How to Winterize?

CaptainCaveman

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19 Apr 2003
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I know its a little early but I have heard it mentioned a few times but how do you winterize your inboard engines? (mines petrol by the way) is it just a case of emptying the water storage tank, and filling the fuel tank...or is their a little more to it than that?

appriciated...CC

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Avocet

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I'm sure there's lots more to do but I basically (although mine's a diesel) change the oil BEFORE laying up (so the antioxidants are fresh), drain the cooling system, change the anodes, and that's it. I change the fuel filter before going back in. You don't say whether it is raw water cooled or whether it has a sealed cooling system. If it is sealed and has antifreeze in, I'd prefer to leave it full over the winter (but drain the salt water out of the heat exchanger and flush it with fresh water if possible). Some people also take their impeller out of the raw water pump. I never bother but I do turn the engine over by hand every month in winter because I live close by. If it's a petrol engine, you could consider taking the plugs out and putting a teaspoon full of oil down each plug hole BUT REMEMBER TO CRANK IT OVER WITH THE PLUGS OUT A FEW TIMES BEFORE YOU PUT THEM BACK IN otherwise you could cause some REALLY expensive damage!
It may also be worth giving the distributor cap and plug leads a good squirt of WD40.


Good luck!

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