cooled (new ones have FWC half systems) .
Drain the blocks form both sides. Use a nail to get a good flow going after you open the drains. Close the drains after it all comes out. Dump pink stuff in to the big hose until it comes out of the T Stat housing.
Lot easier and quicker to do than hooking up the muffs. Then again, I pull my drives as soon as the boat comes out of the water so I had to do it that way.