Winterize Your Boat's Engine
Whether you enjoy fishing or wakeboarding on your boat, being on the water in a nice boat is a great way to spend an afternoon or weekend. For people that live in an area that is warm all year long, they do not have to worry about winterizing their boat. However, if you live in an area where the lakes freeze over, you will want to take the time to winterize your boat so it lasts as long as possible. If you fail to winterize your boat major problems can arise, and your boat will not last near as long as it could. Here are a few tips on how to winterize your boat.
Outboard Engines
You are going to want to flush the engine with fresh water. This can be done when you cover the water intake on the gearbox, you then run water through. You want to let the water run for about fifteen minutes and drain from the engine. Then you are going to want to wash the engine down really well. The next step may seem a bit counter intuitive, but disconnect the fuel lines and run until the engine stops. You do this so there is no build up from fuel. Then you will want to lubricate the cylinder walls and the pistons. To take care of the propeller shaft and threads you are going to want to rub it down with a good grease. To help stop corrosion on the outside of the engine you will want to polish with a strong wax.
Inboard Engine
The first thing that you are going to want to do is warm up the engine. So, start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. While the engine is running you want to change the oil. While you are in this process you will want to change the oil filters. The next step is to flush the engine. You will do this with fresh water. Circulate good antifreeze through the manifold using a hose from the water pump to a source of your antifreeze. When you start the engine this will let the antifreeze circulate. You want to allow this to happen until the water starts to come out the exhaust. You are next going to want to remove the spark plugs and spray each cylinder with some engine fogging oil. Once again to protect the outside of the engine you will want to rub it down with a strong wax.
Get in touch with a boat service for more advice.
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