How to winterize an inboard boat motor? Top tips for winterizing an inboard boat motor

Do you know how to winterize an inboard boat motor? These devices are usually maintained during the winter months so that they can function after these harsh times. So what is the correct way to do it? Can it be easily implemented?

In this post, Scott Ewart will walk you through the basics of how to winterize an inboard motor on a boat. Besides that, we also give you some top tips for winterizing an inboard boat motor. Now, are you ready to explore this helpful guide? If so, let’s get started!

How to winterize an inboard boat motor?

Prepare tools and equipment

We will need to prepare some tools and equipment to accomplish this process:

• Manual instruction
• Antifreeze
• Jumper cables
• Torque wrench
• Pipe wrench
• Water source; a faucet
• Hammer
• Hose
• Teflon tape
• Engine oil filter and cleaning materials
• Safety glasses

Step 1: Fill up the gas tank

Fill the engine’s tank with an appropriate amount of gasoline. Be sure to use unleaded if possible. However, lead-free fuel is also available. This choice is usually cheaper than its predecessor, but it still gives the same amount of power as traditional fuels.

It is very advised that you have it completely full. When the fuel tank remains at a consistent level of gasoline throughout the season, it is impossible for air to enter and cause damage. This becomes particularly essential during the winter months when temperatures may be low. Thus allow potential intruders access to sensitive areas of your boat. When the temperature outside begins to rise, it is essential that you allow sufficient space for expansion. Don’t forget to leave some room in the fuel tank!

Step 2: Add stabilizer to inhibit accumulation

If you are a seasoned boater, then chances are the thought of needing to winterize your engine may seem daunting—especially if it is an inboard motor. But don’t panic! These are steps to help you do that:

To prevent varnish from building up in the fuel lines, carburetors,… you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions. For example, you should fill the tank with gasoline and adding a fuel stabilizer as instructed in the owner’s manual. You also need to replace your gasoline filter-water separator filter element as soon as possible.

One ounce of stabilizer is typically sufficient to treat 10 gallons of gas. The formulation keeps fuel fresh and allows it to ignite after the winter months. This is critical for preserving the overall condition of your boat!

Step 3: Let the engine warm

By warming up the engine, you can stop corrosion and other damage from happening over time. Connect your water hose to a supply and ensure that the motor flusher or muff is in place. If your boat’s water intake fails, be aware that engine damage could ensue.

Check the muff for any flow before turning on the ignition; once activated, start observing temperature and rpm metrics as well. These should become an ongoing monitoring process once underway with engine operation.

Engine revs should not exceed 1500. If you speed up the engine, your hose won’t be able to handle the extra water needed when running at full throttle. Lastly, make sure your boat is at its normal operating temperature before turning off the engine. It will help you boat to avoid problems with overheating.

Step 4: Drain all engine fluids

Fully drain all engine fluids. Remove the petcocks on engines and flip them outward like a valve or faucet. Utilizing this mechanism, one can conveniently empty out any residual engine fuel. In addition to boat systems that may require draining, make sure you don’t forget about other components as well.

Step 5: Putting antifreeze in engines

Put antifreeze to the engine blocks

After draining the fluid from the engine, you will continue adding antifreeze to the engine blocks. This will help you to prevent the buildup of ice on these vital parts and will ultimately prolong the life of your engine.

Antifreeze is used as an engine coolant in cars, trucks, boats, and buses. The main ingredient of antifreeze is usually ethylene glycol, an odorless, sweet-tasting chemical

Source: https://portal.ct.gov/

Put antifreeze to stern drive

To put antifreeze to stern drive of the boat, you should start by turning on the freshwater. Connecting it to a motor flusher, and starting your boat’s engine. So that the thermostat may open and allow coolant to flow throughout the whole engine, let the engine warm up to operating temperature. The gasoline stabilizer needs to circulate through all fuel lines and the carburetors or injectors; therefore, warming up the engine is crucial.

A stern drive for an inboard engine mounted in a boat, the stern drive having all of the sensitive bearings inboard of the boat to protect them from water damage, and a screw type trim system mounted on the inside of the boat transom

Source: https://patents.google.com/

Step 6: Application of fogging oil to the engine

In the next step, you fill a 5-gallon bucket to complete the operation. Transfer the hose to the bucket while sealing the inlet faucet.

Watch for liquid in the empty bucket and antifreeze leaking out of the exhaust when the boat’s engine is idle. 30 seconds will pass, or until the bucket is almost dry. Then, start misting the carburetor.

Spray the oil mist freely. If the high-horsepower engines rattle and the low-horsepower engines even stall, it is not a problem. After the antifreeze tank is completely dry and you see white smoke, turn off the engine and reconnect the wire to the seacock.

Instead, you can perform a step-by-step mission to remove each spark plug one by one. Subsequently, you can liberally douse the engine’s combustion chamber with mist oil after the removal of any plugs.

Step 7: Changing the engine’s oil and oil filter

Now that the engine is warmed up, the next job is to change the engine’s oil and replace the oil filter.

Because the old, dirty oil contains contaminants and acids that will harm the engine during the lay-up.

Change the oil in the transmission too, for similar reasons. Changing the oil while it’s warm helps drain all the contaminants and gunk away with the oil.

Step 8: Carry out the boat inspection

Check the exhaust system

Detach the exhaust from the manifold or the water lift muffler. Examine the exhaust system and hose for rust and carbon buildup. Eliminate surface contaminants prior to winterizing your vessel.

Examine the raw water injection pipe for debris or scaling. Moreover, if you investigate them, please consider removing them.

Check the hoses carefully

Carefully inspect all hoses, scrutinizing them for signs of softness, bulging, or cracking. For optimal performance and safety, it is essential to focus your attention on the hot side of exhaust and cooling systems. Research should be done on the clamps that are being used. Making sure they are securely fastened and looking for signs of corrosion can help keep this from happening again.

Seal all the cracks in the openings

In the event you detect any fissures, be sure to seal them up! The presence of cracks and punctures makes it possible for water and moist condensation to accumulate.

Check your air intake and your exhaust outputs to make sure they are working properly. Tape of any kind can be used to fix them.

Step 9: Clean, dry, and store the boat

Determine that everything is in working condition and that all parts of the boat have completely dried. Check to see that there is no trace of the fluid that was drained from the engine. Do your best to be as thorough as you possibly can, since they will inflict considerable damage.

When covering the boat, make sure that the lid fits tightly to prevent water from entering. If there is any moisture or condensation inside the shell, this increases the possibility of spoilage in colder weather.

Finally, you should consider purchasing a boat cover. This keeps unwanted things from getting inside the boat and keeps small animals and insects that live on the boat from getting inside. Reminder: Choose a boat cover that fits the whole boat.

That all steps to how to winterize my inboard boat motor. After ensuring that everything is free of moisture, it is time to cover everything and store it for the winter. You should know “how are boat engine hours calculated” to protect your boat.

Top tips for winterizing an inboard boat motor

There are some vital advice to help you solve the problem “how do you winterize an inboard boat motor”:

• If the vessel is moored in the water, it’s crucial to ensure that the stuffing box packing is tightened adequately to eradicate any seepage.
• Check the engine mounts carefully to make sure that the rubber parts that hold the engine in place are in perfect shape. Also, you should check the boat’s fuse box, so where is the fuse box on a boat? It is one of the most important parts for your boat.
• Gently scrub and lubricate all grease points within the engine.
• Loosen the control cables from their housing, then lubricate the ends.
• When storing your battery, ensure that it is fully charged, and then keep it inside.
• Maintain an open cover on the engine so that there is adequate airflow.
• To prevent the growth of mold and mildew, installing a dehumidifier can be a good idea.
• Add some bug spray and mothballs inside the boat to keep the bugs away.
• Check the usage time of the engine to change the equipment accordingly. So, how many hours on a boat engine is a lot? Reading here to know more information.

FAQs How to winterize an inboard boat motor?

How much antifreeze do I need to winterize a boat with an inboard motor?

You’ll need a five-gallon bucket and enough antifreeze to winterize the engine and pipes (at least two gallons). You may need a buddy to put antifreeze to the bucket if your engine uses a lot.

Is fogging a boat’s engine essential?

Fogging a boat engine is optional but recommended. Gasoline stabilizers can lessen long-term storage concerns, but they are not guaranteed. Fogging oil is a cheap technique to safeguard your idle boat engine.

Can sea foam be used as a fogging oil?

To safeguard your engine while it is in storage, fog engines and cover the spark plug chambers with sea foam spray. There are no strong detergents or abrasives in Sea Foam Spray. Make your engine run more efficiently and sustainably!

Is it alright to overfill antifreeze?

The majority of the time, extra coolant is discharged through a pipe that is designated as an overflow. If anything like this has occurred, you will most likely find a pool of coolant below your boat. In the worst of all possible worlds, overfilling your antifreeze tank might cause electrical damage to your boat if the overflow makes contact with the wiring within the engine.

Conclusion

In short, how to winterize an inboard boat motor? If you live in a cold climate, it is important to winterize your boat motor. This means properly storing and protecting your engine so that it will run smoothly during the cold months. We have already provided the full procedure about the best way inboard boat motor to winterize in the above article. Hopefully, this information from justaddwater.bda.com is helpful for you! If you have any questions, leave a comment below!