looking for a trick

Saverio

Saverio

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2010
1,506
Patchogue, Great Southbay N.Y.
Boat Info
1995 450 DA
Engines
Cat 3126 420hp
900 hours Westerbeek Generator
does anyone have a trick or an another way of putting the pink stuff in the sea strainer. I fill mine up start the motor and jump in the er and try in a mad rush to keep it flowing. I saw a while back a person selling strainer covers with a garden hose fiting welded to it. it was home made not sure if anyone has them?

thanks
Saverio
 
There is a product called sea flush that holds a follow bottle inverted. I just do it with 2 people for safety.
 
Here is my homemade solution.

IMG_1834.jpg

IMG_1836.jpg
 
One of my strainers is the cheap plastic type...what's the trick for those?
 
You have to drain everything first before using that system to winterize. why not just pour it into the engine
 
My boat stays in the water and I also have a bilge heater.
 
I bought the Sea Flush. It was about $90. You fill a 5 gal bucket with antifreeze put the system in the strainer and run the engines. The water pump will suck up the fluid. It was so easy. I did have to have my wife at the controls to shut down the engines. depending on the size of the engines will depend on how much anti freeze you will need. You can make something, but to me it was worth the money.
 
unless you drain the block and heat exchangers first you will have cracks come springtime
 
I made a few flushing caps for Perko strainers like yours and it isn't that difficult. You must first buy a new strainer lid to use for flushing.......1-1/4" for the main engines, 3/4" & 1" for the air conditioner and the generator. You add a hose fitting and a valve to the strainer cap by boring and tapping a hole to accept 1/2" NPT threads. Insert a brass 1/2 NPT close nipple with J&B Weld on the threads, then add a brass ball valve and a hose fitting.

The reason you need an extra strainer cap is because the cap thickness is too thin to hold the pipe threads securely. There is enough meat in the lid for barely 2 threads which is inadequate strength-wise for a permanent installation. You can easily make your own set for your use as described above, but I don't make them any more because of the liability involved when someone leaves the flushing lid on permanently.
 
When we had our 390, I would empty the fresh water tank, then put about 25 gals of pink stuff in it. Then use the fresh water hose in the engine room. Close seacocks, open the strainers. Have someone start each engine one at a time, turn the hose on, run engines till pink out the exhaust. I did this with A/C system also. When finished open all your faucets, till pink flows. Done. Almost took longer to pour the 25 gals in the freshwater tank. Beauty here is if you stay in the water during the winter, 0n a nice day, you can fire up, go for a ride and rewinterize in minutes.
 
thanks Frank
I have to look into getting a new or used lid

BT I dont have to drain the block there is anti frezze in its fwc
I have to shut the through hull and let the pink stuff get succked through the pump , coolers , heat exchangers than risser out into mufflers
 
Here's a way to do it from a completely different angle, and it eliminates the need to make any adapter cap at all. When I am ready to run pink antifreeze through my raw water system, I first remove the hose from the inlet of the strainer, and attach a 6 foot long hose, of the same diameter as the original, to the strainer (1 1/4" if I recall correctly). Then, I fill a 5 gallon Poland Spring jug (or equivalent 5 gallon spring water container - doesn't matter who's label is on it) with pink antifreeze, and stuff the hose into the top of the jug. Lo and behold, the hose fits tightly in there, and doesn't leak.

Then, just flip the jug upside down, have the wife drill a 1/4" hole in the bottom of the jug, and start the engine. The pink will drain right into the strainer, won't spill in the least, and feeds into the engine at the proper rate, unlike restricted feed systems that use garden hoses. It actually takes longer to explain it than it does to do it. Recycle the jug when it's empty. You can't reuse them once they have a hole drilled in the bottom, obviously. The hole is important - without it, the jug will collapse when the engine starts.

It takes about 30 seconds to drain, and I just hold it until it's empty. Then, the wife shuts down the engine. Done. I follow this by removing the exhaust hoses, wrapping the elbows and air cleaner with clear film and tape (prevents air circulation, and condensation, inside the engine over the winter). I drain the mufflers too. Of course, this is done AFTER changing engine oil, transmission fluid, all filters, stabilizing fuel (full tanks always), changing fuel filters, fogging engines, etc. It works like a charm. You'll need 2 jugs for twin engine boats.

Make sure to run some pink through the short hose and seacock too - I usually close the valve, fill the hose, and cycle the valve a few times to drain the hose. Leave the seacock in a partially closed position, not fully closed.

Dale
 
No, I flush it with pink antifreeze, lubricate it, exercise it several times, and leave it half way open.

Dale
 
I found the boat down in Charlotte, North Carolina. It had been stripped by the previous owner - no engines or generator, no engine hatch, one transmission seized from seawater intrusion. The canvas was all torn, the cabin hatch had been left slightly open, etc. She was a mess. There were even a few blades of grass growing in the cabin carpet, from seeds that had blown inside. I had it shipped home, stripped it, and re-rigged the boat. Many of those details are on the blog. The previous owners were going through a divorce, and the boat was essentially abandoned. I bought it from the wife, after the divorce.

Dale
 
I couldnt underdstand why someone would let all this happen to there boat??? than when i saw divorce it all made sense....
 
I put valves with hose connection between my sea water valve and the strainers. It cost me $18 for both engines, AC and Genny... I just connect my container to the my hose connection... wast the cheapest way to do what you want to do...
 
Dufensmurf can you post a pic?

basicly you cut the 1.2 hose and installed a tee. than added a little hose and insallets a valve witha hose barb on the end?
 
rcknecht said:
I put valves with hose connection between my sea water valve and the strainers. It cost me $18 for both engines, AC and Genny... I just connect my container to the my hose connection... wast the cheapest way to do what you want to do...
Click to expand...

Pictures would be great. Thanks
 
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