Winterizing CAT 3126

P

Pointe of View

New Member
Feb 15, 2012
28
Northern Virginia
Boat Info
2001 410 Sundancer
Engines
CAT 3126
This is my first year winterizing my 410 DA. How many gallons of antifreeze should i purchase to winterize each engine? Also, i purchased a seaflush system and has worked well for all other systems onboard. Since the exhaust system for the 3126 is designed to exit the boat both underwater and above the water line, is it safe to assume that when the antifreeze is visible above the water line - the engine is totally winterized? Thanks
 
I use 6 gallons of Antifreeze per engine + 2 1/2 for the generator and about the same for the air conditioning. When you see pink coming out of the exhaust ports....you are done.
 
Frank - thanks for the quick response. So far, i have used about 1.5 gallons to fill the strainer and have sucked about 8 gallons from 5 gallon bucket and still nothing coming out of the exhaust port. I thought i better asked others before continuing since nothing is coming out yet.

Walt
 
Walt,
Please don't be offended but are you sure the thru hulls are shut. I start seeing "pink" after about 5 gallons and run a 6th through to be sure. All you see will be a dribble as not much comes out of the side ports while at idle.
 
Frank - no offense taken. This is my first year with the 410, so everything is new. Upgraded from 7.4 big blocks. I didn't realize there were thru hull shut offs. i just have the seacock closed and is drawing antifreeze from the strainer. Do the thru hull shut offs have levers like the seacocks? Sorry for the dumb questions, i just wanted to make sure i am doing everything right!

Thanks again, Walt
 
Thru hull --- seacock---semantics, they are the same thing. With them closed and drawing antifreeze through the strainer, you should be seeing antifreeze after 5 or so gallons. Are you getting the antifreeze into the strainers from a 5 gallon bucket or something similar?

No dumb questions...especially when you are talking about $15k plus engines.....
 
Yes, i am getting antifreeze from a 5 gallon bucket through the stainer. seacock to the engine is closed. I poured about 1.5 gallons of antifreeze into the stainer after vacuuming out the water. Then started the engine and drew out about 4 gallons and turned off the engine. Refilled the 5 gallon bucket up and started the engine again. It drew another 5 gallons and still nothing out of the side of the boat. Turned it off again and now trying to figure out why?? Frustrating....
 
Pointe of View said:
Yes, i am getting antifreeze from a 5 gallon bucket through the stainer. seacock to the engine is closed. I poured about 1.5 gallons of antifreeze into the stainer after vacuuming out the water. Then started the engine and drew out about 4 gallons and turned off the engine. Refilled the 5 gallon bucket up and started the engine again. It drew another 5 gallons and still nothing out of the side of the boat. Turned it off again and now trying to figure out why?? Frustrating....
Click to expand...

My 390 Dancer has two exhausts per engine. One on the side and then an underwater exhaust at the bottom just behind the edge of the transom. If you're looking over the side, you wouldn't see fluid come out. Since its the lowest point between the two, its the least path of resistance. Get another set of eyes on that if you have one.
 
Sorry was answering Impulse. I had someone looking for me and nothing was coming out of the side exhaust. Can't figure out why though? Thanks
 
I took the liberty of downloading the parts manual for your boat. You DO have an underwater exhaust, as well as, side exhaust. I bet you a case of antifreeze that its draining out of that U/W outlet. It won't come out the side
 
Take the 1-1/4" hose off the outlet side of the transmission oil cooler and it will be much easier to see the antifreeze at that point. The side exhaust port on the 410 is an overflow and a lot of 410's exhaust very little water from the overflow at idle.
 
Do you normally see water exiting the side exhaust at idle? Perhaps your impellors are shot, but then again...it's takiing antifreeze from the bucket so it has to be going out the bottom exhaust. I always had good flow at idle and like Frank, would see pink within about 5-6 gallons.

Frank - I'm surprised that you only see a dribble?
 
i always see water exiting from the side at idle. not sure what the problem is but it is taking antifreeze ater from the bucket pretty quickly. Thanks though.
 
The exhaust system plumbing is entirely different on each model. What happens on a 390DA is not going to be the same as a 410, 450, 400, etc. In fact, the 410's underwater system is set up in such a way that sometimes on some boats you don't see any discharge out of the overflow outlet on the side of the hull unless you idle the engine up to 900-1000 rpm. My boat is the big brother to the 410 and I have a lot of overflow discharge at idle rpms. If your 410 has low flow out of the hull outlet, then you have impeller problems or you need to either idle the engines up a little or pull the transmission cooler hose off so you can see what color the water is.
 
All I get is a slight dribble at idle. Once the rpm's approach 1000 the stream increases but at 650 or there abouts, practically nothing. Kick the revs up a bit and see what you get.

This process is costing you lots of money in antifreeze.......@ around $5 a pop!
 
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