why heat the engine bay over winter?

MickJ

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Why all the concern? Why are boat engines different from car/truck engines? I am having my boat out of the water for 4 months, and the engine/leg professionally winterised, but no engine bay heating. Am I heading for disaster??

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Renegade_Master

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If boat is in water (inboard shaft driven) the engine is surrounded by water from either the river or sea as part of the cooling system yes. This is apart from the collant in the tank. If this freezes then engine block can crack

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jhr

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Shouldn't be an issue if you're out of the water and winterised (but check the antifreeze strength in the freshwater side of the cooling system if it has one). Same as a car, basically, as you say. Those talking about heaters are either keeping their boats in commission, with cooling system undrained, or trying to keep condensation at bay (separate but related problem).

I think?

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MickJ

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But if the winterisation is done properly, and they check the anti freeze in the fresh water coolant, its the same as any other engine, correct? I wouldn't dream of heating my diesel car engine even if I was leaving it for a few weeks, or even months, so why a boat engine?

This isn't an argument for/against, just a concerned newbie wondering if I really have something else to worry about...

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tcm

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how many boat engfines suffer this?

I agree, cept it would have to be very very very sodding cold, for quite a while, for this to happen.

I belive they plug in heaters overnight in arctic north (sweden? canada?) in cars and truck parked outside.

I have not heard of someone saying oh darnit, block cracked over the winter, time for a new engine...

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Col

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Agreed.
With the salty air, codensation can rust the fan belt pulleys, causing the belt to shred.
With reference to the comparison with cars. Cars engine bays are open to the air so condensation build up is not really an issue, and cars aren't normally left outside for several months without being touched, also cars haven't got a raw water side to their cooling systems.
So really, there is no comparison.

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BrendanS

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If it's been professionally winterised, there is no need for heating.

The heating is for people like myself who have the boat out of the water, and non winterised (it's on a dry berth and I am using it throughout the winter so cannot have in winterised)

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pistonbroke

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Re: how many boat engfines suffer this?

Quote, "I have not heard of someone saying oh darnit, block cracked over the winter, time for a new engine... "

Well, you ought to get out more then, I replaced two motors at the start of this season for customers who didn't think it was worth winterising. One was a cracked block, the other had stuck valves due to corrosion. The valve problem would have been a cheap repair if he hadn't tried to run it, but he wiped out the cam, and having replaced it himself, (without cleaning out the oilways etc) he then took out the crank and two rods!!!!

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Jim44

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Re: how many boat engfines suffer this?

I sometimes wonder if people on this forum actually have a boat, or just pretend they do?

23M ???!!!! mmmmmmm

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Renegade_Master

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Not the same as a car engine, well the coolant system is, but whereas a car engines "coolant water" is cooled by air via the rad, the boat cannot have a rad cos the engines arent exposed to 50-60mph air, hence the need to have sea water circulating the engine body to in turn cool the coolant.
This is the water one seems streaming from the exhausts whilst going along.

Now it comes in throught the sea cocks and pipes round the engine then out again.
Well if this has not been "drained off" then the water is lying in the pipes as well as the engine. So freezing temperatures, (sustained for several nights I might add) could result in damage

As said elsewhere yours is stern drive, and out the water so no probs, mine last year, in the water at Penton Hook, whole marina frozen over solid , so engine room heaters were definately on.






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tcm

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Re: fair enough

my bio exaggerates, it's only 22.99 but called a 23.


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oldgit

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ReWhen we had proper winters.

Wonder what temp salt water freezes at.Need to take in chill factor as well ?
Never ever remember any body bothering take any sort of action regarding any of our old diesel workboats during even worst winters.Favorite trip to start reluctant engine was to heat inlet manifold with blowtorch or failing that some diesel soaked rags held next to air intake.Really posh people used that nice smelly stuff from a can.Think it was ether.

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Jim44

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Re: fair enough

Looks very nice, the boat behind you looks very close at that speed, did they take any pictures of your boat.....

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Divemaster1

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Re: how many boat engfines suffer this?

<I belive they plug in heaters overnight in arctic north (sweden? canada?) in cars and truck parked outside>

Yes they do .. pretty standard installation and is probably more for comfort (unless very far North) ... In Norway I used to have block heater & 300W fan heater starting 1 hr before leaving for work on my Nissan Patrol ... very nice indeed & if I go back again, I'd insist on having the car installed with similar...

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Oldhand

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I think the crux of the matter is in your statement "if winterisation is done properly". Most would probably consider opening the seawater drain-cock(s) until no more water comes out as adequate but I haven't heard of pipes and silencers being accessed and drained as a normal procedure by the pro's. How many people "blow-out" their fresh-water system hoses and remember to drain the calorifier? Can you be sure that the boat builder's engine installation hasn't defeated the engine designer's drainage system such that pockets of seawater remain in the cooling system?

OK so you are probably not at risk down to about -4C with seawater and if the boat is in the water, residual seawater may not be a problem in Southern England. However, if I were not heating the engine compartment I would be a lot more inquisitive about the winterisation process with the boat on the hard or afloat in colder parts of the country.

In Scandanavia I beleive it is normal to run anti-freeze solution through the seawater cooling system, thus any residual pockets of coolant shouldn't freeze and the solution provides some corrosion protection. I've tried this myself this winter for the first time in order to remove any uncertainty without disconnecting every pipe. However, I still use a little 80W tubular heater in the (small) engine compartment which cuts in below 5C to keep condesation at bay.

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