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Posts: 19
| I just bought my first boat (Tuffy Esox Magnum) in early July this year. I recently had problems with my Trolling Motor so I dropped it off at a Marina for them to fix the problem. Not only did they fix the Trolling Motor but they also Winterized the boat without me asking them to. I plan on picking up the boat this weekend to hit the water one last time in NW Wis. My question is; what do I need to do before putting the boat in the water this weekend? Also, what are the reasons for Winterizing and how long can the boat sit before Winterizing? Thank for the Help! |
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Posts: 19
| Anyone? |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | What they did to it depends on the model/type of motor you have. Here's a few things that may help you.
Most all winterizing includes the following.
Change lower unit oil.
Add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank, run the engine allowing the fuel stabilizer to get in the gas lines up to the motor.
Here's where they start to differ. I own an Optimax and a carburated four stroke and I do both of my own.
Traditional carburated two strokes. Fog the engine through the carburator. Once it quits, put the hood back on and tuck it away until spring.
Direct inject two stroke (Optimax) Remove spark plugs and inject approx. 1 oz. of winterizing oil through each plug hole. Turn the motor over to distribute on cylinder walls, reinsert plugs and put it away for the off season. This is recommended in Mercury owners/service manual if you intend to store the boat for longer than about 10 weeks.
On my Yamaha four stroke they recommend the same procedure as the opti. I.e. lubricate it through the spark plug holes. Yamaha manual also recommends this if you are not going to run the motor for a period of two-three months.
When it comes time to put it back in the water, just start it up like normal. It is going to smoke a little for the first few minutes while the engine burns the storage lubricant.
If you're going to run it again this season either take it back to the dealer or follow your owners manual on long term storage procedures and you will be fine.
Just make sure that if you live somewhere where the temps get below 32 degrees that you let the motor drain after final use by lowering it to the verticle position for 10 minutes or so.
Hope this helps |
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Posts: 19
| Mark,
Thanks for the help! It's very appreciated. I didnt leave the boat keys with the marina that winterized my boat. Did they need the start the engine (Merc 4 stroke) to complete the winterizing?
Thanks again,
Jason |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Pretty hard to get fuel stabilizer up to the engine (the proper way to do it, otherwise the fuel in the lines and fuel filter can go bad over the off-season) without running the engine.
What I like to do is start adding stabilizer to my fuel this time of year, I put it in each time I add some fuel that way it gets mixed in good and gets up to the engine. I'm on the water 3-4 times a week during the summer so I don't need to add it during the whole season.
So the short answer IMHO. Is in order to properly stabilize "all" the fuel in the system the motor should be run.
I am not a marine mechanic, 20+ years ago I was a construction equipment mechanic and I used to race dirt track cars, I also managed a construction equipment rental and sales business for a few years and worked as a sales manager for a wholesale company in the timber industry for over 10 years, have had my own boats since I was 17. Like I said, I'm not a marine mechanic, but I've been around this type of stuff for virtually most all of my 43 years. I have been described by many who know me in a complimentary way as being "anal" when it comes to taking care of my boats, trucks, pretty much everything I own. |
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Posts: 5874
| I always knew you were a dirt ball, Mark! Asphalt is for racing, dirt is for farming!
I would start adding Stabil now. That's about all I do, besides check the lower unit and the wheel bearings before I put her up for the few months of deep winter. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Since I don't use my boat every weekend, I add Stabil all the time, each time I re-fuel.
Today's gasolines break down quickly according to my several mechanics, it's an easy thing to do for a bit more peace of mind. m |
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