How to winterize 3300scr

[SeanDavid1015]

Hello all, this is my first winter with my boat. I pulled it out of the water and it is being stored in a friends pole barn. I've never winterized a boat like this but I also know what needs to be taken care of, I think...anyways I have the twin 5.7's. So far I have found 4 drain plugs per motor, I drained them. Next I'm assuming I fire the motors and suck anti freeze in? How much can I expect each motor to hold. What's the process in winterize for the westerbeke gen? Lastly what's the best way to do the water system? I appreciate all the help here, please let me know if you have any pointers or I am missing anything. Thanks again!

Sean

[biggerseagar]

Welcome Sean ! If I could suggest.....

I could go through everything you ask and I would type my fingers off! Instead I'm going to recommend you purchase a Clymer book for your applications. They are for great for what you need to know on all these questions that you have. You can also get service manuals for what brand ( sounds like you have mercury brand engines and maybe out drives ?) You have .

If you have specific questions please send them our way but make sure you let us know exactly what you have.

It's December and you did not say where this boat is? So start draining your water system and hot water heater to start. Add about 10 gallons of pink stuff to the system. 6 gallons will go into the tank or buy a by-pass for it and only add 3 or 4 gallons. See the optionsame you have. Your head pumped out? Need a couple gallons for that.

Hopefully this will get you started Sean ...

Roger

[SeanDavid1015]

Thanks for the heads up. Yes I have the twin 350, 5.7 liter engines with bravo 3 outdrives. I went to Walmart and purchased antifreeze but I now realize I do NOT want the green kind (which I bought) and I'll need to return and purchase the RV pink kind. The boat is used at the lake of the ozarks in Missouri although it is being stored in Illinois. So a typical winter for this boat, definitely will be in freezing temps.

[shrew]

WATER
1) Empty the water tank
2) shut the hotwater heater off
3) drain the hotwater heater.

Option #1: Use an air compressor to blow out the lines (I don't like this method as small amounts of water could still pool at low points.

Option #2: Pour Propylene glycol into the water tank and open the taps until all are flowing with AF. It will take an additional 6 gallons to fill the hotwater heater unless you buy a bypass kit and bypass the water heater.

HEAD

1) Pump out head.
2) Pour propylene glycol into the head and flush back into the holding tank so there is some in the tank and the sanitation lines are full of AF

Airconditioner (If applicable)

1) Open Seacock and drain system.
2) I flush mine with propylene glycol

OUTDRIVE(S)

1) Drain drive lube
2) refill drive lube (from bottom with drive lube pump)


ENGINE

1) Change oil and filter

Winterization will depend on whether this is a raw-water cooled or closed cooling system.

for a closed cooling system, I hook muffs to the outdrive then to a hose to a small pump in a 5 gallon bucket. The pump is just to push propylene glycol (AF) up to the impellor (on a Bravo that is engine mounted). Once the exhaust discharge is flowing with all AF, I shut the whole thing down.

Fogging will depend on whether this is a carb or fuel injection. standard fogging for carb.
For Fuel injection, I mixe a little Store and Start/stable with some 2 stroke oil and pour that into the cool fuel module. No cool fuel, then you could temporarily set-up portable tank to draw from for winterization.

If you've never done this before, then I would suggest maybe getting someone who has to assist. Mistakes in this area can be costly.

[SeanDavid1015]

What about he westerbeke gen??

[biggerseagar]

SeanDavid sounds like you might be a little mechanically challenged and I mean no disrespect either. We all started out this way!

If you can get this far to a website you can google, I'm a big fan of this, all about a genny or for that matter anything else about your boat.

Or like what Shrew has suggested learn from a expert or find a mentor to show you how to do all this. But remember, one screw up , you could be replacing a engine or an outdrive , or water heater....etc. You spent a lot of money for that nice boat of yours ...don't cheap out on maintaining it.

Good luck

Roger

[mrt214]

Try You Tube. Great videos on all maintenance. Make sure the anti freeze is rated for engines, since it gets pretty cold in Illinois. You might try a West marine

[Derby Time]

This has been asleep for awhile, but it thought i would try vs. starting a new on same subject.

I've winterized many boats including 5.7 Mercs, but not with Bravo 2. I've drained the blocks, manifolds, power steering cooler, and poured antifreeze back into the water pump, and down into the risers.

I've never done a Bravo drive, so my question is regarding the inboard mounted water impeller. Does that have to be drained or does it kind of self drain? The manual does not mention anything.

Thank you for any assistance provided!

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by Derby Time

This has been asleep for awhile, but it thought i would try vs. starting a new on same subject.

I've winterized many boats including 5.7 Mercs, but not with Bravo 2. I've drained the blocks, manifolds, power steering cooler, and poured antifreeze back into the water pump, and down into the risers.

I've never done a Bravo drive, so my question is regarding the inboard mounted water impeller. Does that have to be drained or does it kind of self drain? The manual does not mention anything.

Thank you for any assistance provided!

In needs to be drained. Newer versions of the raw water pump have drain plugs. With the older version you can pull the hoses or run antifreeze through it using one of those I/O kits that hold up to 5 gallons of antifreeze and have a hose that connects to muffs.

[shrew]

I built a simple system to do this when I had an IO.

[MATERIALS]

1) outdrive muffs
2) one long garden hose
3) two 10' garden hose
4) a water spigot two way splitter (with GHT) with shutoffs.
5) 5 gallon bucket.

[WINTERIZATION PROCESS]

1) Connect the long garden hose to the water spigot
2) Connect the long garden hose to one leg of the water spigot splitter (side with shutoff)
3) Connect One short hose to the other side of the spigot splitter (side with shutoff)
4) Connect One short hose to the main port on the splitter.

NOTE: AT this point the splitter is effectively backwards with the outbound legs with shutoffs acting as the inbound ports, while the single side that would normally screw to the spigot is connected to the hose going the outdrive

5) Connect the short hose on the main port of the splitter to the muffs
6) install muffs on outdrive.
7) Fill the 5 gallon bucket with propylene glycol
8) stick the other short hose in the bucket.
9) shut the shutoff from the bucket and open the shut off from the spigot
9) Turn on the water at the spigot until the entire system is purged of air and full of water.
10) Start the engine and wait until freshwater starts dumping out the exhaust.
11) Open shutoff from the bucket and close the shutoff from the spigot.
12) Get ready to fill the bucket with spare propylene glycol.
13) Once propylene glycol is dumping out the exhaust shut off the engine.

This process has worked for me for many years.

The other process I've used is to use a small submersible pump in the 5 gallon bucket and a single hose to the muffs. Use the pump to prime the system. Turn the pump on to prime the hose, muffs and drive, then start the engine. Once the engine is started you can usually shut the submersible pump off and the impellor can draw through the pump with it running.

Be careful when running a garden hose or pump into the drive with the engine running, you could flood the engine. We're only priming the system.

[Derby Time]

Thank you for the replies!

The water is already drained from the blocks and manifolds. Batteries are also already out, so not going to be drawing antifreeze into the system.

Sounds like I need to drain the raw water pump and hoses. I'll hope for the drain plug on the bottom, but I do not believe it has them.

Thanks again!

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by Derby Time

Thank you for the replies!

The water is already drained from the blocks and manifolds. Batteries are also already out, so not going to be drawing antifreeze into the system.

Sounds like I need to drain the raw water pump and hoses. I'll hope for the drain plug on the bottom, but I do not believe it has them.

Thanks again!

Have you drained the freshwater system? Ran antifreeze through the head? Do you have a generator or air condition system?

[Kawartha Cruiser]

Old thread but curious Shrew around your comments about winterizing a closed cooling system pack (I have 2900 SE 2900 with Seacore - closed). I let my marine mechanics do the engine winterizing (i do the rest of the systems) but you don't need to drain the block and manifold? I'm guessing this is a dumb question on my part - i used to do my runabout years ago but leave it to the pros now - assuming its because its a closed system that you only need to antifreeze the impellers via the outdrives, yes?

Also, thanks for answering my question on the A/C drain - I do have a shower sump and will need to figure a way to route a drain line. Disappointed they didn't do that at the factory.

Thanks.

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by Kawartha Cruiser

Old thread but curious Shrew around your comments about winterizing a closed cooling system pack (I have 2900 SE 2900 with Seacore - closed). I let my marine mechanics do the engine winterizing (i do the rest of the systems) but you don't need to drain the block and manifold? I'm guessing this is a dumb question on my part - i used to do my runabout years ago but leave it to the pros now - assuming its because its a closed system that you only need to antifreeze the impellers via the outdrives, yes?

Also, thanks for answering my question on the A/C drain - I do have a shower sump and will need to figure a way to route a drain line. Disappointed they didn't do that at the factory.

Thanks.

With closed cooling the engine will have antifreeze in its cooling system. The raw water side is the raw water pump, power steering cooler, heat exchanger, exhaust risers and potentially exhaust manifolds depending if it’s only a half closed cooling.

[shrew]

IF one were to winterize through the outdrive pickups, then antifreeze displaces everywhere where raw water flows. It's really as simple as that. I don't manually drain systems for several reasons:

1) I might miss something.

2) Even drained water pools at low points and can freeze

3) Manually draining is just an unnecessary amount of extra labor.

If one were to follow my method in post #10, then they don't have to worry about the system already being drained. Too bad people don't read all the posts in a thread.