www.iFourWinns.com

I just cut off an 8 foot piece of old garden hose, and left the fitting on one end, that screws into the muffs. I usually stand on the swim platform and let gravity feed the solution down into the muffs/outdrive.
Yes, I used house water with hose hooked up to warm up the engine. Shut her down, then put the hose and funnel on, restart the engine, and add the anti-freeze.
I use one gallon of straight anti-freeze, and the second is 50/50. Theoretically, straight anti-freeze can freeze if it is not mixed with a little water. There is no scientific proportions needed for anti-freeze/water mix. Mostly anti-freeze, and a bit of water.

Being that this method is cheap, if you do boat in warmer climates, and a nice day presents itself during your "winter lay-up", you can just go ahead and take the boat out after you run the anti-freeze/water mix out of the engine. Take a nice ride, enjoy an occasional off season day on the boat, and then take it back home, and repeat the winterizing process again, with no fear of any freezing. Yes, it's another $20 or so for more anti-freeze, but it only takes a few minutes of time to do the whole thing. You could probably do that 8 or 10 times over the winter for what some dealers charge for winterization.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

And here I am...in Texas. We keep the boat in the garage at our house. Although we get below freezing temps, I dont think it gets anywhere dangerous for me. I am actually thinking of NOT winterizing the boat in the true sense of things. Last year, my winterize service was right at $350.00. I got it winterized, fluids changed, filters, outdrive service etc. This year I am thinking I just get the needed service work done, put some Stabil in the fuel and be done with it.

Any opinions on this?

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

In Texas, and in your garage, I think you are relatively safe not winterizing. The temps need to be in the upper teens to low 20's for 3 days straight for any appreciable freezing in your engine to take place. I bet that is indeed rare in your area.

Also, for those of you who would like something a little more "high tech" for your winterizing, a unit like this works similar to my "beer bong" hose and funnel method.

I believe Wet Dogg uses one of these for his winterization, and it worked well for him.
Here is just one place you can find them.
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... ushing+Kit

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Wow...so no draining the block..fogging...just running the freeze through the engine and you're done.

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2006 Four Winns H210 - 5.0 GXi/SX

I'm in Texas as well and if you're safe with this in Michigan I'm beer bongin' mine. I've got an old hose on the side of the house I almost threw out not long ago, too. My boat sits on the driveway but should be fine. I like the idea of going to the lake on winter days as we have some pretty nice ones here. Thanks Cap'n Morgan.

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2003 Four Winns Horizon 210
VP 5.0 GXI SX
"THE GREEN HORNET"

That's all I have ever done, as well.

I do use the 5-gal jug set-up, as noted by Cappy, but we do use the no-tox anti-freeze. Never had any problems using the pink stuff, in our climate. I just make sure that it is 100%, in the engine. I do like the thought of using the automotive stuff (don't have to worry so much about being 100%), but I would have to figure a way to catch it all, both during the set-up and in the spring. Hmmm ... that reminds me, I did see a little flush set-up at one of the boat shows. It was like a plastic tarp slug under the whole outdrive (in a frame), running to a bucket or tub.

As he had also noted, we boat late into the season and may decide to take 'er out after a "winterizing" .... prior to being all wrapped up under the tarp.

With the cruiser, now, we do have to fully winerize the on-board water systems. That gets done before we do the engine ... and we do take it out this way. Just use it as a cuddy cabin without water or head. Altough, if we decide to do an overnight trip, we will use the haed and just do a final pump-out and antifreeze addition (to the holding tank), prior to pulling it back onto the trailer.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Found it:

And, I forgot .... it allows you to recycle the fluid. Looks easy to make.

http://www.winterflush.com/product/?gclid=CI7Ztpms9pwCFdVL5Qod4kR-aw

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Here is a slightly different take FWIW.

When you pay to have the winterizing done not only are you paying for the service, but in essence an insurance policy. If it is not performed correctly and there is a problem, the repair shop is now on the hook for an engine.

Where I live in Mid Michigan I get the oil, filter, block drained, stabil in the fuel, out drive pulled and checked and greased, out drive oil changed engine fogged for less than $250.00.

Now could I do all of that? no problem, do I want to? nope. I would rather have someone do it that does it all the time and if you compare the cost of the service to the cost of a new engine if not done right..... no comparison.

To the guys that use the antifreeze, pink or automotive, how do you really know if you got it? Its not like you can take an antifreeze tester to it and be confident the mixture is correct or if there isn't a pocket that doesn't have any. To ambiguous for me.

I do the water system myself because there is a confidence factor you can get to. I first drain the water tank, and water heater, disconnect the water heater from the water system, run some pink thru till I get it at all the faucets, then blow all the lines out until I get most of the antifreeze out. I found by blowing most of the antifreeze out helps greatly the next year getting the antifreeze smell flushed out. Then I pour some in the line to the water heater then drain it an blow it out.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Jeff, do you dry-store yours without antifreeze? I'd read that was a good way to do it as well (air doesn't freeze). If so, when you go out for the first time in the spring do you add fluid before you get to the lake or just crank it in the lake and draw initial water to the block that way?

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2003 Four Winns Horizon 210
VP 5.0 GXI SX
"THE GREEN HORNET"

Both the engine, and water system are "dry stored". In the spring I crank the motor up in the driveway with the muffs, just to make sure the engine starts and there are not any leaks.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

I really like this method and plan on doing just that here in the next week or two. Question, must one use muffs on the outdrive or can the blue capped flush port near the top of the motor be used?

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-2006 H180 VP3.0 SS 21p

I don't have a nice flush port like that, but if it will draw the anti-freeze in , and circulate through the entire motor, then spit it out the outdrive exhaust, then it should do the same as using the muffs.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

This is what I do as well. I run it up to temp on the hose, then shut it down and drain it by pulling the blue plugs. I do this as quickly as possible so that the engine/thermostat gets as little cooling time as possible. Then I start it back up again, but I turn the valve on the assembly so that the solution is what is fed into the muffs. I let it run until all of the solution is gone, or I see it coming out of the exhaust. In my mind, draining the water before introducing the solution is a way around the "What if there is some water in there?" issue that some might have.

As for the theory that you have the dealer "on the hook for a new engine" if they winterize it for you and there is a problem, I wouldn't make this my sole motivation in having the dealer do it. You might be right on principle, but getting the dealer to own up to it and take care of it is an entirely different matter. Even more so in the situation where the dealer does all of that but then YOU are in possession of the boat-they will blame you for doing something wrong after it left their hands and will never pay. This theory is a LOT more reliable if they are winterizing AND storing (such as racking or wrapping/parking) it for you so that you never touch the boat until springtime.

Just my $.02 on the various approaches out there.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Paul
The issue is more your insurance company as opposed to having the dealer pay for a new motor. My insurance company (and others I am told) will not pay up if you winterize yourself! They want a professional to have done it so they can either sue him or go after his insurance to cover their loss.

With all this being said, I still do my own winterization and had problems my first winter with my oil cooler not being draiined and in the end it cost me near a $1000 and I lost a month of boating. My persoanl opinion on this matter is that if you are not 100% confident that you can do the job right then don't do it. AND don't trust any one of your buddy's unless you are present and happy that the process will work and you will be able to sleep at night.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I have used Capn's Beer Bong method in the past except I use the pink stuff. I made my own version of the set up pictured with an old garden hose and a Y splitter attached. But I used my cooler and attached one of the Y fittings to the drain on the cooler and filled the cooler with antifreeze.

Another tip is to tie a line to your kill switch. When the antifreeze starts to come out of the transom exhaust just give the line a a tug to shut her down. It saves you from having to climb on board to turn off the ignition.

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi