www.iFourWinns.com

There is something satisfying about getting this done on a nice crisp fall day, instead of freezing your fingers off in November! Changed the engine oil, filter and drive oil. Fogged the motor, then drained and filled it up with -100 AF. Then changed the fuel water seperating filter. No water in the gas, or in the drive oil! Drive oil drains so much faster when it's 60 instead of 40 out!! Now I don't have to think about it when the temp gets down to 35 or so at night....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I might have to winterize mine say, around Dec 15th .....

I feel sorry for all you guys in the great north.

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2006 FW 203 FS
2005 Dodge Laramie 1500
2003 CRF 247F SuperMoto racer
2001 CBR1100XX

Lou C:

Curious, do you pour the antifreez in or do you use one of the set ups with a jug that hooks up to a flusher? I just poured mine in when i winterized this weekend, my first time, but I like the idea of those flush set ups.

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88 Horizon 200
5L OMC 230hp

I run it to fog it, drain everything out, then fill manually. I think it's safer than the winterizing kits because if the thermostat is not open fully, the block and heads may get mostly water or a weakened mixture of AF. I tried this the first year and when I checked the block drains it looked like more water than AF. Plus, you don't have to worry about the motor not pulling up the AF if the impeller is a little weak, or running out of AF before you finish fogging. When you did yours, did you remember to remove the 3 plugs on the pivot housing on the drive, there are 2 on the starboard side and one on the port, you have to tilt it up to see all of them. Usually on mine water comes out of the one on the port side. I also drain the raw water intake hose by pointing it down in the bilge, and this also drains the power steering cooler on the back of the motor that is a bear to reach (has a drain plug) I do remove the plug to be safe, but every time I have drained down the hose first there is no water in there. I also remove the big hose on the front of the motor to drain the circulationg pump, then replace it at the pump and fill the engine till AF comes out the thermo housing. I also fill the manifolds and the raw water intake hose manually.
Sorry for the long winded answer!

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Thanks Lou C, you've responded to many of my questions.

I'm surprised this forum isn't more active frankly.

In any case, I took your advice and completed all the winterizing. Did Engine oil + filter, Lower unit oil, stabil and water remover in gas tank, greased fitting in lower unit, drained engine block, hoses and manifolds, filled all with AF -50, have to order new manifold caps as mine are deterioirated, pulled lower unit pivot drain plugs, pulled all spark plugs and put 1/2 once of oil in each, turned over a few times to coat cyl walls and then popped plugs back in. The only things I need to do now are oil steering ram, check/fill steering fluid, greese any other zerts. I'll replace the water/fuel filter in spring. Just replaced the inline FF so i won't do that again until end of next season.

Kind of enjoyed toying aroung with the boat.

Thanks again.

OP

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88 Horizon 200
5L OMC 230hp

The grease fitting on the steering ram is in a tight spot, you need either a small grease gun or a flex hose on a bigger one. When you check the tilt/trim fluid, the drive has to be tilted all the way up, or else fluid can squirt out, the p/s fluid is checked just like in a car engine.
Couple of important points--when you grease the steering ram, be careful with it, those control valves are not available anymore. Just give it a few pumps.
When you filled the drive with gear oil, did you drain and then replace the drain screw(bottom most screw), and fill it from the next screw up (right near the anti-ventilation plate where the lower and upper units meet, with the dipstick not screwed in and just resting in the hole in the top cover? This is necessary on a Cobra drive to avoid an air pocket, and you have to pump slowly and make sure you get 64 oz of fluid into it. Lettting the dipstick just rest in the hole allow air to escape, and filling from the proper hole prevents an air bubble from forming. A lot of people fill from the drain at the bottom of the lower, and then an air pocket is formed, the drive is underfilled and they wipe out the upper gears. Check with the dipstick just to be sure.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Thanks for the tips.

Yes I followed the book to the letter, the procedure you describe is exactly as they had it written out. I also kept track of the ounces in addition to checking the dipstick at the top. Worked out great, but what a nasty smell!

Thanks

OP

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88 Horizon 200
5L OMC 230hp