Pink or blue

[Bottom Line]

No...I am not talking about boys or girls....but antifreeze. Who useds what color - pink (-50) or blue (-100)? The blue stuff seems to be about 3 time the price. The local dealer is HIGH RECOMMENDS using the blue stuff. I really think the pink is adequate....any thoughts?

 

[goblue]

Depends on where you live. -50 sounds safe for Missouri, even W. Michigan. Not sure I would use it in areas of the US along the Canadian border.

 

[RiverRat]

Jeff, I used the -100 stuff in all my water systems, and the head. The boat was lift stored so the cold and wind could get to her pretty good. I always went about it with the attitude of "better to be safe than sorry". Although as far south as you are the pink would probably be fine. You do leave yours in the water over the winter right?

 

[Bottom Line]

Fred...yes my boat sits in the water all winter. I tend to think along the same lines....better safe than sorry...but I tend to be very anal and many times go "overkill". I had the dealer winterize last year, but was toying with the idea of doing some of the stuff myself this year. I just recall last year when the boat was winterized, it required 10-12 gallons...and the -100 blue stuff was about $11 bucks a gallon. We have very few times in Springfield or on TableRock when the temperature even gets below zero.

Did I read in another post you are looking at a 280DA? If so...good luck with the purchase. :smt038

 

[Sundancer]

Pink is all we ever use. No problems here. The lowest temps I've seen is 24 below. The only place I'd be concerned is if you were unable to remove all the water and it diluted the pink stuff. Even then, I doubt you'd get a solid freeze, it would be more like a slushy.

Winterizing is pretty easy and doesn't take that long. I usually can get it done during the first half of college football game. I could probably do it during the first quarter, depending on the score! :grin:

 

[Dave S]

The -100 stuff is usually a mix it yourself solution. So if you look at the cost, it's not much more than the pink stuff. If I recall, it takes two gallons of the -100 stuff to three gallons of water.

 

[goblue]

My boat was winterized at the factory and shipped to northern Michigan (lower peninsula). It was pink. As others have said, this stuff can turn to slush probably somewhere south of zero degrees F, but slush does no damage. It's the hard freeze you need to worry about.

 

[RiverRat]

Did I read in another post you are looking at a 280DA? If so...good luck with the purchase. :smt038

Yes you did, and yes I am. It's getting surveyed as I type this. Hopefully everything works out. I didn't mean to pull your chain when I told you I was interested in yours, but after going through our finances and taking a closer look at both boats we were looking at, the 280 fits our needs and pocketbook a bit better than the 300. (I like having enough money left in my pockets to at least buy gas!)

 

[ken]

Jeff, i have used the pink stuff for around 20 years without any problems here in Michigan. I have also used it for the past 7 years in my sprinkler system up north and no problems there either.

 

[RiverRat]

Jeff, with your boat sitting in the water all winter, do you use a bubbler to keep the water from freezing around your boat?

 

[BruZerII]

How about BOTH. I use -100 for the engine winterization and -50 for the water system and head.

 

[boatdoc100]

DO NOT USE PINK AS ENGINE ANTIFREEZE, it will definatly break an egine.
Brad
Pflieger Marine Services

 

[boatdoc100]

Please allow me to save someone alot of headaches. For those of you who use pink in the engine, you've been EXTREMELY lucky. Please do not use red pop in your engine. The dilution factor is so rediculous it is unreal. Any 8 cylinder engine takes only 4 gallons of blue propalene to witerize. If you would like I can post exactly how to winterize your engines in less than a 1/2 hr with 4 gallons. As for the use of blue in the plumbing, don't do that either. There are rust inhibiters and other chemicals in the blue that can cause cancer if injested for long periods of time. For that matter it only takes 2 gallons of red pop to winterize a 34 to 37 ft boat and 1 of those goes in the toilet.

 

[ImpulseIII]

Boatdoc100,
Please go into a bit more detail. Many of us here in the Northeast have been using the -50 "pink" stuff for years without incident. They sell it at almost all of the marinas and it is what most marinas use for winterization (and they would be on the hook I would assume if something failed due to their winterization.) I don't understand what could go wrong assuming the temperature doesn't go much below zero or there abouts. Believe me, I am not trying to be a smart A** (for you Wesley) but please help me understand. Thanks.

 

[wkearney99]

The biggest difference isn't the total "low" temp, it's the temp at which the antifreeze starts to slush. Pink tends to start slushing at a higher temp. The slush is ice and that's going to expand. The expansion isn't as much as regular water would be at that temp but it may still be enough to cause problems.

I'm likewise curious/concerned about just what is or isn't necessary around here on the Chesapeake. Both stored in the water and on the hard.

 

[FYN409]

I also have been using the pink for many years with no problem.

Please let us know how to do the whole engine with only 4 gallons, I am interested.

-Ryan

Please allow me to save someone alot of headaches. For those of you who use pink in the engine, you've been EXTREMELY lucky. Please do not use red pop in your engine. The dilution factor is so rediculous it is unreal. Any 8 cylinder engine takes only 4 gallons of blue propalene to witerize. If you would like I can post exactly how to winterize your engines in less than a 1/2 hr with 4 gallons. As for the use of blue in the plumbing, don't do that either. There are rust inhibiters and other chemicals in the blue that can cause cancer if injested for long periods of time. For that matter it only takes 2 gallons of red pop to winterize a 34 to 37 ft boat and 1 of those goes in the toilet.

 

[Dave S]

Boatdoc100,
Please go into a bit more detail. Many of us here in the Northeast have been using the -50 "pink" stuff for years without incident. They sell it at almost all of the marinas and it is what most marinas use for winterization (and they would be on the hook I would assume if something failed due to their winterization.) I don't understand what could go wrong assuming the temperature doesn't go much below zero or there abouts. Believe me, I am not trying to be a smart A** (for you Wesley) but please help me understand. Thanks.

I would also like to understand this better. Our dealer uses nothing but the pink stuff for engines. Also, this is typically what you see sold in stores like Boaters World and West Marine for winterizing engines. I did my own winterization when I owned my 240SD and I used Camco's Ban Frost (-100 protection). As far as I know that product is safe for engines. http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...lyName=Camco+Ban+Frost+2000+Marine+Antifreeze
Maybe the blue stuff is better but until I read this post I never knew there were two different products. Who makes the Blue Stuff anyway? I have never seen it.

 

[Brian 59]

I just finished winterizing the a/c and water system with the pink stuff. I drained and used some air to blow things out. Then I filled and ran all faucets (hotfirst) till i was pure pink and then I was just about empty. This included the transom shower and hose spigot in the aft locker. I have done this since she was new and never had any trouble at all.

 

[boatdoc100]

I also have been using the pink for many years with no problem.

Please let us know how to do the whole engine with only 4 gallons, I am interested.

-Ryan

For all gm engines 8 cyl.; Remove 2 block drain plugs, remove 2 manifold drain plugs, remove large hose from recirc. pump to thermostat houing, remove seawater intake hose. Start engine and rev 3 times, shut off. Reinstall 4 drain plugs. Pour 2 gallons BLUE antifreeze into large hose and reinstall. Start engine and Pour 2 gallons through intake and reinstall. When last gallon is almost in intake pour 10 oz's Rislone oil treatment directly into carb. or plenum intake. The engine is winterized and fogged in less time than it takes to gather all the 5 gallon buckets etc.
rad
Pflieger Marine Services

 

[boatdoc100]

The -100 stuff is usually a mix it yourself solution. So if you look at the cost, it's not much more than the pink stuff. If I recall, it takes two gallons of the -100 stuff to three gallons of water.

I mixed 2 gallon of -100 and 3 gallon of water for you guys and ran it across my refractometer. It is good to 0 to -5 F that is it. Propalene will freeze solid enough to break an engine at -34 with this solution. Probably good enough for the southern folks but not for us up north here.