My Winter Projects

[JohnnieMo]

Yes it is from winterization.

I guess I thought it worked like this:
1. Water enters boat underneath and passes through water pump
2. Water circulates through engine and transmission
3. Water travels through heater core
4. Water falls back in to lake.

This would mean that at rest the system would passively drain out - at least for the most part.

Although now that I think about it more, you don't want the water all to leave. Otherwise you end up with no water when you start the boat. So the pump, or something near it, must act as a check valve. This would explain why the water was gushing out of my heater core.

However with that being said I assumed to winterize you run RV antifreeze through that whole system and then drain. But it seems like they left it full. This means that the fishes get a good dose of antifreeze every spring.


Is the heater run via a separate closed cooling system by any chance?

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[Stingreye]

What engine do you have johnniemo? The 409 (6L) or 350 (5.7L)? The 409 will have coolant through the heater like chpthrll said and the 350 will have lake water.

[JohnnieMo]

What engine do you have johnniemo? The 409 (6L) or 350 (5.7L)? The 409 will have coolant through the heater like chpthrll said and the 350 will have lake water.

PCM EX343

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[lee]

What color antifreeze, pink does not hurt the fish but green will?

[chpthril]

Thanks.

But in a car, it is a closed system. In a boat, doesn't it all drain out once the boat comes out of the water? As a side note, with it being full of anti-freeze, isn't that all just going to pump into the lake the first time out?

I thought your boat was semi-closed cooling. So i guess what you got was all the RV/Marine antifreeze used to winterize. No, not all the raw water runs back out when the boat is pulled from the water. The block stay full for sure. Some water can stay in the v-drive and trans cooler as well.

[JohnnieMo]

What color antifreeze, pink does not hurt the fish but green will?

It is pink. Not toxic, but not exactly fish food either.

[Dandy]

It is pink. Not toxic, but not exactly fish food either.

You could hook it up to a "fake a lake" in the Spring and run it out on the ground instead of the lake. Just one more good reason that I have my dealer do a run out for us in the Spring...that an we know for sure "all systems are a go" for the season.

[JohnnieMo]

You could hook it up to a "fake a lake" in the Spring and run it out on the ground instead of the lake. Just one more good reason that I have my dealer do a run out for us in the Spring...that an we know for sure "all systems are a go" for the season.

The dealer is the one that told me it is water ready....

I just want to know how it is supposed to be done so I can do it myself and do it right. It seems to be that antifreeze shouldn't end up in the lake.

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[Ewok]

This is partly why I don't use antifreeze when I winterize, I just drain everything and make sure there is not water to freeze and crack the block. If I had a heater core I would disconnect and drain that too.

[chpthril]

The dealer is the one that told me it is water ready....

I just want to know how it is supposed to be done so I can do it myself and do it right. It seems to be that antifreeze shouldn't end up in the lake.

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If they used the correct stuff, its what gets used in the fresh water lines of an RV or even a cabin, to protect them from freezing. Its non-toxic.

[JohnnieMo]

Got the heater moved today. It was a bit of a nuisance but not too difficult. I have to extend the water lines but that is about it. It is in a far better spot up there. Way more room inside that compartment now.





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[lee]

Sometimes mounted up high you can get an air pocket in the lines or core and the heater will not blow as hot.

[JohnnieMo]

Chpthrl - When you say that the 1" to 1.125" will be negligible, define negligible. I can't seem to find a good price up here on the 1.125" ($6.50 a foot is the best I've found). However 1" is everywhere for pennies a foot. Vent lines shouldn't matter but drain lines might.

[chpthril]

The difference is flow rate would likely be counted in seconds.........on one hand.

[JohnnieMo]

I bet I know why too.... I was measuring the fittings and they are about 15/16" ID. So the hose really won't matter if you have all those choke points.

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