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.