Engine won´t suck antifreeze from a bucket

[superfet]

Hi there everybody.

I have the LSV -08 with the 325.

I was going to winterize my boat and thought I will follow cab´s excellent winterizing method and then fill up with antifreeze. I drained all the water from the engine and hoses. When I put everything togheter and tried to suck antifreeze the engine wouldn´t suck the antifreeze. I have a flush pro and the ball valve on the bottom of the boat was closed. I checked everything over and tried again with no luck. I then disconnected the flush pro and installed a hose in front of the V-drive and the other end in the bucket with antifreeze and started the engine, it looked like it was going to work, the engine started to suck up the antifreeze for maybe half a second and then nothing more. When i connect a gorden hose with waterpressure the engine gets water.

It is getting pretty cold during nights now and I would like to get the engine fixed.

Thanks in advance

Michael

[saskie99]

You must have a hose loose, that is allowing air in instead of creating suction. Check all your hose clamps to make sure they are tight. I just pull my intake hose apart right after the stainer and and hose clamped a rubber heater hose and funnel on. Started pouring in anitfreeze until no more would go in, then stared the boat and idled it up to 1500 rpm and kept pouring until it came out the exhaust.

Did you give the throttle a little shot and rev her up? Sometimes that is all that is needed and the suction will be created.

[lewisb13]

Have you checked the impeller? It might be in bad shape to the point where it wont suck on the bucket but water pressure will work.

[saskie99]

wouldn't his boat be over heating during the summer is the impeller was toast as it wouldn't suck water either?

[lewisb13]

Possibly, but the inlet actually has positive water pressure on it when the boat is submerged. And Im not sure where the raw water pump sits on his boat in relation to the water, but Im sure its pretty close to being submerged. May not be the problem, but Im just thinking out loud here.

[saskie99]

Fair enough, I just had that same problem a few years ago on my vintage malibu and it was a loose clamp.

[maxpower220]

I always have my bucket of anti-freeze higher than the engine, so that once suction starts it will flow down with little effort.

[wolfeman131]

this is of absolutely no help to our friend in Sweden, but maxpower do you need to anti-freeze where you are in Florida?

[lewisb13]

Im at the same latitude and almost the same longitude as Maxpower and have personally seen a cracked block. Takes a few freak days, but it happens.

[maxpower220]

but maxpower do you need to anti-freeze where you are in Florida?

Need? I don't know. However, it makes me feel better knowing that I won't have an issue in the spring. Also, anti-freeze has some capability IRT rust. Not here to start that debate, but I winterize with anti-freeze.

BTW, last winter we had several days below freezing and about 20 nights in a row below freezing for 10 hours+. My boat was in a storage unit, but I had no problems.

[jmvotto]

stupid question. if you drain the block why do you need antifreeze? i thought AF was used in placed of cab's winterization procedure.

my .02

[DOCDRS]

stupid question. if you drain the block why do you need antifreeze? i thought AF was used in placed of cab's winterization procedure.

my .02

your right, you don't , its just taking it to the next level :)

[brain_rinse]

I drain and then suck up antifreeze. Just a little extra peace of mind and some rust inhibitors.

[wolfeman131]

Need? I don't know. However, it makes me feel better knowing that I won't have an issue in the spring.

I'm with ya and I'm all for having the peace of mind!

[deepcove]

Superfet

If I understand correctly you tried to run a hose from a bucket of antie freeze into the hose inlet on your flush pro correct? If this is the case no it will not draw the anti freeze. You need hose pressure for this. I also have a flush pro and when I winterize I have to disconnect my hose at the raw water intake and put this in a bucket of anti freeze.

[jmvotto]

one of those cheap drill pumps could fix that problem.

[deerfield]

superfet - This weekend temperature is foecast to be in the 80s, perfect for winterizing in comfort. Already did the oil, oil filter, and impeller change last weekend while the boat was on the lift at the lake. This weekend will be the anti freeze process, which I will video and post, including prep, setup, and operation of my system to circulate antifreeze through the block, exhaust, and heater core. Tank sits on the ground. Raw water impeller has plenty of draw to pull liquid from tank through a 12-foot length of hose and into the engine to circulate. - Deerfield

[superfet]

Thanks everybody for the replies. It has been raining all day today so I haven´t been able to check the boat. If the weather is better tomorrow I will check all the hoses to see if thats the problem. I´ll tell you if it worked out...

Deerfield, I look forward to see your video.

Take care all!

[superfet]

Hi again
No luck today either:( I checked all the hoses and started the engine with waterpressure to be sure i had water in the system. I then switched to the antifreeze bucket and connected to the fluch pro, nothing happened even if i reved up the engine a little bit. I then disconnected the flush pro and connected a hose before the water strainer. The engine started to suck up the antifreeze until it reached the waterstrainer and then no more. I tried to have the bucket higher than the engine with no luck.

I attached a picture of the raw waterpump. Is the hoses connected correctly? I am pretty sure that that the hoses were connected this way before
I removed them. The one that is under comes from the V-drive. I checked the impeller and it looked fine, I changed it this season...

Best regards
Michael

[DOCDRS]

yes those hoses are correct, that is funny it wont suck antifreeze...it looks like a good setup

[superfet]

Finally I got it to work. I really don´t know what I did or what the problem was, I checked all the hoses and screws again. I tried to start the engine with the same problem. When I was going to test one last time the engine started to suck the antifreeze, HEUREKA!! I actually have no idea why it behaved like this.

Thanks again for all the replies and tips!

[saskie99]

good to hear!

[viking]

Glad it finally worked as it should. All the setup looks exactly like I've done with no probs.

[98outback]

How many gallons of antifreeze should it take appoximatley? I live in Florida and plan on using antifreeeze this year because I had a freak accident last year with cold winter that we had. Even though I drained the water and all from the engine it cracked. I guess there was a pocket of water that didnt come out. I also left the drain plugs out all winter.

[superfet]

How many gallons of antifreeze should it take appoximatley? I live in Florida and plan on using antifreeeze this year because I had a freak accident last year with cold winter that we had. Even though I drained the water and all from the engine it cracked. I guess there was a pocket of water that didnt come out. I also left the drain plugs out all winter.


I bought 12 liters of antifreeze that i mixed with 50% water, it will hold down to minus 37 Celsius. In total I got 24 liters of antifreeze. When I ran the engine it started to pour out antifreeze after maybe 8 liters, I let the engine suck up all the antifreeze to be sure the system was full. I had a bucket to collect the spill.