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  1. #1

    Default Raptor Winterization Story

    So this was the first year with my 2015 Moomba Mondo with the new Raptor motor. I was actually looking forward to winterizing the boat because I have researched every forum on the internet, read the manual twelve times, and felt very prepared. Boy was I wrong! Quick note, I have winterized my 2004 Moomba Outback for the past several years, so I was no spring chicken.

    First step should have been the most easy... Change the oil. Sounds simple right... Wrong! I quickly located the oil drain line clipped to the motor and unscrewed the cap and stuck it out the back of the boat (which was not easy) over the top of the wakeplate. No oil. Strange I thought, so then I pulled the boat up our little hill on the driveway and oil slowly started coming out, but very very slowly. (yes the motor was warm). More on this later...

    Next I went to locate the drain points (all five of them) I found the two gold hex nuts on the manifolds but you will need a socket wrench to get them off due to lack of room. Drained those, next I found the little blue plastic plug on the heat exchange and pulled that out, then I located the other gold hex nut close to the heat exchanger on the left side of the motor and drained that. Now the fun part... The Indmar manual (bless their souls) has a very clear description of a hose running from both manifolds to a T connector. Let me save you some time, there is no "F"ing hose! The manual is wrong, let me say that again, the manual is wrong (Hey Indmar, I would like that hour of my life back please). Anyway, the real drain point is below your transmission (circle) in a very tight spot that you will need a very large socket to get at. I managed to use a wrench but only because I didn't have the proper socket.

    Now... Some people say to replace the impeller every year, the manual says inspect, everyone (I think) says pull it out over winter. I always did in my other boat. But the wonderful people at indmar have the water pump in a location that makes only gumby able to get at the impeller so you are basically doing this blind. I was able to remove the plate that covers the impeller but how the hell would I get that thing out? If you have an answer, I am all ears because that led to me rattling off a few words that you can't use in church if you know what I mean.

    Back to the oil situation, oil has stopped coming out and I have all of about a quart in the pan. NOT GOOD. So now I am perplexed and try using a pump that I have to pump it out but that doesn't work either. Of course by now the oil is no longer hot so I am getting more and more frustrated. (Quick note) I called Indmar today and can't believe what they told me.... "Hook up a shop vac" and suck it out! I said how, they said "Use duck tape". You can't make this stuff up!

    So at this point I am ready to call it a wasted morning when I remember I have to winterize the ballast pumps. So, following the wonderful advice I had received on forums I poured some RV anti-freeze into a funnel connected to a hose stuffed into the overflow port. I put in about three good cup fulls and instructed my happy helpful wife (at least before) to remove the hose and SPLASH! Covered in anti freeze as if the pink shit didn't even go into the pumps. Repeat this X 3 and you have one very unhappy wife and one confused boat owner.

    Needless to say I was not a happy customer, thought I had this figured out but realized I have a lot to learn. Any help would be appreciated.... Also, can you recommend a good marriage counslor?

    UPDATE>>> While I was writing this Indmar called me back. Said to hook up a pump to the end of the oil drain hose and pump the oil out of the motor. Also, said to remove and replace the impeller every year or every 300 hours if you don't winterize. Also said to fog the cylinders but make sure the motor isn't running or it will damage the catalytic converter. Also said Moomba removes the missing hose due to space around the motor.
    2015 Moomba Mondo (Surf Edition)
    Ford Raptor 400
    Roswell Aviator Tower
    AutoFlow Upgraded to Gen 2
    Added JL Audio Amp & Subwoofer

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Snellville, GA & Lake Sinclair
    Posts
    8,419

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alerberg View Post
    Any help would be appreciated....
    Pay your dealer to winterize it.

    These threads crack me up every season. Folks here spend thousands on stereos and other mods, but can't seem to bring themselves to spending a few hundred dollars to ensure their boat is going to be safe over the winter. The $200-$300 for the dealer to winterize and take the risk for replacing a cracked block, is well worth it to me.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    704

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    It's not really that simple for everyone. I pulled my plugs and winterized the ballast myself but, I did take my boat in to the dealer this year to do the rest of the.winterization and 100 hr inspection, I don't plan to next year. Dealer proximity adds to the cost in a hurry. For example. My dealer is a 2.5 hr drive each direction. That means I've got to burn a day each way traveling plus the $300 in fuel to make a couple trips to the dealer and back. The whole ordeal will end up costing me around $700.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
    2016 Craz.
    Enzo bags.

  4. #4

    Default

    Hey Drew... If it was 200-300 dollars I would do it in a heart beat... However, last years cost was $550 for standard winterization (no wrap or anything special). On top of that, it was an hour drive to the dealership, and another 2 hours home because of heavy traffic. To top it off, some crazy guy was chasing his Dad down the road and fired off a couple of shots only seconds after I left an intersection. Needless to say, it is still worth the extra effort to do my own winterizing.... and even though I bitched about it, I still enjoy working on and learning how my boat works. What I don't enjoy, is when the manual has wrong information, or if something doesn't work as advertised, such as the oil drain problem. The one thing I can guarantee, is that next year it will take 1/2 the time, and if anything goes wrong with my boat, I will have a better understanding of my systems and motor so I can diagnose the problem faster, and get my boat back on the water while you are sitting in the waiting room at the dealership staring at the ceiling : )
    2015 Moomba Mondo (Surf Edition)
    Ford Raptor 400
    Roswell Aviator Tower
    AutoFlow Upgraded to Gen 2
    Added JL Audio Amp & Subwoofer

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Snellville, GA & Lake Sinclair
    Posts
    8,419

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alerberg View Post
    if anything goes wrong with my boat, I will have a better understanding of my systems and motor so I can diagnose the problem faster, and get my boat back on the water while you are sitting in the waiting room at the dealership staring at the ceiling : )
    The only time I'm sitting at the dealership is to sign papers for the next boat. I change the oil in the boat on the lift and if I need anything more than that for service, I have Atlanta Marine come and pick the boat up from my house.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quick Update: Hopefully this will be useful to others...

    Following the advice from Indmar, I stuck the oil drain hose out the aft plug hole above the wakeplate, then attached my oil pump to the end of the oil drain hose and sucked the oil out of the motor. It worked perfectly and will be my process moving forward. I was able to get all 6 quarts of oil out with no problem. Next I disconnected the two ballast bag hoses by sliding down the red quick disconnect and placed a large funnel in the hose on the floor to pour in some RV anti-freeze. Then I ran the pump to dump ballast and it sucked it through the pump and out through the bottom of the boat. Did that to both the left and the right side. I didn't get time to do the center internal ballast yet but will figure that out by reading more on this forum. Hope this helps other people... Would have saved me a lot of time if I had this info ahead of time...
    2015 Moomba Mondo (Surf Edition)
    Ford Raptor 400
    Roswell Aviator Tower
    AutoFlow Upgraded to Gen 2
    Added JL Audio Amp & Subwoofer

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Posts
    503

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    Just to make sure I'm clear, pouring the antifreeze down thru the floor quick disconnects drains that fluid into the hard tank below the floor. Then running the pumps on empty sucks that antifreeze through the pumps and out the thru-hull on the bottom of the boat, correct? This then would help evacuate most of the water in the lines, and whatever is left, is a diluted mix of antifreeze and water, correct? Seems like the same method could be used for the IBS, by pouring the antifreeze down through one of the drain lines in the bow.

    I have been trying to determine a good way to ensure all the water is away from those impellars without having to remove hoses. It seems whenever I remove a hose, it ends up being a spot for a leak the next year!

    Quote Originally Posted by Alerberg View Post
    Quick Update: Hopefully this will be useful to others...

    Following the advice from Indmar, I stuck the oil drain hose out the aft plug hole above the wakeplate, then attached my oil pump to the end of the oil drain hose and sucked the oil out of the motor. It worked perfectly and will be my process moving forward. I was able to get all 6 quarts of oil out with no problem. Next I disconnected the two ballast bag hoses by sliding down the red quick disconnect and placed a large funnel in the hose on the floor to pour in some RV anti-freeze. Then I ran the pump to dump ballast and it sucked it through the pump and out through the bottom of the boat. Did that to both the left and the right side. I didn't get time to do the center internal ballast yet but will figure that out by reading more on this forum. Hope this helps other people... Would have saved me a lot of time if I had this info ahead of time...
    2015 Supra SC400
    08 LSV - Sold
    Go big, or go home.

  8. #8

    Default

    I apologize but I don't know the answer to that question because you are referring to the internal ballast system and I haven't done that part yet. I winterized the two ballast bags on the left and right of the engine. I wasn't sure about the center internal ballast system yet so I was waiting till someone else chimed in with the best way to do it....
    2015 Moomba Mondo (Surf Edition)
    Ford Raptor 400
    Roswell Aviator Tower
    AutoFlow Upgraded to Gen 2
    Added JL Audio Amp & Subwoofer

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Kaukauna, WI - 3minutes from glass
    Posts
    2,132

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    Store it in a heated garage problem solved. Our boat stays 65* all winter and I am able to get some winter garage boating in.
    -Mark
    14 Mojo - 72 hours and growing
    02 Mobius LSV ---- Sold and always will be remembered as the one that started it all.

    "Hey you only live once"

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Park City, Utah
    Posts
    1,291

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    Quote Originally Posted by New Guy View Post
    Store it in a heated garage problem solved. Our boat stays 65* all winter and I am able to get some winter garage boating in.
    what if you lose power for a prolonged period of time? I have plans for a shop to be built for the boat and will be heated, just curious.
    2017 Centurion Ri237
    2013 Supra SA450 - Sold
    2006 Mobius LSV - Sold
    2004 Stingray 190LS - Sold
    2016 Nissan Titan XD - Tow Rig

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