Winterizing Diesels

bmac

bmac

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2008
1,845
Holbrook, NY
Boat Info
2006 58 Sedan Bridge, Walker Bay Generation 390 RIB w/40hp Yamaha, 2014 Wellcraft 232 CC w/Yamaha
Engines
MAN 900 CRM
This is my first winter with diesels (44DB with QSC500's) and I'm a little curious about laying the engines and fuel tanks up for the winter. Marinemax doesn't list an oil and filter change as one of their services for winterization. What do any of you do in preparing the engines and generator for the winter? Also, do you leave your fuel tanks relatively empty or full; either way with what treatment? By the way, I doubt I'll actually be performing any of the work myself but I do want to know what I should be asking for. Thanks.

Brian:huh:
 
I don't really get to use the boat much after Labor Day so the boat comes out in early October. Waiting to talk about this until November really isn't an option, but thanks for the suggestion anyway.:thumbsup:
 
Bmac-
Check the "winterization" or "diesel engines" sections. I know, I know, everybody hates to be told to "do a search" but this topic has been discussed ad nauseum (right about this time last year as I recall...)
 
I agree with the learned gentlman from the northern part of the Chesapeake, but I also think having a plan is useful.
I fill my tanks with fuel after adding a shock dose of biocide, and PowerService Diesel Kleen-but I am running 2003 Model Year Mechanical C Series Cummins. Your QSCs may not need the lubricity enhancer found in the Power Service product.
There is no way I am leaving dirty oil with corrosives built up in my engines for a four moth layup. Ditto the generator. Mains and Gen Set get fresh oil, filters, fuel filters, (primary and secondary) and new coolant filters (mains only) every fall. Transmissons get new 30 weight Rotella and the filters get cleaned and inspected for ferrous material. Mains, Gen Set, and ZF Gears are high dollar components, and the maintenance on them is simple and inexpensive. Rotella T 15-40 is around ten bucks a gallon at Wal Mart. Rotella 30 Weight for the ZF 280 Series IV Transmissons is also about ten bucks a gallon. I order all the filters from Cummins. With the reverso system changing mains and gen set oil is less than an hour's job. At any rate, I do all the work myself. Including in the water shrink wrapping (which I leave to flame throwing professionals) complete winterizaton is less than $1K. The local Sea Ray dealer wants over $5k and does not do the trannies or Racors.

Seriously.

-Truth In Advertising: Everything I Know About Diesels I Learned from Fwebster, Gary, and a few other folks. The stupid taxes I have paid along the way usually occurred because I was not listening properly. See the "how to cook an Onan Genset Impeller posts, for example-

Here is my winterization checklist:
Winterize the Boat
Fresh water system and heads
Purge water from lines
Bow anchor wash down
Master stateroom sink, toilet, shower
Vacuflush suggests spraying the rubber seal in the bottom of the head bowl with a little silicon spray to prevent it from sticking in the winter and tearing during recommissioning in the spring
Galley sink
Galley sink hand sprayer
Guest stateroom sink, toilet, shower
Cockpit wetbar sink
Ice maker
Engine room wash down
Hot water heater and hot water lines
Transom shower
Transom wash down inside trunk
City water connection. must force pink stuff in here as well
Air conditioners
Purge fresh water from lines
Fill lines and compressors with antifreeze
Clean a/c filters
Add a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to AC pans to prevent mold/mildew
Toilets and holding tank
Fill sewer lines with antifreeze
Empty holding tank and fill (partial) with antifreeze
Onan Generator
Change oil and filter
Remove impeller
Drain all water from cooling system
Fill with anti freeze
Change zinc in heat exchanger
Change fluid in transmissions
Clean ZF Filters in mineral spirits and inspect metal debris
Cummins Diesels
Change oil and filters
Change RACOR elements
Change engine mounted diesel filters
Change coolant filters
Change zincs in aftercoolers
Clean AIRSEP elements
Drain all water from cooling system and fill with antifreeze
Remove impellers
Spot paint rust on engines
Boat exterior
Wash boat
Wax boat
Inspect porthole windows and hatches for leaks and adjust as required
Tighten fittings and fasteners
Re-caulk seams as required
Clean all stainless steel
Inspect and adjust life line tension
Inspect windlass and tighten clutch
Inspect all running lights and change bulbs as required
Inspect and tighten radar cable connections
Boat interior
Clean carpets
Wash and replace carpet runners
Defrost and clean refrigerator and freezer
Clean out microwave
Clean out cabinets (all)
Unpack unnecessary gear
Clean shower sump
Clean shower sump pump automatic float switch
Add antifreeze to shower sump
Inspect pump operation
Engine room
Tighten all hose clamps and replace as needed
Canvas
Remove and clean all isenglass, treat with 303 and hang in basement
Remove and clean all canvas, treat with 303 and hang in basement
Replace missing snaps
Lubricate zippers
Sub contract repair of canvas as required
Shrink Wrap Boat
 
Skip, thanks for sharing your list. I was able to pick up few tips for my winterization process as well.

Alex.
 
The only thing I would add to Skips excellent list is taking samples and doing an oil analysis on a regular basis.
 
I would also add compression check to the list. Just make sure you have the correct gauge. No gas compression gauges here!

Doug
 
This is ususally about how far into a thread of this type where our Southern members chime in with....'What's winter?'....so there.....

A comment/change that I would make to Skip's 'excellent' post....(BTW Skip, I shot you some 'green' for that post)....is that for my last fuel fill, my winter fuel layover tank, I use the Diesel Kleen in the 'white' jug which has the cold weather anti-gel 'stuff'. Like Skip, I winter in the water. Not that I intend to go for a ride in February, but when you winter in the water, hey...you never know. Plus, there are those 'vagrant ice boat sailors' out there.....and we all know that sailboaters are attracted to Skip's 'pristinely kept, fast, fuel guzzling 420DA'.


Oh....and I second Gary's 'Huh?' above.
 
Four Suns said:
Huh?
Click to expand...

Kep a log of cylinder compression every year. Check for a variance between cylinders and/or a decline from the previous year. If it starts, more than likely compression is fine, but it can't hut to keep a log.

Doug
 
douglee25 said:
Kep a log of cylinder compression every year. Check for a variance between cylinders and/or a decline from the previous year. If it starts, more than likely compression is fine, but it can't hut to keep a log.

Doug
Click to expand...

Well... It'll be a cold day in hell before I go removing all the injectors to do a compression test on a big diesel every year.... If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
He obviously doen't understand what is involved in checking compression on a diesel. Gaining access to the cylinders requires removing the injectors and on some diesels with unit injections syetms that is about 12 hours labor. Keeping a log to check variance from on year to the next carries about a $1600+ price tag.

The other factor is that you know long before winterization if a diesel has a compression problem. They fire at 22-23:1, not 8:1 like a gas engines. A cylinder with low compression will not fire properly and willl not burn all its fuel charge. Incomplete combustion on a diesel means smoke and a good bit of it.

Generally, if a diesel starts normally, runs and doesn't smoke.........don't mess with it.
 
fwebster said:
He obviously doen't understand what is involved in checking compression on a diesel. Gaining access to the cylinders requires removing the injectors and on some diesels with unit injections syetms that is about 12 hours labor. Keeping a log to check variance from on year to the next carries about a $1600+ price tag.

The other factor is that you know long before winterization if a diesel has a compression problem. They fire at 22-23:1, not 8:1 like a gas engines. A cylinder with low compression will not fire properly and willl not burn all its fuel charge. Incomplete combustion on a diesel means smoke and a good bit of it.

Generally, if a diesel starts normally, runs and doesn't smoke.........don't mess with it.
Click to expand...

Actually I'm quite aware of what it takes to do a diesel compression check. Maybe you don't need to do it annually but if you're resetting the overhead, you might as well do it then and throw it into a log to compare next time.

Doug
 
But, your recommendation was to add the compression check to the annual winterizing check list for winterizing diesel boats:

"I would also add compression check to the list. Just make sure you have the correct gauge. No gas compression gauges here!"

If you have the injectors out of the engine for another reason, why not, its almost free at that point, but annual compression checks on a diesel is serious over-kill and not at all necessary. We need to keep in mind that CSR has a lot of members who are not as mechanically savy as others and misleading them could cost them a lot of money they do not need to spend.I
 
Last edited:
Gary,
Let the Obama 08 sign on your boat thing go, man.
We all thought it was funny.
You are above ball jokes. Your anger weakens you, sensei.

Oil sampling is a great addition-I do it, I just forgot to add it to the list.
 
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