Winterizing- need to fill with anti freeze?

[Dom08]

Ive been searching on the forums here for winterizing. I will be storing my outback outside for the winter under cover. I see alot of people drain the manifolds and so on of water. Is filling the system with anti freeze necessary? Or just drain and call it a day?
I also bought some engine fogging oil. Would this be worth it to do??

[MLA]

If you get a compete and proper drain, there is nothing to freeze.

[Shoebox]

I filled mine. Cheap insurance.

[Dom08]

Just suck it in though the water pump and recirculate it from the exhaust output?

[Shoebox]

Yes, you'll need a bucket with a spigot, and a fake a lake, and set it on the swim step. Rev the engine a bit. It will suck 6-ish gallons up in less than a minute.

[Dom08]

What about engine fog? Good to do also?

[Shoebox]

Someone else will have to answer that for sure. I bought some fogging oil, then someone said not to fog if you have catalytic converters, so I didn't fog mine.

[Boonejeepin]

Someone else will have to answer that for sure. I bought some fogging oil, then someone said not to fog if you have catalytic converters, so I didn't fog mine.

The cats would be my concern as well. Not 100% sure how the cats will react to the fogging oil.


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[MJHSupra]

I recall reading about no fogging in the CAT motor because of a sensor issue.

It's posted somewhere on here.

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[Dom08]

My outback is 2003.
If we dont use fog should we do anything to protect the cylinders?


For sucking in antifreeze i can just hook the hose up to the water pump and put the other end in the bucket and suck it in? And recirculate it from out exhaust

[Shoebox]

Does your boat have catalytic converters?

On mine, there wasn't an easy way to draw antifreeze directly into the water pump. I used a fake-a-lake. You do need to drain all the water first, and reconnect all the hoses and plugs. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181029/178f5edb158f4f80b477a59e3f303280.jpg

I suppose I will be fogging the cylinders directly though at some point. Maybe tomorrow if it's not raining. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181029/4801800ed6b9222947e0c3654eeb2918.jpg

[trayson]

Many will tell you that it's silly not to do anti-freeze. IF you do, you need to be sure that either the thermostat is pulled or the engine is up to temp to ensure it's getting into the areas behind the thermostat. OR they say that you DRAIN first completely, then fill with anti-freeze. This seems the best suggestion.

Personally I subscribe to the "drain completely, there's nothing left to freeze" camp. The downside to this is that the Pro-antifreeze camp will say that the antifreeze makes it so your empty block isn't getting corrosion.

If I was going to use antifreeze, I'd add a flush pro valve or intert a brass ball valve Tee so you can tap the garden hose into the intake line. No way I'm going to mess with a plunger whatever setup. Sure the flush pro is expensive (my boat already had one) but it's dirt cheap to add a brass ball valve tee so you simply connect the hose and turn the lever.

[Shoebox]

Many will tell you that it's silly not to do anti-freeze. IF you do, you need to be sure that either the thermostat is pulled or the engine is up to temp to ensure it's getting into the areas behind the thermostat. OR they say that you DRAIN first completely, then fill with anti-freeze. This seems the best suggestion. That's what I did. Worked great.


Personally I subscribe to the "drain completely, there's nothing left to freeze" camp. The downside to this is that the Pro-antifreeze camp will say that the antifreeze makes it so your empty block isn't getting corrosion. That's fine if you live in an area where you don't regularly get below-zero weather. I look at it as cheap insurance, and the mechanic at the marina puts antifreeze in all the boats he winterizes. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.


If I was going to use antifreeze, I'd add a flush pro valve or intert a brass ball valve Tee so you can tap the garden hose into the intake line. No way I'm going to mess with a plunger whatever setup. Sure the flush pro is expensive (my boat already had one) but it's dirt cheap to add a brass ball valve tee so you simply connect the hose and turn the lever.That would be a great solution. However, the fake-a-lake worked great and was easy to do, and I don't have a bucket of antifreeze inside my boat.

[Dom08]

So if we use the garden hose to bring the boat up to temp we can shut it down and put the hose into a bucket of antifreeze and it will suck it in and we can run that into the system?

Since the garden hose should prime the system

[Shoebox]

So if we use the garden hose to bring the boat up to temp we can shut it down and put the hose into a bucket of antifreeze and it will suck it in and we can run that into the system?

Since the garden hose should prime the systemYes, but then the antifreeze will be diluted with water. Better to drain the water out. Took me about an hour, having never done it before. Probably half that next time.

[MLA]

So if we use the garden hose to bring the boat up to temp we can shut it down and put the hose into a bucket of antifreeze and it will suck it in and we can run that into the system?

I do not recommend this method, as you end up with a diluted mixture in the block, thats impossible to predict its protection level. A good portion of the A/F is going to divert right to the exhaust. What does enter the block, will mix with the water. You wont get a wall of A/F that pushes the water out.

Drain all the water first, then induce the A/F if you feel its still needed.

As to corrosion protection, that depends on what type marine/RV antifreeze you use. Some are intended for fresh water systems that are 99% plastic and rubber.

[larry_arizona]

Use marine AF propylene glycol. Avoid RV alcohol based AF intended for RV and marine plumbing systems.




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[MJHSupra]

Use marine AF propylene glycol. Avoid RV alcohol based AF intended for RV and marine plumbing systems.


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^^^ Use this ^^^

This was an interesting read: http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=70342

[deerfield]

Dom08 - Drain all water. Then, fill with antifreeze. Take a look at this. Did it every year for 2007 Outback. Lived in Midwest where temps could dip below zero. Probably not necessary, but my effort to give the engine best care I could and avoid corrosion. - Deerfield


https://forum.moomba.com/album.php?albumid=320

[DOCDRS]

So if we use the garden hose to bring the boat up to temp we can shut it down and put the hose into a bucket of antifreeze and it will suck it in and we can run that into the system?

Since the garden hose should prime the system

NO do not do this.....it will not work.....the thermostat lets hot coolant out... most of the antifreeze will bypass the block and flow right out the exhaust mani. What little that does enter the block will be so diluted with block water you will have no freeze protection.

[Dom08]

Maybe i should just bring it in to get it done, im not catching on...
Maybe ill just subdcribe to the drain the system club

[Birdman]

NO do not do this.....it will not work.....the thermostat lets hot coolant out... most of the antifreeze will bypass the block and flow right out the exhaust mani. What little that does enter the block will be so diluted with block water you will have no freeze protection.

I’ve done this for 4 years in northern Saskatchewan never had a problem I usually run the boat dry for about 10 seconds to get as much of the water out before putting 12 jugs of anti freeze through


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[Birdman]

I’ve done this for 4 years in northern Saskatchewan never had a problem I usually run the boat dry for about 10 seconds to get as much of the water out before putting 12 jugs of anti freeze through


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And when the thermostat is closed that’s when it’s bypassing the block the thermostat open is pulling cold water from the lake through the block to cool


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[DOCDRS]

And when the thermostat is closed that’s when it’s bypassing the block the thermostat open is pulling cold water from the lake through the block to cool


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not quite, Water flows from the impeller thru the water distribution housing above the thermostat over to the j tube and down to the circulating pump that then circulates it into the block. Excess water bypasses the pump and flows to the exhaust manifolds. Water only flows out of the block thru the thermostat if the block is up to or above 160. Take off your thermostat housing and look at how water is directed. Your block is living on borrowed time

please tell me how the hot hot water exits the block in your scenario if the cool water is being sucked in thru the thermostat?

to make it simple to understand.....what do you think would happen to the thermostat as soon as anything less than 160 degrees passed thru it? I'll give you the answer.... Close!...... and how much antifreeze do you then think will enter the block?........

[Birdman]

not quite, Water flows from the impeller thru the water distribution housing above the thermostat over to the j tube and down to the circulating pump that then circulates it into the block. Excess water bypasses the pump and flows to the exhaust manifolds. Water only flows out of the block thru the thermostat if the block is up to or above 160. Take off your thermostat housing and look at how water is directed. Your block is living on borrowed time

please tell me how the hot hot water exits the block in your scenario if the cool water is being sucked in thru the thermostat?

to make it simple to understand.....what do you think would happen to the thermostat as soon as anything less than 160 degrees passed thru it? I'll give you the answer.... Close!...... and how much antifreeze do you then think will enter the block?........

So in your understanding of a cooling system is that the thermostat opens flushes the block and closes? And as for the sucking through the thermostat I’m not sure where you got that from never said that it was at the beginning of the cooling loop and lastly a thermostat opens and closes at 100 not 160


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[DOCDRS]

So in your understanding of a cooling system is that the thermostat opens flushes the block and closes? And as for the sucking through the thermostat I’m not sure where you got that from never said that it was at the beginning of the cooling loop and lastly a thermostat opens and closes at 100 not 160


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The tstat begins to open at 160 and is not fully open until approx 170 degrees F. If you think its 100 whether celcius or farhenheit , and that the thermostat can be open or closed at that same temperature you need to do a little more reading and educate yourself. There is no flushing, the thermostat maintains the engine coolant temperature around 160+ with a 160 degree thermostat by allowing appropriate amounts of hot coolant out and cooler coolant in on a continuous basis dependant on the cooling requirements of the motor. You said " the thermostat open is pulling cold water from the lake through the block to cool
Your right, you said pulling not sucking. The thermostat does not pull cold water(coolant) is what I should have said instead of sucking. (Pulling is a synonym of sucking but sucking is not a synonym of pulling so I was incorrect in that assumption and appologize for that) So in your scenario how does hot coolant exit the block if an open thermostat is pulling it in?
The impeller pulls water from the lake and pushes it up to the distribution housing where it goes to either to the exhaust manifold or the circulating pump where it will then be pushed or circulated into the block only if the coolant temperature is above 160 and the thermostat has allowed some of the 160+ coolant out of the block.

[larry_arizona]

I don’t have an open loop system, but why not simply remove the thermostat to make filling with antifreeze immediately versus waiting for it to warm up?

Drain water, remove Tstat, pull AF in, then add Tstat back in before next season.


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[MLA]

but why not simply remove the thermostat to make filling with antifreeze immediately versus waiting for it to warm up?

The empty block will fill on its own, when you restart engine with the A/F sucking in. No need to split a gasket.

[DOCDRS]

The empty block will fill on its own, when you restart engine with the A/F sucking in. No need to split a gasket.

+1^^^^^^^^^^^

[Dom08]

We need a how to video on how to do this for AF

[iwannagofast]

For the pro a/f guys... what a/f is everyone using? I keep seeing mention of the rv/marine a/f but those seem to be for potable water systems not your engine.


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[Dom08]

How to tell if you have catalytic converters?
I would like to use fogging oil for the cylinders for winter storage. Best to just fire it into the cylinders directly through the spark plugs?

[DOCDRS]

You will have oxygen sensors with wires on the exhaust manifold.

[katelyn]

waiting for an answer too

[SorryCharlie]

I drain the water and fill antifreeze with the Indmar Sea Strainer Pro, is this the correct way to winterize?
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