www.iFourWinns.com

Hey everyone, new to the site and to Four Winns boats. Just bought a 1990 200 Horizon with a 5.7L OMC motor. Here in OK, its been about 20 every night, sometimes colder. The person we bought it from hasnt winterized it in years, and has always used the heat lamp inside the engine bay. Ive kind of looked around at this. What are your opinions on this? We are going to winterize it as soon as possible. We started it today and didnt notice any cracks or anything. Tonight it is supposed to get to 23 and we put two 250W lamps and a lot of insulation for tonight. How long is this acceptable? Just looking for opinions..

_________________
1990 Horizon 200
5.7L OMC Cobra 260HP

I have use that in an emergency over night til I could winterize the next day. But IMO, not a good practice. What if, bulb burns out, power outage, light/heat source moves and melts or destroys something or worse catches on fire.

Any more winterizing the block and outdrive for me, is to fog motor and drain. If you drain throughly, there is nothing to "freeze". Been my method for last 12 years, and our boat sees low temps in the single digits.

I recommend you study your owners manual on proper draining of block and drive. After doing it a few times it only takes 5-10 mins. Other benefit of you draining yourself, you have the opportunity to stick pipe cleaner into each port and ensure no blockage or build up of sediment or corrosion.

_________________
2000 248 5.7L DP
'92, '94 SXI 750, '08 STX 15F, '12 Ultra LX 300
Videos

Agree with all the above, but am wondering if you are storing indoors or outdoors? Personally, I'd at least drain the block and then you don't have to worry.

_________________
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)

Yea, its being stored under our carport. So outdoors, covered. Today I had it started and saw no leaks from the block. Had a leak out of the back of the engine, not sure what it is. I took it out and made a thread under Engine and stuff. Check it out, I need help. What are the advantages and disadvantages of draining the block out of the plugs, or doing the antifreeze?

_________________
1990 Horizon 200
5.7L OMC Cobra 260HP

Using AF versus not using it is an age-old argument. Many people use it because it can reduce corrosion in the engine. But then you have to decide whether to use green AF which must be recovered and not discharged into your lake, or pink RV stuff (which still shouldn't be discharged into your lake, but is far less toxic). On the other hand, a lot of people just drain 'em and forget about 'em, and have never had a problem after doing so for many years.

_________________


Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Drained the water out of the engine today.. no winterizing, not exactly sure how to do it. Draining the water was pretty simple. Just a few hoses and a couple bolts. Its getting pretty late in the winter and i don't know if it is necessary. Unless you guys think otherwise?

_________________
1990 Horizon 200
5.7L OMC Cobra 260HP

If there is no water, there is nothing to freeze. Your good.

But if it eases your mind that to put anti freeze in, then by all means, that what you should do.

I always do a complete winterization in October and then I don't have to think about the boat all winter except for brushing snow off the cover..
Anyway on a 5.7 you have two drains for the engine block...one on each side and then poke the holes with a thin screwdriver or big wood screw because they can get clogged with rust.

Next you remove the bottom end of the big hose on the front of the engine that connects the thermo housing and the circulating pump...a lot of water will drain out of that too...that takes care of draining the engine.

Next you do the exhaust manifolds..there is either a drain petcock or a rubber cap held on with a clamp that has to be removed...probe the holes same way.

Finally you need to drain the raw water intake hose...this is the hose that comes from the transom mount up to the thermo housing...point it down in the bilge as much as you can. There is also a power steering cooler on the rear of the engine...it has a drain but you can barely get your hand in there (this is the reason for my unkind remarks about modern FWs with all the molded in fiberglass back there...at least on our old ones you can get your hand it) anyway it's a 7/16ths plug if I remember right but if you have the front of the boat pointing down a bit and really hold that raw water intake hose down...it will drain this cooler (I've drained the hose this way many times and then taken out the plug and there has been no water in the cooler each time.) if you have a leak at the rear of the engine...it could be this cooler...

Lastly in terms of draining...the Cobra pivot housing has 3 drains in it (the screws look just like the oil drain screw for the lower unit). YOu have to tilt it part way up to see all 3...2 on the starboard side 1 on port...take em out and then poke with nail, screw etc...often it only comes out the lower one on the right and the one on the left side...Then replace the plugs and you're done with draining...but I fill the motor/manifolds with -100 AF to cut down on corrosion (SALT WATER AREA)...that's only worth it if you are storing it for months not in this case.

Keep in mind also that you should always change the motor oil/filter and drive oil in the fall too. Fuel stabilized and motor fogged. Fuel Filter changed and dumped out check for water in old gas...
And for I/Os I always pull off the drive in the fall and check for water in the bellows...check the gimble and ujoints..and check for water in the lower unit gear oil. Any water in the gear oil and I take it to the shop for a re-seal...

Then in the spring I check the engine alignment...re-grease the gimble and ujoints...put a new impeller in the Cobra drive...and re-install the drive...lube up all the shift linkage points...(esp the bellcrank in the pivot housing...can get at it with the drive off)...do a tune up...set dwell timing...get idle right (550-600 in gear in water)....and that's pretty much it...

I've heard of using heat lamps in the bilge but it's a BAD idea over the long haul...one burnt out lamp or a power outage and 20 degrees temps and you lose your engine...then you have a nice 20 year old boat that needs 3 grand in work before you can use it or sell it for less than it's worth...Once you learn to drain an I/O (in yours I would take out the side interior panels and leave em loose till you recommission the boat) it takes maybe 20 mins.
What I did to cut down on wood rot (replaced almost the whole cockpit deck) was use wingnuts on big machine screws to hold the rear of the back seat to the side panels and I took off the reinforcing piece of the side panel that is screwed to the floor...and used big screws and wingnuts to hold the side panels on to those mounts which I screwed to the new deck but used 3M 4200 to seal the holes...this way I can remove both side panels but no wood screws are constantly being removed and re-installed...that's what caused some of the deck rot...

Basically I ripped up ALL of the carpet on the deck and on the engine compartment panels...and had the new deck gelcoated...I'm going to paint the panels to match the grey deck and no more carpet except I left it on the gunnels so I didn't have to get the whole thing gelcoated. Carpet has no place on a boat with wood cored decks...all it does is hold moisture and makes the perfect conditions for rot to start...

_________________
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

Rhino - I think you've got your resource for any questions/issues that come up with that boat. I'm just sayin' lou.......

_________________
2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB

Yea no kidding.. Lou youre helping me out a lot... That was quite an explanation of the winterizing steps. I couldnt get to the lower hose that runs from the thermostat.. I need to take the seat out but wasnt sure how. I think you addressed it in your extraneous post earlier..

_________________
1990 Horizon 200
5.7L OMC Cobra 260HP