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Thread: Winterization

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    Pendleton IN
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    Default Winterization

    I have an 86 Supra Sunsport that I have a few questions about winterizing. I used to have a 92 IO Rinker Captiva that we just drained the block and rain antifreeze to the out drive and stabilized the fuel and we were good to go. I'm not real big on filling it all full on antifreeze since you have to worry about the thermostat opening up and the thought of any liquid in the block at all just makes me nervous. Any other things to drain other than the block and the exhaust manifolds? Any other tips or guys that do it without antifreeze and just drain all of it? anything will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    St. Louis
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    Default

    Check out this thread: https://forum.supraboats.com/showthr...=winterization

    There is one more drain on the elbow between the thermostat and the circulation pump (5 total drains).

    You'll want to check on the water pump impeller. Lots of folks change that every year.

    If you don't run antifreeze in the block, it might help to drain the plugs when the engine is nice and hot so the residual water steams off a bit. My understanding is that having antifreeze in there might keep the gaskets moist.

    I add the fuel stabilizer, get the engine warm, change the oil and oil filter, change the fuel filter, run the engine again, fog it, drain all the plugs, fill the block with antifreeze, pull the water pump, put the battery in the basement, wipe everything down, toss a box of dryer sheets in somewhere.

  3. #3
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    Sep 2015
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    how do you go about filling the block with antifreeze? Run the engine and do the 5 gallon bucket method?

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by jbousman88 View Post
    how do you go about filling the block with antifreeze? Run the engine and do the 5 gallon bucket method?
    That's the best way, yeah. In absence of a bucket or similar system, I've just taken hoses off here and there and filled them with antifreeze (the pink stuff). I do this with my heater, with the main water intake hose, and each of the hoses to the manifold from the thermostat housing. This is, of course, after draining out all the water via the 5 drain points mentioned above.

    But running the intake hose from a bucket filled with the pink stuff, until it comes out the exhaust, is a much better way.

  5. #5
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    Aug 2013
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    St. Louis
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    antifreeze.jpg
    I detach the hose from water pump and pour antifreeze into the thermostat. I'm pulling the water pump anyway.
    After 2 gallons or so I usually open the block drain a little to make sure there is pink coming out and I have a kid check the exhaust for pink coming out there too.
    If you pull antifreeze from a bucket and don't drain the block before hand, remember that you need to run enough into the block that the water in there is good and diluted.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
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    Knoxville TN
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    Quote Originally Posted by scottschmitt View Post
    After he is done with with the funnel, it doubles as a beer bong.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    107

    Default Avoiding a bursted block...

    Quote Originally Posted by scottschmitt View Post
    antifreeze.jpg
    I detach the hose from water pump and pour antifreeze into the thermostat. I'm pulling the water pump anyway.
    After 2 gallons or so I usually open the block drain a little to make sure there is pink coming out and I have a kid check the exhaust for pink coming out there too.
    If you pull antifreeze from a bucket and don't drain the block before hand, remember that you need to run enough into the block that the water in there is good and diluted.
    I am not really getting it.

    Are you running your engine without your water pump attached, and instead manually pouring water down the thermostat intake?
    If the engine is not running, unless it was really hot to begin with like 200 f, the thermostat would be closed.
    That means you would be pouring antifreeze-solution into the thermostat housing, through the by-pass hoses into the manifolds. Since the block would be full of water it would not go into the block.
    Therefore it will go out through the risers and out the exhaust.
    And little or no antifreeze would get into the block.

    Opening the block drain will allow the antifreeze to get down into the block but you cannot be sure that it would go everywhere in the engine and you will end up with a much more diluted solution of anti-freeze than you begun with.
    Since most use something like a 50/50, 40/60 or at least 30/70 mix of antifreeze/water and most seldom see temperatures of -20 F which would be the "bursting point" of a 30/70 mix I guess you are probably fine using this method. I would assume antifreeze would dilate slowly by itself without mixing and therefore even if you have 1 gallon of 50/50 anti-freeze in your manifolds that would travel down to the block by always trying to reach the most even solution? Like osmosis?
    This way you would have like a 20/80 mix in the end and even that gives you protection down to +10 F.

    However, this is really a risky way of doing it.

    You should always drain your block and your manifolds.
    Then you should add anti-freeze mix of whatever you deem adequate. We usually get like +10 F and sometimes, in extreme cases get down to -10 F. Like once a decade.
    I use something like 40/60...

    You can add this antifreeze by letting the engine suck it up or by pouring down the thermostat. As long as the block and manifolds are empty any way is okay.

    I like to do it like this:
    Disconnect my v-drive hose from the intake at the bottom of the boat.
    Put this hose so that it is bent upwards (towards the sky).
    Put a garden hose in the hose.
    Start engine, let it warm up.
    Once engine is nice and warm, shut it off.
    Drain the block by loosening the two plugs. Drain the manifolds by loosening the quick-connect on the hose between the manifolds.
    Drain the v-drive and transmission simply by taking the v-drive intake hose and pointing it down towards the bilge.
    Reinstall plugs, quick-connect hose and put the v-drive intake hose in upward position again.
    Pour anti-freeze mix into the hose using a funnel and start the engine. Continue pouring anti-freeze down the hose until you see antifreeze from your exhaust and shut off engine. Usually takes 4-5 gallons.
    While pouring the anti-freeze I usually have someone spraying fogging oil down the throat of my throttle body.

    This way you can be a lot more certain that the engine is full of a good mix of anti-freeze and you will protect the engine from corrosion.
    You should not leave it empty.

    Best of luck,
    Mike

  8. #8
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    Sep 2015
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    Pendleton IN
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    Silly question but the trans direct drive should not have any water that runs to it for any reason? (cooling or anything?) and which hose is the one i should be pouring the antifreeze down?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Guelph Ontario
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    The transmission has a water/oil heat ex-changer that is inline with the raw water intake. The transmission is cooled by circulating oil through that. There is no water in the tranny (unless something is terribly wrong)

  10. #10
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    Oct 2012
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    Guelph Ontario
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    Everyone has their own method, mine is to remove the thermostat and suck a bucket of antifreeze up the raw water intake, I have a separate hose that I connect to the intake side of the above mentioned heat exchanger, that way the impeller gets a good drink as well as the rest of the motor. I then pull all the drain plugs, and put it back together so it's ready for spring. I also do the fogging oil down the carb while running but I can't stall the motor so I just spray a bunch and shut it down. (this I do with the belt off the raw water pump)

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