Winterising VP KAD32 engines without starting them

[ralph s3]

Hi All, I have scoured the forums and haven’t been able to find the exact answer to my question. My boat is being lifted later this month and will be out of the water till the end of March. I haven’t winterised the engines yet as I will be driving the boat around to the lifting pontoon so I will need to winterise them once she is out of the water. I am not allowed to run or try to start the engines on the hard so my question relates to how can I get anti-freeze into the raw water cooling side of the KAD32 engines. I have read two ways of doing it so just wanted to check if anyone has a better idea.

1. Drain the engines, heat exchanger, oil cooler and charge air cooler as per the manual. Next, remove inlet pipe to the sea water pump and pour in antifreeze to fill the pipe to the drive. Next, remove the large rubber hose that goes onto the side of the exhaust elbow . Block the inlet and fill the filter basket with antifreeze which I hope will go through the whole system and expel any remaining water. Continue until I get the antifreeze coming out of the hose I took off the exhaust. If the antifreeze won't flow through the coolers I assume I could remove the rubber outlet hose on the bottom of the weed basket and raise it so it's higher than the engine then fill through so it will flow.
2. My second option would be the same as 1 except I would setup a pump in the same way one does to descale an engine using Rydlime. I.e. have a bucket full of anti-freeze and have a pump rigged up to circulate it thru the coolant pump outlet pipe and the pipe into the exhaust elbow.

This is the first time I will have winterised a boat without starting the engine so please let me know if there is a better way.

Thanks in advance..Ralph

 

[Momac]

Will you not have shore power to allow use of a tube heater in the engine bay and a thermostatic control for frost protection?

 

[ralph s3]

Will you not have shore power to allow use of a tube heater in the engine bay and a thermostatic control for frost protection?

Unfortunately not. I won't have access to shore power while she is ashore.

 

[scottie]

You don’t say where the location is which can make a difference

get your oil change done whist engines are hot
raw antti freeze in water strainer may possible
find out what time you can have between arrival at hoist and lift coordinate with lunch break?

 

[BB1]

Why don't you winterise it in the water prior to lifting?

 

[madabouttheboat]

Why don't you winterise it in the water prior to lifting?

This.

Or just drain the raw water side once out of the water.

 

[Greg2]

1. Drain the engines, heat exchanger, oil cooler and charge air cooler as per the manual.

If you do that properly then there shouldn’t be anything in the raw water system to freeze. One of the main reasons for running anti-freeze through the raw water system is that it is easier than draining the system.
.