Winterizing the A/C

It is very easy to do... When spring comes you can see how well you did... I would recommend for your first time you have a friend who has successfully done his boat, help you...
 
Mor my AC, I blow Low Pressure (LP) air via a compressor back from the pee hole through the system the way Dennis recommends. After about 30 seconds of bubbles, I close the seacock.

Good idea about the condensate pan. I never thought of that.

I blow out my fresh water system the same way. Although this year after blowing it out, I may run a couple of gallons of pink through it it because of some low spots in the piping. I know of some who just pour in a couple of gallons of cheap vodka in the fresh water system to keep it from freezing.

The engines are a cakewalk as they have the air evac systems and I have an Xtreme ER heater
 
It really is that simple... make sure it is good and pink through out and no problems I've done my own water system now for 6 years and can't believe what the marinas charge. Also if you have a hot water tank bypass it and drain it with the drain screw... good luck we're here to help.

Jason
 
This would also be my first time winterizing myself (all but engines). Sounds easy but how do you bypass the HW Heater?
 
Make yourself one of these - all parts available at my favorite marine store - Home Depot.
Bypass.jpg
 
Disclaimer...
That is not active rust on the tank exterior. I took the whole "box" apart when I got the boat b/c the HWH wasn't getting hot. Had to replace the element and all's been well since. That rust was there then and still is, but it did NOT affect the tank itself - That box surrounds insulation which surrounds a cylinder, which is the tank (kinda like a propane cylinder).
 
disclaimer read... hope you didn't think I was trying to be a smart arse... was just glad to see I was bypassing corectly...

Jason
 
NOT AT ALL! I know there are some folks out there who will criticize all sorts of little flaws that pictures like this reveal, so I wanted to head them off at the pass! To be honest, if I saw that pic I'd be horrified. When I took the tank apart to get to the element, each and every screw was rusted and corroded beyond recognition. But I was thrilled to find the tank in perfect condition.
 
ArtWallach said:
This would also be my first time winterizing myself (all but engines). Sounds easy but how do you bypass the HW Heater?
Click to expand...

If you have the blue and red hose with white fittings, you can do the same thing without the resorting to Home Despot. The white fittings have a grey cir clip on the end. Pop that off, then push the collar down into the fitting body. The hose will then pull out. Remove one hose and fitting from the water heater (Hot) , remove the other (cold) hose from its fitting, leaving the fitting on the heater. Now just insert the cold hose into the hot fitting, pull the collar up and insert circlip. The trick is to make sure the hose bottoms in the fitting.

I know it sounds obvious, but make sure you drain the tank first and have the electric switch turned off, and have the the water pump off.

Henry
 
Just back from finishing up the winterizing. I bought a 12 volt utility pump from Harbor Freight and connected it to my fitting that replaces the strainer cap... stuck the feeding end into a gallon of pink, turned the A/C on and then the pump... got the pink out of the thru-hull! Easy, worked like a champ. :smt038

I then went to finish the motors. Trying to do the HW coil, I managed to get one hose off the HW tank, the other on the engine was not cooperating. I noticed a removable brass plug right in top of the T-stat housing and figured to pour pink in there and not have to remove any more hoses. Poured about 3 1/2 gallons of pink in and it began to come out of the HW coil where I had taken the hose loose. I put that hose back on and continued to pour till the pink came out of the blue plug hole in the T-stat housing. Poured another 3 1/2 gallons in the starboard motor till it came out of the T-stat housing and called it done.

Not so bad once you learn the systems... thanks for the help! :thumbsup:
 
Jim
I'm not following what you did. What is the "HW coil?" If you have Mag Horizons you should have fresh water cooling so I don't get why you'd pour pink into the thermostat housing, which is part of the closed cooling system.
 
Sorry... the Hot Water tank coil.

I do not have Horizons. I started by removing the 4 blue plugs to drain the lake water from the block... put them back and then poured the pink in.
 
Jim, did you remove the plug in the bottom bend of the block hose?

Do you have the newer style fuel cooler (drop-in filter)? If so, you either have two blue plugs there, or you have to use a 16mm (15mm?) socket (stubby wrench helps) and back off the nut enough to back out the assembly to get rid of that little bit of water that will be there.
 
OK, I thought MAG and Horizon go hand in hand. So your motors are raw water cooled. That makes sense.
 
rondds said:
OK, I thought MAG and Horizon go hand in hand. So your motors are raw water cooled. That makes sense.
Click to expand...

It gets confusing with all the terminology that Merc has used over the years. But, yes, the two terms are independent of each other. The "MAG" simply differentiates it from a "normal" 350ci (5.7L) engine. Although, the normal 5.7L is no longer used... once the 5.0L MPI came out it took over for the 5.7L EFI and the 5.0L EFI. And then, if we go back a few more years... remember the "LX" version of carb'd engines? How about the two (different) engines... 7.4L and 454MAG? Remember the difference there? :smt101 Crazy stuff, man!
 
Dennis
My previous boat was a 2002 Crownline that I bought new. I ordered it with a 350 MAG Horizon, which was the closed cooling package. So, I assumed... ;-)

I guess that was a L O N G time ago!
 
Yup, Ron, it's nothing if not confusing! Oh, did you know that, referencing your current "size/displacement" engine, there have been (sometimes all/most at the same time) numerous "versions"? "7.4L", "7.4LEFI", 7.4LMPI, "454MAG"... I think I'm still missing one there, somewhere. :smt101:smt101
 
Mine is officially 7.4L MIE. Remember when the USA was supposed to convert to metric as of 1980? HA!
 
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