I haven't yet done this, but it is about time. I can look in the owner's manual for information on winterizing the engine, but I thought I'd inquire as to whether any of our ski club experts have some practical advice on winterizing. In my particular case, the boat and engine will remain in a heated location but I know some folks will store their boats in areas that see freezing temps. Either way, the motor should be prepared for a long sit in the midwest. Any advice on this would, I'm sure, be much appreciated by many of us. One thing I can pass along from experience because it happened to my brother's Optimax 2 years ago... and that is that you must put the motor all the way back down and let the water run out of it before you winterize it!! Otherwise, it freezes in there and causes damage. OK experts - are you ready to offer some help for us?
Change the lower unit oil. I think Merc says to change the water pump impeller every year. I think every two years is ok with your big pump. The Opti may have a winterizing setting for the oil like the e-tec. Otherwise, fog it. Grease the fittings, if it has any. Grease the wheel bearings on the trailer. I run them down to minimum fuel and add stabil and then run it a little. This is controversial. Change or clean the fuel filter depending on the type. For you guys with cable steering, I would add the cable buddies and grease or oil them OR, move to Florida. jim
Mark, I did mine last week. I drained and refilled the lower unit using the "Merc" high performance gear oil. I then filled the gas tank and added the recomended amount of Stabil . I put on the water cuffs and ran it about 10 minutes to get the Stabil mixture through the fuel system. I then shut it down, let the engine cool off entirely...pulled the spark plugs out and shot fogging oil in each cylinder. When reinstalling the plugs I put "anti seize" on the threads and boot lube on the spark plug boots. You probably will have to use various 3/8" extentions and swivels to remove all the plugs (especially the port side bottom plug.) When done I spun the engine over with a few short taps of the starter to move the oil around. It's now ready to park for winter storage......How fast that summer season went !!!!! Bob
I learned a little trick from the boyz at the marina. Got a set of flush cups, got a container of antifreeze (not 50/50 mix). Connected a small hose with a funnel on the end, about 3 feet in length. Two person job- start the motor, start pouring anti-freeze down funnel to the flush cup, once you see anti-freeze come out of the "pee hole" shut down the motor. Anti-freeze has now gone throughout the entire system. Good for winter. I did this for many years and never had a problem. Mine was always stored in a barn in Kirkland, and was never heated. I then did like Bob said and fog the motor, as well as change the lower end lube. Come spring, just connected a garden hose to the flush cup and start here up and flush out the anti-freeze. Ready for another season of boating. Greg
I forgot to mention that if the boat is going to see freezing temperatures, you should blow out the speedometer hoses and pickups from the speedometer end. Water can get trapped in the brass equalizers and burst them when it freezes. Blow out the water pressure line from the gage end also. If there is an air leak at the speedometer, water can get into the speedometer diaphragm and freeze and burst it. Many airguides have been damaged this way. The repair is difficult and iffy. The systems don't always freeze, but they can. jim
All excellent advice. Thank you. The boat is all tucked away back home (below). However, I've got to get the world's most painful annual inspection done on the airplane first. Month long annual inspection. Much pain. Pictures tell the story. Should be done and ready to turn to the Dyne in another two weeks or so. MarkBano
Yeah. It is my first one with my own airplane. I've been through plenty of them on the flying club airplanes - But I was splitting the bill with 49 other guys on those...
Actually, to answer your question Jim, the only real surprises were the need to remove both main tanks (one had to be removed to replace a vent line anyway) for corrosion proofing, which I opted to do but would not have been required to do - and the replacement of the mags, which I'm also doing as a precaution (going from impulse couplings to shower-of-sparks). Otherwise, not too many surprises. New Aux. power jack, switch out some CHT probes, resurface a prop blade, re-tension the stab trim wires... stuff like that.
Just be glad it is not a retractable and multiply the old bills by 49. :lol: Are you going to shower of sparks or slick start? The only shower of sparks I am familiar with is old technology with a mechanical vibrator. The slick start is solid state and will work with most dual point mags, either Slick or Bendix. jim
