Frustration winterizing

[mperlst216]

2001 SR 210 Sundeck, 5.0L EFI Alpha.
I go through this frustration every time I pull the drain plugs. I have no feeling in the finger tips of my left hand(cut off 3 fingers and got two reattached 12 years ago), and have a very tough time feeling the lower starboard side plug in the Y connector. And often times when I do feel it, I do not have the flexibility to unscrew it. I did not have the problem in the old days of radiator style petcock for the drain plugs. I was thinking of trying to rig a rubber tube extension. Any good ideas form my problem, other than having the mechanic pull the plugs. Thanks.

 

[rcknecht]

don't open the drains, just run more pink through the engine. If you run 5 or more gallons through, should be enough to winterize you engine. The manifolds draining just cuts the dilution of the AF... if you don't remove the T-Stat, make you run the engine with a hose long enough to open you T-Stat...

 

[Lazy Daze]

I've thought about rubber tube extensions in the past, too. None of those "blue plug" areas are under any type of real pressure, which makes this even easier. Sure, I think you've got a good idea there. Add a pipe-to-barb brass connector and then add your hose, of the length you desire, and terminate with a barb to female pipe and use a male pipe plug to seal. You could even get fancy and terminate with a 1/4 turn valve. Don't forget the blue plug behind your fuel cooler. I think that's a great idea to simplify things.

The only downside is if the the fitting/hose gets blocked up with crap (scaling). But some compressed air will probably take care of that. I *think* those blue plugs are 1/2"-13 straight thread, but a pipe thread should work OK (considering low pressure) - or find a straight thread connector and use an o-ring. Except for the y-connector, you could even take the blue plug adapter fitting out of the two manifolds, the port-side block (can't recall what the underside of the fuel cooler looks like) and use a different thread to barb adapter.

Do you have an Alpha drive? That keeps it simpler, too.

For what it's worth, for stubborn blue plugs, I keep a 1/2" deep socket in my tool box that I have cut (grinder) two slots into. The slots are on opposite sides to allow it to slip over the "wings" of the plug. Then I can use a stubby socket wrench and appropriate extensions, if needed. HOWEVER, it's still important to start the blue plugs back into the hole by hand to avoid cross threading, and we're probably right back to your initial issue.

 

[Dave S]

When I had my 240 Sundeck it was next to impossible for me to un-do those blue plugs because of their location. So rather than drain the block, I got the engine up to temperature running it on a hose with muffs then using a CAMCO winterizing kit I ran five gallons of pink antifreeze thru the engine.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=3780

 

[mperlst216]

Are you sure I have a fuel cooler? I pulled 5 blue plugs last winter(2 weeks of temps in the teens), and did not have any freeze damage. I will try modifying a 1/2in socket. Thanks.

 

[Lazy Daze]

If you have a fuel injected motor, yes, you have a fuel cooler. It's located on the bottom, port side, by the motor mount. Your inlet water hose goes through it. If you follow the hose from the t-stat (it's the odd-sized, small one) it'll lead you right to it. (2) block, (2) manifold, (1) circ pump hose and (1) fuel cooler. The blue plug is located on the aft end of the cooler. If you can't get to it, take the inlet water hose off at the t-stat and snake/push it down (past the power steering pump) to the bilge floor to empty that water.

Last year, when you ?back filled that inlet water hose?, you probably used enough pink to push the water out. But, better safe than sorry as that won't always be the case.

This is the hidden one that people sometimes miss. But we stock-up on fuel coolers in the Spring... :smt001

 

[Dave S]

Just my opinion but draining the water does not guarantee it is all gone. That's another reason to use the pink stuff even in southern climates like yours and mine.

 

[mperlst216]

35 years of owning many different boats, always kept on hoist, drained every one, never used pink. No freeze damage, hope no jinx now. Survived several winters of week long teen temps.

 

[Lazy Daze]

I hope there's no jinx, either, but...

Some water stays up in the intake manifold area. Almost every single time that I pour pink into the block hose, the first thing I see coming back out of the t-stat housing nipple is clear water. I've seen anywhere from (guestimating at this) 6 or 8 ounces to what looks like closer to a quart. We (at the shop) have seen a couple cracked manifolds over the years - in the Spring when a customer brings his boat in, after winterizing it himself (it wasn't us!) and asks us why his boat is leaking water out. Will there ALWAYS be enough water in there to cause damage? Probably not. But why chance it when it is SO easy to fill it? It literally takes 5 or 6 minutes.

Plus, the interior of an engine will corrode less if it's filled with the right pink stuff (has corrosion inhibitors) as opposed to bare metal. A few years ago I remember working on a guy's boat first thing in the Spring. He had drained the engine, but didn't use pink. I was AMAZED at how rusty the water was coming out of the exhaust and for how long it did that. I have NEVER seen rusty antifreeze coming out.