When the cold weather is about to arrive, you better prepare your boat for it if you want to enjoy it once the spring makes its comeback. We suppose you have read a lot about winterizing. But how do you drain your boat’s engine block? Stick around to learn the step-by-step process and how to give good care to your vessel.
How to Drain The Boat’s Engine Block
You winterize your boat to make sure it stays strong and healthy even in the cold. Draining your engine will avoid damage to it, due to frozen water expanding inside the block, making you spend a lot of money, either on repairing it or buying a new one. And who wants to spend between $5,000 and $20,000 on repairing something that could perfectly be avoided with no more than a day of work? Money you could spend on upgrading your boat or even buying equipment to have a nice water adventure.
In this post, we will give you a step-by-step guide on how to drain the boat’s engine block and give a look at other winterizing steps to take care of your boat.
Materials:
Screwdriver
Compressed Air
Flexible Hose
Steps to drain your engine block:
- First, you will need to take out the draining plugs. The location and amount might vary a little depending on the model, but they are usually three, and you can locate them on the sides of the engine block and underneath the manifold. Be careful with the seals on the plug. You want to make sure that they are there when you put the plugs back, so there is no leakage when the engine is running during your boat trips.
- Unscrew the clamps of the hot water heater hose —one on each end—, and pull it off.
- Use compressed air to remove any water and dirt left on the hose.
- Attach the new flexible hose in place and tighten the clamps.
- Done! You can move on to other processes to winterize your boat. But first, let’s talk about antifreeze.
There are basically two teams in the boating community: the “I Swear On Antifreeze” team and the “Take That Pink Stuff Away From Me” team. We won’t tell you which one you should join, but we will recommend you to always take a look at your owner’s guide first, and then test what works for you. Either if you are the one winterizing your boat or if you give your vessel to a mechanic or engineer to do it for you. But if you do decide on antifreeze, just make sure to do responsible and correct disposal of the fluid whenever you have to drain it from your boat’s engine.
More steps to winterize your boat
Of course, there are other things you would need to do to prepare your boat for the winter.
Stabilize your fuel
This will prevent varnish deposits from clogging the carburetors and fuel injectors. Add a stabilizer to the fuel and run the engine for 10 minutes.
Protect the inside of your engine block
Get the aerosol fogging solution your engine’s manufacturer recommends and spray it following the product instructions to prevent corrosion to form over cylinders, pistons, and rings.
Change The Oil
Water is not the only thing that could damage your engine block. If you don’t change the oil, moisture could cause excessive wear, leading to loss of power, extra fuel consumption, and engine failure.
But you do need to change it completely, replace the filter and add new oil. Then run the engine for a minute or so to circulate the oil to the internal parts and check the new filter doesn’t leak.
Security
Winter is a slow time for boating, which means that break-ins are easier. So, no matter where your vessel will rest, make sure to take all your valuables with you.
If you have any doubt about any or other of these procedures, remember to check your owner’s manual or consult a mechanic. You could also check on boating forums, but you can get different answers and still leave without knowing exactly what to do. It doesn’t mean that there is one way that is better than the other, but simply that to some people some techniques work, and to others, don’t.
If you prefer to have professional assistance, you can always call us at 619.904.7192 or fill-up the form to request a free quotation. One of our representatives will go to your boat’s place, check what needs to be done and give you a detailed quotation, describing procedures, prices, and deadlines, at no cost to you. Once you approve the quotation, we will take care of preparing your boat for the winter.
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