Winterizing 5L EFI Engine - 210BR

[phughes200]

Okay I just spent the past hour looking for my drain plugs. I need help making sure I found everything. My questions will be highlighted. This is all new to me.

I found the following drains so far:

1) Port and Starboard manifold
2) Port cylinder block
3) Starboard Y fitting (This appears to be the starboard cylinder block drain. Correct?)
4) Fuel cooler (This one is in a arkward location)
5) Circulating pump drain hose drain

What I have not found is what my manual calls the port sea water pipe. Are there any other drains? Is the hose from the lower unit to the engine self draining? What about the power steering cooler?

My plan:

1) Warm up engine and change oil and filter.

2) Fog engine by a) disconnectting fuel line to fuel Filter (what do recommend to plug line?) B) Remove filter c) add oil to filter d) reinstall filter e) run engine until stalls f) replace filter and reconnect hose.

3) Raise the boat out of water on lift. This will raise the bow roughly 3-5 inch higher than the stern. Is this an issue?

2) Open all drains.

3) Crank engine without starting

4) Close drains

5) The manual say to remove the thermostat hose and fill with antifreeze until block and head are filled. What hose are they referring to? Is this the hose leading to the circulating pump from the thermostat housing?

6) Remove and fill exhaust manifold hoses. I assume I remove the end at the thermostat housing. Correct?

7) Verify Drains on lower unit are clear

8) Add antifreeze to bilge.

Am I missing anything.

Philip

 

[SeaRay]

Philip, I have a 1999 210 BR with the 5.0L EFI and Bravo 3, so the water pump might not be the same setup.

There are a total of 6 drain plugs on my engine. 3 on each side of the engine. There is one under the sea water pump which, on my boat, is easily accessed through the rear seat front engine hatch. Remove the boat cushions and whatever might be in the way in the storage compartment and open the hatch it will be right there, on your lower left. This might be different with your Alpha drive.

I can't tell you by name where the plugs all are but there are two on the starboard side that are hard, if not impossible, to see. I found mine by feeling for them. You know they are near the big water hoses so just follow those around.

You will get mixed reviews on using the bucket method or removing the hoses at the thermostat housing to add the antifreeze. Do a search on this, I had a recent post that pretty well covers the issue. I did mine by removing the T-stat this year because I was planning on replacing the T-stat anyway. You need to use a bucket with a hose fitting installed then connect a short garden hose to muffs to do it this way. Then fill the bucket with AF. I ran a good 5 if not 6 gallons through just to be safe.

I would drain the water from all 6 plugs then run the AF through.

Also be sure to run the engine AFTER changing your oil to help distribute the new clean oil through all the ports and surfaces.

My understanding is with the EFI you do not want to fog the engine through the fuel body. When you remove the fuel/water separator filter I believe you can add a 2-stroke gas mixture into the new filter and run this through the engine instead of fogging. You will only lose a very little bit of fuel when you remove the filter. So, don't worry about pulling the old filter off. I have never actually added the 2-stroke mix but replace the fuel/water separator filter every year. So, someone else might have more info.

You want to leave the AF in the engine block to act as a corrosion preventer. Just park it with the AF in it then drain in the spring.

Also change your lower drive oil. Best to do this with the drive warmed up. You need a special hand pump to get the oil back in.

Don't forget to grease the coupler and gimbal bearing zerks.

Good Luck

 

[phughes200]

There are a total of 6 drain plugs on my engine. 3 on each side of the engine. There is one under the sea water pump which, on my boat, is easily accessed through the rear seat front engine hatch.

So far, I found three on the port side. Two on the starboard side. One in the front to drain the hose between the thermostat body and the water pump. Is that the same one that you have. Do you have six total or seven of you count the one in the front?



My understanding is with the EFI you do not want to fog the engine through the fuel body. When you remove the fuel/water separator filter I believe you can add a 2-stroke gas mixture into the new filter and run this through the engine instead of fogging. You will only lose a very little bit of fuel when you remove the filter.

Did you disconnect the fuel supply when you changed the filter?

You want to leave the AF in the engine block to act as a corrosion preventer. Just park it with the AF in it then drain in the spring.

In the spring, afther draining the AF, I assume you need to fill the system with water before starting the engine. If so what is the best way?

 

[phughes200]

Scot

Thanks. I was refering to the engine oil. Sorry for the confusion. My mechanic is changing the gear oil since I have a lgear oil eak that needs to be fixed.

On the subject of oil. I purchased this boat in August. The previous owner left all the supplies in the boat. He had both regular engine oil and synthetic oil (mercruiser brand). Not sure what is in the engine. Can I use a suction pump to remove the old oil and put in standard mercruser oil? In other wirds are there any compatibility issus?

As for the gas line. The line from the tank to the filter housing is held on with two hose champs. When I remove this line, how much cgas will come out. If I am carefull, I assume very little.

Thanks again.

Philip

 

[phughes200]

Sorry to hear about the hip surgery. My father, mother and brother all had hip surgery (one replacement, two for fracture requiring plate and screws). Not fun but all three were walking shortly after surgery. Good luck.

A couple questions. Once I fog the engine, do I reconnect the fuel line or wait to spring?

If I fill the block from the thermostat, what hoses do I need to disconnect and fill after filling the block? How often should I be replacing the thermostat? I assume the gasket will need to be replaced.

Also do I need any sealant on the drain plugs? They are the blue plastic ones. THe one I checked did not appear to have an o-ring. What would you recommend?

 

[SeaRide]

Philip,

Here is the fogging procedure from the manual.

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showpost.php?p=138164&postcount=15

There are six "plugs" total. Sounds like you found them all. Three on the port side, one under the exhaust manifold, one on engine block and one just forward of power steering cooler. Two on the starboard side one for the exhaust manifold, one near the block at the knock sensor and one just to the left of the water circulating pump.

 

[SeaRay]

I usually try to change all my oils immediately after pulling the boat from the water, that way they are all warm, drain quickly and this does a better job as any particles are suspended.

If I am not fortunate enough to do it immediately after pulling from the lake, I will but the drive in gear (making sure no one is around) to warm the drive oil before changing.

Maybe it isn't good to run the drive out of the water??? But I just did very short intervals on to help mix the oil up. I have changed it in the past on a cold day without doing this and it was like syrup. It took for ever to come out, even after removing the top plug.

 

[phughes200]

Thanks Searay! I just hope I can get the one by the power steering cooler out and back in. Look tight and awkward. The rest should be easy.

I assume you remove the engine oil via the dip stick.

What did you find was the easiest "suitable" method for stopping the fuel when fogging. It looks like I will have to remove the fuel line and plug it. Any idea what the inner diameter if that line is?

 

[SeaRide]

Philip,

Make sure the O rings come off with the blue wing nuts as they occasionally stick to the housing. If you ever change the drive oil, you can easily warm up the drive oil simply by running the engine on the muffs as all the shafts an Alpha turn except the prop shaft while in neutral. In addition, exhaust gases pass through the drive and exit out the prop hub on an Alpha.

 

[SeaRide]

Philip,

On my 230, I lean over the top of the engine to reach the power steering cooler plug. It's been years since I fogged the engine. However, I did not disconnect the fuel line. I simply added oil to the filter and shut down the engine once I saw blue smoke exit from the exhaust. Make sure the engine compartment is free of fuel/fumes before starting the engine.

You may want to buy some extra O rings just in case you lose one or two while draining the water.

 

[SeaRay]

I noticed a huge difference in the ability to get the oil out once it was warmed up. But yes, you need to do that before adding the AF.

In the past I have used a hand pump to remove the oil via the dip stick hose. Earlier this year I added a drain hose kit. It was a pain to pump the oil out and I never felt like I was getting it all out.

The kit has a hose and a fitting that goes into the oil pan in place of the regular oil drain bolt. On the kit that I ordered the fitting at the back end would not pass through the bilge drain opening. So I ended up cutting the line about in the middle and adding a fitting that would thread into a ball valve. Then I flipped the other part of the hose around so the fitting that was already at the other end screwed into the opposite side of the ball valve.

That left the far end of the hose just the raw cut part of the hose and it will easily pass through the bilge drain. And all I have to do is push it through the bilge drain opening then open the ball valve for the oil to drain.

I also, just to be safe, put a zip tie around the ball valve to hold it closed and pushed a bolt into the very end of the hose and use a hose clamp to get it leak free just in case the ball valve would accidentally get turned. So I do need to remove the bolt before pushing it through the drain. But that is cake.

As far as fogging goes, like already mentioned, just add the 2-stroke oil/gas mixture into the fuel filter and let it run for just a short period of time.

 

[phughes200]

Okay, you gave some great tips.

To be clear:

1) If I pour AF down the hose that connects the thermostat housing to the raw water intake (which supplies the cooler), I will not have to remove the blue drain for that hose. Correct? That is the one that looks tricky to get to. Note, I have the alpha drive not the bravo.

2) Even though the manual says to disconnect the fuel line and run the engine dry, The engine will be properly fog if I leave the fuel line connected (after adding oil to filter) and shutting the engine off when I see blue smoke. Correct?

Thanks. I suspect tha doing the above will make the job a lot easier.

 

[SeaRide]

Philip,

1) My previous boat was a '94 crownline with a 5.0 alpha. At this time Merc. did not have the wing nut plug style drains foward of the power steering cooler. So, I simply disconnected the intake hose from the thermostat and poured anti-freeze in the hose until you could see it drain from the intake grates located along either side of the lower unit - as suggested earlier.

2) If you want everything done correctly do it by the book. There is a reason why Merc. wants it done this way. However, you will be able to see blue smoke exit from the exhaust even with the fuel line connected.

 

[SeaRide]

Scott,

When I have changed drive oil and engine oil in the past, I have either run the boat in the lake or run the engine on the muffs make sure the engine reaches operating temp. for a few minutes. First, I remove the engine oil - I also dump the drive reservoir at this time. Then the drive oil. With the drive in the up position, I remove the fill/drain screw. Then remove the vent screw. By this time, the water has long since finished draining from the drive. However, the drive oil is still warm and would presumably drain quicker than cold. Correct?