www.iFourWinns.com

There's a frost advisory for the area tonight with temps dipping into the low-mid 30's. I plan on boating at least once more next week with temps rebounding back to 80.

The boat is in an unheated pole barn with the cover on it. I can't decide whether I should go out there and drain everything or just leave it. I read it takes 24 degrees for 24 hours to crack a block?

Any advice?

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

Interesting graph from WakeWorld:

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

Drain it. 30 min to not worry.

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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 didn’t bother. Frost advisory was for the whole county which extends pretty far north.

Low is 38 here and it’s only supposed to hit that for an hour or so.

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

For these types of situations I used to drain the block and manifolds. 4 plugs takes like 2 minutes. I have closed cooled now so I don't worry as much. BUT as that graph shows its not too much of a concern and I have been told in the past not to worry for those quick temp dips. Fiberglass is a good insulator.

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--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

Alright, I drained the block and manifolds, pulled the hoses from the raw water and circulation pumps, cranked the motor and drained the fuel pump. Followed the engine owners manual instructions.

There wasn’t any mention of a power steering cooler, or a drain for this. Should I not worry about it?

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

OK, I found the hose that goes to the power steering oil cooler. It has a different type of clamp on it.

Interesting how they don't tell you to drain this hose. Maybe it drains from the other end when disconnecting the raw water/circulation hoses?

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

I also noticed hardly any water came out of the manifolds. I probed them really good, but nothing. There was some water in there but it didn't come rushing out like the block drains.

I tilt my outdrive down after parking the boat, and a bunch of water runs out every time I do this. Perhaps this is where the manifold water went? I also pulled the block drains first but I'm not sure if that would do anything.

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

I don't drain unless I see dips into the mid-high 20's... being in TN, that usually doesn't happen until mid to late Nov. A frost warning... meh... who cares...

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2007 FW Horizon 200 5.0GXi/SX-A

The low for tonight is 26.

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

......cccccrrrrraaacccckkkkk

gotta drain at that temp!

As far as the manifolds, mine always seem to drain a lot, both the original OMC one piece units and the new system I put on last summer which is a Volvo style center riser exhaust, so that is odd. Are you 100% sure the drains were open? I'd try removing the feed hose at the manifold on each side and crank the trailer jack down to lower the bow, to get all the water out.

About the P/S cooler, this is hidden on the back of the engine behind the starbord exhaust elbow. The one on my Cobra has a drain plug but it is a finger buster to get at (easier now with the Volvo style exhaust). What I do, is put the outdrive all the way down. Then disconnect that raw water intake hose that goes up to your impeller housing. Hold it down to drain it and then hold it up, put a funnel in it and fill that with -100 marine AF till it runs out the outdrive water intakes. This will push out any water that might have remained in the cooler and the hose that passes through the transom mount. Re-connect the hose at the impeller housing and you're done....

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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

The manifolds have plugs exactly like in this video:

https://youtu.be/tPN0geUKqA8?t=92

I removed the plugs the same way as in the video. I stuck a wire in each slot and had some water come out, but it wasn't rushing out like in the video.

Is it possible they drained out of the front hose and through the thermostat neck?

I also jacked the trailer all the way up, but from what i saw the manifolds were already empty. I just can't figure out where the water would've went. I tilt the drive down after every use, which drains a bunch of water, and the boat hadn't been used in over a week, so maybe the water evaporated?

Also, apparently the PS cooler is at an angle on this motor, so following the owners manual is the proper way to drain. My order from West Marine isn't here yet so I don't have any antifreeze or supplies to do a full winterization.

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2006 Four Winns Horizon 200
Volvo Penta 5.0 GXi/SX

Not sure about the manifolds not draining much. I remember a decent amount coming out. Its what didn't make it over the riser. I don't remember a hose to anything like thermostat that would back drain. If everything came out then I wouldn't worry too much. When you winterize with AF then it will get replaced anyways. You just don't want solid standing water in there to expand and crack the manifolds.
Also, you should always store your boat with the outdrive down even for short period of time. It takes the strain off the bellows. This goes for in the water as well as on the trailer.

_________________
--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

I don't think the manifolds could have drained via the thermostat housing because the water inlets on the manifolds are a good 6" lower than the thermostat housing....When you shut off the engine yes a fair amount of water will drain out of the drive water intakes but that's what was in the raw water intake line. The water draining from the exhaust system is coming from the exhaust bellows and/or exhaust port on the drive. In all the years I've been winterizing this engine, at least 2 qts comes out of each manifold and that's on a V-6, the V-8 has a larger manifold so it will hold more water. Just to be on the safe side, I'd disconnect the water feed hoses at the front of each manifold and point them down, see if more water comes out. You could also get some -100 marine antifreeze and fill each manifold till the AF runs out on the ground. That's what I have always done after draining.

_________________
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've had less water come out of the manifolds before one year (when i winterized after nearly 2 months of boat inactivity), but usually it is a couple of quarts if I've been using it recently.
you have the same engine as me, drain 4 plugs, drain 4 hoses and bump engine (with hoses off). done. fuel pump (super skinny) and circ pump (big fat one) hose are easier to remove at their top locations and bend the hoses down. The other 2 are at the raw water pump and easy to do from below. Oh... and don't use those stupid FW fiberglass access side panels for the bottom drain plugs, just reach around the side of the engine (hug it) . Your back will thank you.

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2007 FW Horizon 200 5.0GXi/SX-A