Winterizing 8.1HOs Engines (2010 Model)

[WDCboater]

Normally I have had my dealer winterize my boat, but after talking to dock mates who winterize and doing a ton of research I decided to tackle it myself this year.

Oil changes were a breeze. (Including the generator)
Fuel water separators done. Transmission fluid check.

Winterizing my anchor wash down, generator, head, shower, water systems were all pretty easy.

My big question is on the engines themselves. I have 8.1's. Almost everything I've found online is a previous generator 8.1. I essentially have the end of the 8.1's before they went to 8.2's.

The step-by-step instructions in the manual are pretty easy to follow... I have hand air pumps and a connection point on the top of my engines. Pump air in until the little green tabs pop out. It basically pushes out all of the water and pressurizes the block. Leave that for 4-5 minutes. Then remove the drain plugs to just ensure the water is out. The instructions never say anything about running antifreeze through the engines. Thoughts on why the left this out?

The boat's staying in the water. All of the seacocks are closed. Strainers are drained and filled with antifreeze. I disconnected the hoses from the out of the strainers to the engines to ensure they're drained.

My plan is to go back next weekend and run a gallon or so of pink stuff through each engine.

 

[JimG]

Get the pink stuff with corrosion prevention additive. If you have the flush fitting it's easy to add while running the motors. We just did some 350 Mag Horrizons this past weekend... it took about 2 gallons per motor.

 

[mnm99]

You can run antifreeze to be safe. Pressureize systen to get out as much as you can, Remove pump and make sure the 2 green tabs are down, Close seacock, vac out strainer of raw water, Pour some aintifreeze in strainer, Have around 3 gallons of antifreeze ready, have someone start the engine and continue to pour 3 gallons, shut off when out. Done.

 

[WDCboater]

You can run antifreeze to be safe. Pressureize systen to get out as much as you can, Remove pump and make sure the 2 green tabs are down, Close seacock, vac out strainer of raw water, Pour some aintifreeze in strainer, Have around 3 gallons of antifreeze ready, have someone start the engine and continue to pour 3 gallons, shut off when out. Done.

This is what I was planning. I just found it odd that the manual pretty much stops after the raw water draining procedure.

 

[Sous]

This is what I was planning. I just found it odd that the manual pretty much stops after the raw water draining procedure.

Sadly from what I've found, this is their plan for winterizing. However in reality it never works out so well. The blue plug holes are small, get clogged and you can never really tell if all the water is out. I've always run pink though and have totally bypassed the "blue plug" draining for winterization. Push enough $4 a gallon pink though the system and you know you're protected.

 

[mnm99]

Another thing i did. I drained the muffler with the small plug on the bottom. Run the antifreeze until you see pink coming out the muffler. That will tell you 100% good. If you don't pull the plug and wait till it comes out the side, your looking at like 7 gallons.

 

[Bt Doctur]

If you not fresh water cooled you need to drain everything first before just pumping in the A/F

 

[Sous]

If you not fresh water cooled you need to drain everything first before just pumping in the A/F

Why do you say? The concern of dilution?

 

[mnm99]

Why do you say? The concern of dilution?

He may be thinking you engine is raw water cooled.

 

[Jimmy Buoy]

The 8.1 engines are cooled by antifreeze so just test the strength/condition of the fluid as part of the winterizing procedure. It's a good idea to first drain the raw water cooling system and then pump plumbers antifreeze through all the coolers (transmission, oil, and main coolers) just to be safe. The single point air actuated drain system simply uses pneumatic valves to drain the raw water from the system, but I would still want the additional assurance that pumping in plumbers antifreeze would provide. The raw water system and engine block cooling systems are totally separate from each other.

 

[Bt Doctur]

This guy thought the same thing, just pump A/F thru the hoses without draining.