Help w/ Winterization file

[TRD]

Most of the folks here know I have a excel file for winterization of the 350 MPI EFI engines. Well my computer went out several months ago and I lost my updated copy. I am in the process of updating my old copy now. I like having a step by step file just so I don't forget to do something.

I just got finished winterizing my boat and I have a couple of questions for the experts.

1)I take the 4 hoses off the top of the engine right at the thermostat. If I pull all 4 hoses off and pour RV antifreeze in these hoses, does the antifreeze get to the vital areas that it needs too? I use a total of 2 gallon of antifreeze in these hoses, is this enough? (I do not remove the thermostat to do this)

2)I decided to remove the tension off of the serpentine belt for the winter, is this a good or bad idea? and why if not?

3)I also notice when adding the antifreeze to the hose that goes to the fuel cooler (bottom right side of the engine) that it didn’t take much antifreeze. Will the antifreeze go through the cooler and protect it?

4)What is you opinion of Sierra oil and filters. My marine dealer was out of Quicksilver oil so he gave me Sierra 25-40w blend and a Sierra oil filter. How can I tell if this has the moisture inhibitor in it like the Quicksilver does? (still have the empty bottles)

I will start w/ this for now.
Thanks
Dale

[TRD]

no opinions or suggestions? I just want to make sure what I am doing is correct.

[boatwakes]

The antifreeze going into the fuel cooler: remove the hose where it enters the thermostat housing then remove the hose at the ENTRANCE to the trans cooler. Pour antifreeze in the hose at the thermo housing until it comes out of the trans cooler. The fuel cooler is just an open tube with no interior bundle like the trans so it fills with the hose and is protected.
Pull the plugs on the engine block to verify coolant in the block, if not, continue to fill the LARGE hose going to the water pump until coolant comes out of the block.
Not a big fan of sierra oil or filters. All oils will say they conform to manf rec, but use either Quicksilver, Amsoil synthetic or Mobil 1. If your filter is mounted upside down you MUST use a filter with an anti-drainback valve in it. Baldwin number B360 or any Quicksilver filter for that engine. Please don't use Fram, they're crap. We've seen several media failures in both their oil and fuel filters causing other issues for another conversation.
-Good luck!

[IDBoating]

The antifreeze going into the fuel cooler... The fuel cooler is just an open tube with no interior bundle like the trans

What is this "fuel cooler"? When he mentioned it I thought he meant the transmission fluid cooler, but you refer separately to both above.

[IDBoating]

I decided to remove the tension off of the serpentine belt for the winter, is this a good or bad idea? and why if not?

You must detension the belt to remove the water impeller anyway. And you most certainly should remove the impeller! You cannot properly reinstall the belt without the raw water pump installed, which I presume you're not doing if you're leaving the impeller out. So yes, you should leave the belt off.

[TRD]

The antifreeze going into the fuel cooler: remove the hose where it enters the thermostat housing then remove the hose at the ENTRANCE to the trans cooler. Pour antifreeze in the hose at the thermo housing until it comes out of the trans cooler. The fuel cooler is just an open tube with no interior bundle like the trans so it fills with the hose and is protected.
Pull the plugs on the engine block to verify coolant in the block, if not, continue to fill the LARGE hose going to the water pump until coolant comes out of the block.
Not a big fan of sierra oil or filters. All oils will say they conform to manf rec, but use either Quicksilver, Amsoil synthetic or Mobil 1. If your filter is mounted upside down you MUST use a filter with an anti-drainback valve in it. Baldwin number B360 or any Quicksilver filter for that engine. Please don't use Fram, they're crap. We've seen several media failures in both their oil and fuel filters causing other issues for another conversation.
-Good luck!

There is only 2 plugs at the bottom of the block correct, One on each side? So I can remove the easy one on the right side to check this. If any antifreeze comes out that is good and enough correct? I should only be worried about pockets of water sitting somewhere and freezing.

The sierra oil - should I drain it and use Quicksilver or would it hurt to use it for a year? I usually put about 50 hrs a year on the boat. My filter is mounted upside down so with what you said, the filter concerns me more then the oil. Do I need to change out this filter? I usually use the NAPA 1069 Gold series filters, but I let him talk me into the sierra this time for some reason. I have been using the NAPA filters for 3 years now. I did use a Fram 1 year before that and couldn't get it off so never did that again.
Thanks

You must detension the belt to remove the water impeller anyway. And you most certainly should remove the impeller! You cannot properly reinstall the belt without the raw water pump installed, which I presume you're not doing if you're leaving the impeller out. So yes, you should leave the belt off.

I do not remove my impeller or the housing until the beginning of the season. I usually do mine the night before we go out for the 1st time. I leave mine in tact just in case we get a really nice day and want to hit the lake for a couple of hours. We sometimes go out on New Years day, but I have never used my boat. I had a friend w/ a heat garage until they got divorced. So I don't think is really hurts the belt then.

Thanks
Dale

[IDBoating]

I do not remove my impeller or the housing until the beginning of the season. So I don't think is really hurts the belt then.

The idea behind removing the impeller is to keep it from drying out, and from "taking a set". Its vanes are under constant but inequal compression when sitting in the pump housing. Removing it if the engine isn't going to be run for several months protects the impeller from becoming misshapen.

I'd worry much more about the impeller than the belt with respect to long term storage. The belt just gets a vacation because of the need to remove the impeller.

[chpthril]

The idea behind removing the impeller is to keep it from drying out, and from "taking a set". Its vanes are under constant but inequal compression when sitting in the pump housing. Removing it if the engine isn't going to be run for several months protects the impeller from becoming misshapen.

I'd worry much more about the impeller than the belt with respect to long term storage. The belt just gets a vacation because of the need to remove the impeller.

For those, like TRD, that throw in a new impeller in the spring, no need to worry about the old one drying out

[TRD]

The idea behind removing the impeller is to keep it from drying out, and from "taking a set". Its vanes are under constant but inequal compression when sitting in the pump housing. Removing it if the engine isn't going to be run for several months protects the impeller from becoming misshapen.

I'd worry much more about the impeller than the belt with respect to long term storage. The belt just gets a vacation because of the need to remove the impeller.

I change my impeller every year, they are to cheap not too. I know others who let it go for years, I just can't do that. I have 4 spare impellers in the garage right now. (that is only because I couldn't find any and bought 2, then I found 2 more later) The year I bought the boat I ended up pulled the impeller out in chuncks and I don't want to do that again.

Hey Chptril, I hope we can do better about getting out on the water next season. The shop moved to Mooresville 2 wks ago. We should be getting out down this way more now after work. I will keep you posted.

[IDBoating]

For those, like TRD, that throw in a new impeller in the spring, no need to worry about the old one drying out

That's certainly true, but it wasn't 100% clear from his comments that he REPLACES his impeller in the Spring. Some people just "check" them. Hence my comments.

[IDBoating]

I change my impeller every year, they are to cheap not too. I know others who let it go for years, I just can't do that.

Totally agree! Just as every year I change the inline fuel filter, AND the filter in the high pressure fuel pump (what PCM calls their "fuel cell"), and the oil, and the oil filter. As you say, this stuff is too cheap not to maintain. I consider it very inexpensive insurance for a very expensive engine.

[chpthril]

I change my impeller every year, they are to cheap not too. I know others who let it go for years, I just can't do that. I have 4 spare impellers in the garage right now. (that is only because I couldn't find any and bought 2, then I found 2 more later) The year I bought the boat I ended up pulled the impeller out in chuncks and I don't want to do that again.

Hey Chptril, I hope we can do better about getting out on the water next season. The shop moved to Mooresville 2 wks ago. We should be getting out down this way more now after work. I will keep you posted.

Sounds great! By the end of the year, I hope to be down to just one full-time job, then I may get something of life back

[TRD]

Totally agree! Just as every year I change the inline fuel filter, AND the filter in the high pressure fuel pump (what PCM calls their "fuel cell"), and the oil, and the oil filter. As you say, this stuff is too cheap not to maintain. I consider it very inexpensive insurance for a very expensive engine.

Never heard about this, what is it and where is it?
Dale

[IDBoating]

Never heard about this, what is it and where is it?

Quick background:

Fuel injected engines have what is commonly known as a vapor separator tank. High pressure fuel is supplied to the fuel rail, where the injectors get their fuel supply. However, far more fuel is supplied to the rail than the injectors typically use; that extra fuel has to go somewhere, so it recirculates back into the tank from which the high pressure fuel pump draws its supply.

When the pressurized fuel drops back into that (low pressure) tank, it can flash to vapor - and the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) doesn't do well trying to pump vapor. So the vapor separating tank gives the fuel a place to go back through the phase change from gaseous to liquid state, thus insuring that the HPFP is always drawing from a reservoir of liquid, not gas.

Every time the fuel passes through the HPFP, it also passes through a filter. This means that while any given volume of fuel passes only once through the inline filter (down near the fuel tank), it may be filtered several times through the HPFP filter. Thus the HPFP filter sees a lot more action than does the inline filter, which is why I change mine every year.

In the case of PCM and their "fuel cell", they have combined the actions of the HPFP and the traditional fuel-water separating filter. So this filter does double duty, both repeatedly filtering the fuel and removing water.

Location: On my EX343 engine, the fuel cell is toward the front (belt) side of the engine on the side opposite the raw water pump. It is a silver cylinder roughly the size of one of those "extra large" beer cans, with a smaller cylinder attached to it. The smaller cylinder is the low pressure fuel pump, which draws fuel from the tank and makes it available to the vapor separator and the HPFP.

To inspect and/or replace the filter, you first drain the fuel and/or water from the tank and then drop the tank away from the top mount. The HPFP sort of "dangles" on a wiring harness, and the filter fits snugly around the HPFP.

Instructions for replacing the filter are included in the package with the filter, and also appear in the engine owner's manual. Be careful with the o-rings... there are two styles of "fuel cell" and they differ in the way they use the o-rings. Both types of o-rings are included with the replacement filter.

For reference: My engine has fewer than 20 hours on it, and my filter was already deeply discolored. I'm sure it would have lasted a full season of 50-100 hours, but I'm happy knowing I'm starting next season with a fresh filter and I'll be replacing it every year, just as I have been replacing such HPFP filters on my fuel-injected engines in the past. Overkill? Perhaps, but that's OK with me. Cheap insurance!

[IDBoating]

Just read your bio. You probably don't have a PCM engine, so my "fuel cell" comments above may not apply to your engine. However, if you have a fuel injected engine, you very likely have a filter associated with the high pressure fuel pump - so it would be worth checking. (If you don't have fuel injection, then your carbs also probably have internal filters and those too should be cleaned or replaced every year.)

For those with PCM engines... if you visit this page:

http://www.pcmengines.com/engines.php

...the "fuel cell" is one of the clickable red dots on the engine photo. They don't have a conveniently cross-linkable photo to the whole thing, but here's the top of it showing the clamp around the top that must be loosened to release the tank: