Engine Winterisation - freshwater through engine, how to do it.?

[hoped4]

Previously we, put fresh water through the engine before being towed to the lift out. How, and at what point, do you do it when you motor to the lift out? Pour it Direct from a bucket into the top of the strainer?

 

[Rafiki]

Yes, you can pour direct, but it's surprising how much water it takes - you will need plenty of watering cans full if you have more than a 100m to go.
Depending on where your exhaust exits the stern it is possible to rig up a bucket to catch the exhaust water. The bucket needs a hose fixed to the bottom ( cheap plastic fittings) then other end of hose fixed to the water pump. You then have a closed loop of fresh water. It is surprising how far the water pump will pull the water if you prime the hose first.
Surely you are going to add antifreeze for the winter?

 

[neil_s]

I connect the cooling water pump to the galley water pump with a short length of hose. I know I need about 40 litres in the tank to get to the boatyard lift out.
If you get it right, the boat's fresh water system is drained down, the engine is flushed through and the exhaust hose is blown dry all in one go. Just need to drain the cylinder jacket and it's all done!

 

[PerformanceSailor]

I installed one of these "two way" seacocks with its ability to draw in outside water for engine cooling or valve it over and draw in anti-freeze for winterizing. I use the inexpensive pink "RV antifreeze" for winterizing and it takes about 3 quarts. That protects the whole system from thru hull, thru the strainer and heat exchanger, and also the water lift muffler.

Hope the link works....
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/document.do?docId=990

You can probably find them at a nearby chandler.

 

[VicS]

I installed one of these "two way" seacocks with its ability to draw in outside water for engine cooling or valve it over and draw in anti-freeze for winterizing. I use the inexpensive pink "RV antifreeze" for winterizing and it takes about 3 quarts. That protects the whole system from thru hull, thru the strainer and heat exchanger, and also the water lift muffler.
Hope the link works....
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/document.do?docId=990

You can probably find them at a nearby chandler.

But if using a propylene glycol based antifreeze be sure to use one intended for use as an engine coolant not one merely intended to prevent an RV water system from freezing because the latter may not contain the corrosion inhibitors which are one of the reasons for flushing the seawater system with antifreeze

 

[knuterikt]

We do the winterisation ashore fresh water and antifreeze through the water filter.

 

[wooslehunter]

I do it ashore. Take the hose off the raw water pump & connect another to a bucket. Put a hose pipe in the bucket & run for as long as I want. The hose pipe has a valve on the end so I can adjust the flow to match the demand from the engine. Once I'm done, I switch off the hose. Then add antifreeze as the last of the water is sucked up & shut off the engine before it goes dry.

Then 2 more actions: oil & raw water impeller. Drain the oil with a sump pump while it's warm, replace the filter & refill with fresh. Remove the raw water impeller so it doesn't sit in the same place for six months. Replace in the spring with a new one if required.

 

[PerformanceSailor]

But if using a propylene glycol based antifreeze be sure to use one intended for use as an engine coolant not one merely intended to prevent an RV water system from freezing because the latter may not contain the corrosion inhibitors which are one of the reasons for flushing the seawater system with antifreeze

Since this is all about replacing outside water destined only to travel thru the heat exchanger, I am not understanding what corrosion inhibitors you refer to. Protecting the raw water side on a "fresh water cooled" engine has no connection with the internal cooling passages inside the engine.
Or I misunderstand what was said.
Possible.. or Likely...

 

[vyv_cox]

Since this is all about replacing outside water destined only to travel thru the heat exchanger, I am not understanding what corrosion inhibitors you refer to. Protecting the raw water side on a "fresh water cooled" engine has no connection with the internal cooling passages inside the engine.

I agree. On the indirectly cooled Yanmars the heat exchanger and exhaust manifold are stainless steel, at the top of the engine where they will drain immediately. Other than the pump everything else is rubber. Removing the impeller drains the lot, there is nothing that needs either antifreeze protection or corrosion inhibition.

I flush my engine through ashore, tipping 11 litres of fresh water from one of our bottles into the Vetus strainer, after closing the seacock.

 

[NormanS]

I do it ashore. Take the hose off the raw water pump & connect another to a bucket. Put a hose pipe in the bucket & run for as long as I want. The hose pipe has a valve on the end so I can adjust the flow to match the demand from the engine. Once I'm done, I switch off the hose. Then add antifreeze as the last of the water is sucked up & shut off the engine before it goes dry.

Then 2 more actions: oil & raw water impeller. Drain the oil with a sump pump while it's warm, replace the filter & refill with fresh. Remove the raw water impeller so it doesn't sit in the same place for six months. Replace in the spring with a new one if required.

There's not a lot of point in changing the oil if you don't run the engine afterwards. It means that the bearing surfaces are still contaminated with the old oil, and all that lovely clean new oil is just sitting in the sump.

 

[JanZ]

After lifting I remove "downstream" hose from raw water filter, pop it into basic cheap antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor, start engine and run till bucket almost empty. I change engine oil maybe an hour or so from boatyard so no chance to build up corroding acids and sufficient time to properly coat all internals.

 

[Blue_mischief]

I do it ashore. Take the hose off the raw water pump & connect another to a bucket. Put a hose pipe in the bucket & run for as long as I want. The hose pipe has a valve on the end so I can adjust the flow to match the demand from the engine. Once I'm done, I switch off the hose. Then add antifreeze as the last of the water is sucked up & shut off the engine before it goes dry.

Then 2 more actions: oil & raw water impeller. Drain the oil with a sump pump while it's warm, replace the filter & refill with fresh. Remove the raw water impeller so it doesn't sit in the same place for six months. Replace in the spring with a new one if required.

+1 plus slacken alternator belt, remove air filter and exhaust hose from engine and seal both these with plastic bags and rubber bands. Change engine anode if necessary.