Help with maintenance

muzbomb

muzbomb

Member
May 23, 2012
80
Alberta, Canada
Boat Info
2001 Signiture Series Sea Ray 190BR
Engines
Inboard 5.0L EFI with Alfpha 1 leg
hey guys so I have always been kind of scared to winterize my boat so I usually have the dealer do this and they do oils/filters the same time the whole year end maintenance. So money is kind of tight this year for me and I am thinking I can save and do the whole engine oil, gear oil, fuel filter and winterization myself. I am pretty handy with tools in garage and enjoy doing this stuff so not to worries well maybe a little on the winterization part lol. So just wondering what I should use for filters and oils. Honestly we don’t use the boat much a year but I do the whole full maintenance every year anyways like I put on 10hrs this year so do I need to go synthetic oil if I am not putting on lots of hours and change every year regardless. Thanks for help all. Oh and my boat is a 2001 Sea Ray 190BR 5.0L EFI with Merc alpha 1 leg.
 
It’s not hard to do.

Look up some YouTube videos for reference.

Do you have a spin on fuel filter? If so, that’s pretty easy to replace.

Motor oil can by sucked out of the dipstick tube with a pump, gear oil drain/refill is pretty straight forward, just need an inexpensive pump to refill the drive.

One recommendation, I believe that Mercruiser does not recommend full synthetic motor oil.
 
Yes I have a spin on fuel filter. Also I was looking around tonight at the boat in the shop and I see there is a drain hose attached to the bottom of the motor oil pan with a plug on the end so I am guessing I can drain it that way probably stick it out the back I am thinking and drain it. I am going to go down to Merc dealer and get some prices on oil and filters tomorrow. I live in cold a$$ Canada so I want to make sure it is winterized good that’s for sure. But I think I got that figured once I have all the oil changes and filters done I will hook up RVAF jug to the boat ears and fire the boat up and let it run on the RVAF for a good 20-30l and looks like that’s all people really do.
 
If raw water cooled be very careful about winterizing the engine and use the -100 degree antifreeze.
 
If you want to save some money don't buy your oil and filters from the Merc dealer :)

Quicksilver oil is about as cheap as it gets at West Marine (shockingly). I find Amazon very hard to beat for fuel and oil filters. I've heard Menards is great for the anti freeze.

Good luck!
 
Having your boat on a trailer makes winterizing a snap.

Even changing your oil should be pretty easy...... I believe you have a drain hose attached to the drain plug.

Like mentioned above...... plenty of you tube videos.
 
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You can do this! Winterizing is a very easy DIY thing. Like others have said, google Mercruiser winterizing, there are plenty of videos etc out there. Just buy the Mercruiser brand oil filter, fuel filter, oil and gear lube - in the states these are readily available at West Marine and Walmart and on Amazon.

These are not specific instructions, but in general the steps are:
This is the drain and fill method. A lot of people use the kits and suck antifreeze into a running engine - I personally i prefer the method below.
1. Warm up engine, change engine oil.
2. Change lower unit gear lube.
3. Fog engine. Depending on engine you either spray it down the carburetor until the engine stalls or on fuel injected engines mix up a concoction of fuel and 2 cycle oil in the fuel filter and run engine.
4. Drain water from engine / manifolds (these are the 5 or so blue wing nut plugs).
5. Fill engine block and manifolds with RV antifreeze (the pink stuff). Depending on engine you do this by removing / filling through hoses and or thermostat housing.
6. Disconnect or turn off battery switches.

There are lots of variations on the steps above, everyone has there own recipe - but you are simply trying to do 3 things:

1. Get all the water out of the engine and replace it with antifreeze so nothing freezes.
2. Replace the dirty oil and gear lube so you have fresh in the engine over the winter and it is ready to go in the spring.
3. Fog (coat) the internal engine surfaces (cylinder walls, valves etc) with a light coat of oil so they don't rust or corrode over the winter.
 
So for the fuel filter I can take the old one off put some 2 stroke oil in it and put it back on then fire up and let run for a min or so and then remove the old filter out new filter on and should be good?? Also if I do this when do all my oils and then last step if I run pink antifreeze through the boat when it is Running will the 2 stroke oil in the cylinders and engine just get run through after and will not work as effectively or it would be good?
 
muzbomb said:
So for the fuel filter I can take the old one off put some 2 stroke oil in it and put it back on then fire up and let run for a min or so and then remove the old filter out new filter on and should be good?? Also if I do this when do all my oils and then last step if I run pink antifreeze through the boat when it is Running will the 2 stroke oil in the cylinders and engine just get run through after and will not work as effectively or it would be good?
Click to expand...

I'd personally skip screwing around with the 2 stroke oil in the fuel filter. And for whatever reason I like to change my fuel filters in the Spring, not the fall. The first time my boat runs in the spring it's on old fuel filters. I then change them so I have fresh filters for the full summer season...
 
Ok good to know and also I should fill the fuel tank up full as I can get it right for storage or should I have it empty this is always been a wonder to me. If it’s full it will be old junk fuel come next summer and then I have to burn that whole tank.
 
muzbomb said:
Ok good to know and also I should fill the fuel tank up full as I can get it right for storage or should I have it empty this is always been a wonder to me. If it’s full it will be old junk fuel come next summer and then I have to burn that whole tank.
Click to expand...

Fill it full with ethanol free...to the top.
 
I will hook up RVAF jug to the boat ears and fire the boat up and let it run on the RVAF for a good 20-30l and looks like that’s all people really do.

Quickest way to getting a new motor UNLESS you drain everything first before adding the bucket buster method
 
Thank you guys all very much for all the great info and tips. I am going to soruce out my oil and filters today see what i can get. Probably a quicksilver 25w40 motor oil I am thinking and then a quicksilver high performance gear lube oil can get them at local Canadian tire store in town and filters might just buy right from the boat dealer in town.
 
Bt Doctur said:
I will hook up RVAF jug to the boat ears and fire the boat up and let it run on the RVAF for a good 20-30l and looks like that’s all people really do.

Quickest way to getting a new motor UNLESS you drain everything first before adding the bucket buster method
Click to expand...


Yes my plan was to run the boat on fresh water from tap with ears to warm everything up then change all oils and filters. Then drain fresh water all 6 plugs and reinstall 6 plugs and then run boat on the RV antifreeze for the 20-40L and done I think that should be good I would say everything should be filled by then with RV pink antifreeze I would say.
 
muzbomb said:
Yes my plan was to run the boat on fresh water from tap with ears to warm everything up then change all oils and filters. Then drain fresh water all 6 plugs and reinstall 6 plugs and then run boat on the RV antifreeze for the 20-40L and done I think that should be good I would say everything should be filled by then with RV pink antifreeze I would say.
Click to expand...

I would not skip the fogging step - put a few ounces of 2 cycle oil, a few ounces of fuel stabilizer along with fuel in the filter, put it back on and run the engine for a few minutes (don't let it run out of fuel) and then shut it down. If it is carbed or TBI buy a can of fogging spray, follow instructions on the can - I have a carburetor and use the spray. You can change the filter in the spring - that is what I do, I run the first tank or so out in the spring then change the filters, in case any whatever or whatever got in the tank over the winter. As far as the antifreeze, I personally do the drain and fill, last thing I do. For me trying to get everything running, warm, then introduce the fogging mix and the antifreeze is too much I think. The one thing I did not mention in my other post is fuel stabilizer, I guess a assumed you always use that, if not put it in the last tank that will be sitting over the winter.

Like I said earlier, there is more than one way to do this, but the goal is:

1. Get all the water out of the engine and replace it with antifreeze so nothing freezes.
2. Replace the dirty oil and gear lube so you have fresh in the engine over the winter and it is ready to go in the spring.
3. Fog (coat) the internal engine surfaces (cylinder walls, valves etc) with a light coat of oil so they don't rust or corrode over the winter.
 
My boat is stored in a heated garage. Would you guys still recommend running rv antifreeze through the engine? My main concern would be corrosion.
 
Maggieiscrazy said:
My boat is stored in a heated garage. Would you guys still recommend running rv antifreeze through the engine? My main concern would be corrosion.
Click to expand...
or having a power outage and losing heat?

My boat stays in an underground mine that does not go below 55*F and I still winterize just to be safe. This year I pulled it from storage around mid March and a few days later we had 20* temps
 
Owners here do not winterize with antifreeze if heated storage has reliable heat, and we do. Does RV antifreeze even have corrosion inhibitors in it? If you are using the stuff for potable water systems, I don't believe so but may be wrong. I'm thinking any thing for protecting a drinking water tank would be free of corrosion chemicals. Any body know for sure?
 
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