Winterizing for heated storage

[JDeBene]

I am going to be storing my 96 330 DA in heated stoage this year and I was told the only thing I have to do is add stabil to the fuel, and drain the water. The marina says I don't have to fog the engines, but it wouldn't hurt. Any thoughts on what I should or shouldn't do?

Thanks.​

 

[BonBini]

Some friends of mine who store in a building large enough put up there canvas. They tell me it keeps them stretched an fitting good. If you've got carbs, I would get some seafoam or stable in them so they don't varnish up on you. Being a 96 it's probably Fuel injected.

BTW I'm jealous ...Ron

 

[Escapade]

I see your fresh water. Heated storage is great till the first power outage. We have been in heated for a few years now. Very Clean they do not allow any sanding. I would still winterize all water syetms and drains. Dont forget to add some pink stuff to your head too. I pour a 20% mix of water bleach down all drains and shower sump. follow up w/ some pink. Change Engine / genny oil and fuel filters. We leave all canvas in place and crack open our front hatch and leave a bit of our rear canvas open to release any moisture. Treat your Strata glass or Iesen glass. Take your snap out carpet to a auto detail shop and get them cleaned for spring. We run a pigtail to an extension cord and off to the 120v power. I charge it about 48 hours every 8 weeks. Good luck and may your winter go fast!
Mike

 

[sbw1]

Depends on the reliability of the marina. We do not winterize anything and never worry about it. We store at Northshore Marina in Grand Haven. They work on boats year round and any heating problems will be fixed before things freeze. One year an unusually severe winter storm blew a door off the tracks and opened up a huge hole in the west side of the main building. They had that repaired in no time and no freeze damage occurred.

 

[Jaws]

We winter store in Lake St. Clair area, indoor heated. Our marina has a very large storage facility with back-up power, diesel generator. However, I store at the dealer's heated facility down the road. Since there is no back-up power, the water systems are winterized there. There's very little to do in a set-up like this and I can polish the boat in the fall, wax in the spring prior to launch. Also I have a winter work list for them, i.e. additions and repairs. We did the same when we wintered on Georgian Bay.

All that's done in October is to take perishables off the boat, place drink containers into plastic bins, put out a tub of Dri-Rite in a sink, and hang up a few fabric softener sheets. I also clean out all strainers and run some fuel stabilizer through before haul-out.

Comes out perfectly clean and ready to go in the spring. Certainly more expensive than shrink wrap but easier on me and the boat.

 

[JDeBene]

I spoke to a man today and he had a good idea. Get a small jar with a screw top lid, fill it with water, put the lid on, put the jar in a bucket, then put the bucket in the bilge and leave it there. If the heat in the storage facility fails the water in the jar will freeze and break the jar. You will then know that the heat in the storage facility failed.

 

[Jaws]

Thanks Scott,...Gasoline engines should be fogged prior to winter storage. (How quickly we forget.)

 

[Lazy Daze]

I spoke to a man today and he had a good idea. Get a small jar with a screw top lid, fill it with water, put the lid on, put the jar in a bucket, then put the bucket in the bilge and leave it there. If the heat in the storage facility fails the water in the jar will freeze and break the jar. You will then know that the heat in the storage facility failed.

Doesn't do you much good to know about it after the fact.

I would still put AF in the block - just to keep down the corrosion. If you want, use regular AF and just re-capture it in the Spring to re-use next year. Put it back in the jugs it came in and seal tight.

 

[sbw1]

Heated storage doesn't make up for the fact that the boat will be in extended storage, so you should go by the maint. manual recommendations to prep the boat for sleep. (includes fogging the engines)

I agree the boat should be completely winterized if it's not going to be used in the spring or if it will be sold but you don't know when it might be run. But, no one winterizes around here any more if the storage is just for 6 months. Stabil in the fuel protects cylinders, rings and valves. There is just no evidence that this approach is harmful. We've done it for 25 years with no ill effects. We do the same with our tractors and those are stored in an unheated barn. One has about 3000 hours on it and it starts like a champ every year when we get it out.

 

[320Bob]

I agree the boat should be completely winterized if it's not going to be used in the spring or if it will be sold but you don't know when it might be run. But, no one winterizes around here any more if the storage is just for 6 months. Stabil in the fuel protects cylinders, rings and valves. There is just no evidence that this approach is harmful. We've done it for 25 years with no ill effects. We do the same with our tractors and those are stored in an unheated barn. One has about 3000 hours on it and it starts like a champ every year when we get it out.

Rather than starting a new thread asking the same question I will use this one. Do you fog the engines and generator or not for heated storage. I have concerns about spark plug fouling with fogging and if it is not necessary, I will tell the marina not to do it. I've resigned myself to having to change the generator plugs every few months but the engines are not something I want to do every season.

In fact I sat on the edge of the engine compartment with a spark plug socket on Friday looking down at both 6.2L engines trying to figure out how one even gets at the engine plugs without (1) hanging upside down, (2) groping blindly to find the plugs and boots or (3) using a mirror like a dentist working inside someones mouth. So how do you easily remove an engine plug to see if it's fouled without doing any or all of the above or is my assessment of the situation correct?

 

[Daddubo]

I use ATF to fog mine and never had any problems it is high detergent oil and thin so it will coat the rings real good. ATF also has a low flash point so it will burn out real easy and won't leave any deposits. On fuel injection you could mix it in the fuel/water separator. When I had a Semi I would fill one of the fuel filters with ATF to clean out the injectors smoked like crazy but it worked.

 

[sbw1]

Rather than starting a new thread asking the same question I will use this one. Do you fog the engines and generator or not for heated storage. I have concerns about spark plug fouling with fogging and if it is not necessary, I will tell the marina not to do it. I've resigned myself to having to change the generator plugs every few months but the engines are not something I want to do every season.

In fact I sat on the edge of the engine compartment with a spark plug socket on Friday looking down at both 6.2L engines trying to figure out how one even gets at the engine plugs without (1) hanging upside down, (2) groping blindly to find the plugs and boots or (3) using a mirror like a dentist working inside someones mouth. So how do you easily remove an engine plug to see if it's fouled without doing any or all of the above or is my assessment of the situation correct?

We do not fog the engines or genny. The building stays at 51 degrees unless someone is having some work done that requires a higher temp. Your real enemy is condensation from warm winter days and cold nights. With a constant temp you just don't have to worry about this. We do the obvious things like making sure the holding tank is clean as a whistle and pumped out. We drain the fresh water tank and defrost ice machines so the tank does not get funky. Everything is put away very clean, dry and fully serviced. That way we do get not mildew. We even wash and dry the boat so it comes out in the spring looking great. Then it is polished, waxed and launched over a two day period in mid April.

 

[320Bob]

Thanks Sbw1,
You confirmed my suspicions about the need or lack of to fog for heated storage. Constant temperatures do not lead to condensation which is why I asked the question.:thumbsup:

 

[Daddubo]

Thanks Sbw1,
You confirmed my suspicions about the need or lack of to fog for heated storage. Constant temperatures do not lead to condensation which is why I asked the question.:thumbsup:

Then you best have it run to temperature and have the oil changed to get the moisture out that gets in the oil from breathing hot humid air all summer . But another thing to think about are things that happen in life and what if you can't use the boat next year then what? Dosen't hurt to take the extra step.

 

[sbw1]

Then you best have it run to temperature and have the oil changed to get the moisture out that gets in the oil from breathing hot humid air all summer . But another thing to think about are things that happen in life and what if you can't use the boat next year then what? Dosen't hurt to take the extra step.

Most of us put our boats into heated storage with fresh fluids. Our genny will have no time on the oil change and the mains will have maybe 40 minutes which is about the time it takes to run the boat to the marina from my house and drive it into the slings. You can always do a complete winterization if your plans change in the spring time and you will not use the boat for an extended period.

 

[320Bob]

+1:thumbsup:

 

[Daddubo]

Most of us put our boats into heated storage with fresh fluids. Our genny will have no time on the oil change and the mains will have maybe 40 minutes which is about the time it takes to run the boat to the marina from my house and drive it into the slings. You can always do a complete winterization if your plans change in the spring time and you will not use the boat for an extended period.

I was just thinking about what happened to me in April when I messed up my back and couldn't get the boat in till the 4th of July weekend. Old guys like me think like that. :huh:

I'm at the age if you wake up in the morning it's a good day!:thumbsup:

Not to change the subject but the guy I bought my boat from lives in Grand Haven and kept it at a big house in Spring Lake said it is no wake for boats over 26' there until they get to the lake is that true?

 

[sbw1]

I was just thinking about what happened to me in April when I messed up my back and couldn't get the boat in till the 4th of July weekend. Old guys like me think like that. :huh:

I'm at the age if you wake up in the morning it's a good day!:thumbsup:

Not to change the subject but the guy I bought my boat from lives in Grand Haven and kept it at a big house in Spring Lake said it is no wake for boats over 26' there until they get to the lake is that true?

You'd still be good to go if you launched in July with the layup we've been talking about.

Yes. SL is no wake 26' and over and within 200' of any dock on the lake or river until you get to Lake Michigan.

Was your boat named Frydays when you bought it? Did you get it through North Shore?

 

[Daddubo]

You'd still be good to go if you launched in July with the layup we've been talking about.

Yes. SL is no wake 26' and over and within 200' of any dock on the lake or river until you get to Lake Michigan.

Was your boat named Frydays when you bought it? Did you get it through North Shore?

It was named Nauti Nurse I bought it from a private party; it was on a lift on the east end next to a 40' Sonic with triple 700hp Mercs. He registered the boat as a 258 instead of a 268 so he didn't have to do the no wake.