First Time Winterizing

[Phrancus]

One of the thoughts for oil change at end of season is that the boat engine room is likely to be more moist than that of a car that is left for a few months. Thus, moist buildup, gets into the oil, deteriorates the oil.

My personal thoughts are that stationary oil isn't going to collect much moist if any, simply not enough room for condensate to form. And one season old oil (depending on how far you travelled) is not very likely to have deteriorated so much that it will etch into the few important surfaces where it is also stationary. Sludge is what I do not like to have in an engine and that comes from dirty, well used oil in combination with long standstill periods.
However, when we drain oil by pumping it out, we don't clean the oil pan at all. Even if we'd use the plug it would not clean all the way. A reason to change regularly so it doesn't get to need the space in the pan to leave the crud.

If that is a concern, it would only make sense to dillute and drain it. Dillute by use of an engine flush if things are really old/bad/unknown/worriesome and flush with cheap engine oil. The latter being a good idea for post-season winterizing. If you can get it set up to be done without too much fuss, this is a simple way to make sure the engines are clean and ready. Especially if you're not so sure if you will use her next season, no problem to leave it for another year without running.
Having said all that, I have seen engines start and run with a couple of years old oil in them. Dirty, like tar coming out but still no big issues. Worse thing to happen is to add the wrong type of oil (mineral vs synthetic) creating a big mess inside so always note in the log and on the engine what you put in.

About filters: a stationary engine is not going to contaminate the filter. When you change the oil, you run it warm and if you do so with old oil, you filter old oil. Therefore: fresh oil, fresh filter.

Fuel was never an issue but these days with the bio additives (ethanol) these deteriorate by leaving a slimey substance in fuel lines, filters and tank. The notorious diesel bacteria loves this so I have had to clean the whole system to get rid of it. The dinghy's outboard had a fuel filter and fuel line that looked like it was halved it inner diameter. Looked like gum, and as if it was an inner liner. Changed to non-bio fuel and no more problems. Winterize with full synthetic fuel and it stays clean inside. Easy on an outboard but bit more difficult with twin big blocks and a huge fuel tank to do that last bit.

In practice; do your best, but don't worry too much about fuel and oil. Freezing/thawing water has way bigger destructive effects when left in a confined space.

[AlexB]

I am a little confused. I am not sure what oil was used last year as the mechanics at the marina did the oil change. I was thinking of going to full synthetic oil when I do an oil change in the spring. Would that be a mistake? Do I have to use the same oil as was used before?
Also a question, any ideas of how to get antifreeze into the lines that bring water from the dock? If I connect a hose to the connector that brings water from the dock and stick the hose into a bucket of antifreeze will it suck in antifreeze or do I need to have pressure for it to work?

[g36]

The shore water connector will not suck in water. I referenced the rv blow out plug in the other post. Or another method below. You will screw this into the connector and hook up to compressed air. You will need small air pump or air tank nothing fancy even a bicycle pump could work (but not easiest)to push the water that's in that line. You can google winterizing a rv and their can be some info that will make what I posted earlier become clearer the boat water setup is really the same thing.
No disrespect but might i make a suggestion so you don't forget something. Do you have a dock neighbor that might have experience doing their boat to help you this 1 time just so you get everything done right and won't find out what may have been missed in the spring? I'd hate you missed something.

You could use a little hand pump like this to pump antifreeze from the jug into the shore connector and into the boat...https://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use ... 63144.html

[Petemait]

I was going to chime in but KM covered it. I had always been told to change the oil in the fall that way any contaminants in the oil don't cause corrosion. Good to do it your self to understand the engines better but good to check the insurance policy as well.
As far as the comment on the fogging oil sprayed directly into the spark plug opening, what about spraying fogging oil into the carb when the engine is running just before you turn it off?
Thanks and good luck.

[Phrancus]

About the type of oil: there's a world of information and confusion on the internet about that. My 2 cents: try not to mix. I've read that it should be fine and I've also seen a open engine that had mayonaise in it due to mixing wrong types.

So if you switch to your favorite brand/type than do it as good as you can: (optional: flush stuff in (makes it all very thin liquid and dissolves crud) old oil out, filter out. cheap filter on, cheap oil in. run warm. oil out, filter out. new filter and new oil of choice for the future in.

While doing that you'll figure out how you want the add/change/invent better ways to change oil. Such as catching the spill with a diaper, having enough canisters at hand, use a transparent oil hose on the pump so you see what's going on and what rubber gloves fit you well

[km1125]

Source of the post I was going to chime in but KM covered it. I had always been told to change the oil in the fall that way any contaminants in the oil don't cause corrosion. Good to do it your self to understand the engines better but good to check the insurance policy as well.
As far as the comment on the fogging oil sprayed directly into the spark plug opening, what about spraying fogging oil into the carb when the engine is running just before you turn it off?
Thanks and good luck.

I've done this several ways. On my dad's boat (50's inboard), he would get a quart or two of kerosene and pour it into the carb and stall the engine. I did something similar by using two spray cans of fogging oil, and as the engine would suck down the last bits of antifreeze out of a bucket, I would spray them both into the carb and it would stall the engine.

I have also pulled the plugs and squirted a shot in each one, but that is VERY time consuming. While it's nice to break those plugs free every now and then, I don't think annually is really necessary. I eventually moved to a process where I'd use a temp switch on the starter to crank the engine while I was spraying fogging oil into the carb. Felt good that I got some good circulation with that. I would do it after I sucked all the antifreeze into the engine and was done running the engine till the next year.

[bud37]

I believe Alex has engines with carbs so fogging oil spray is appropriate here......but if you have MPI (injected engines with sensors in the intake manifolds ), there is an accepted method of introducing some oil to keep the valves from sticking shut over the long sleep. It involves removing the fuel filter, drain it and adding a cocktail recipe, reinstall and run engine, you will see the smoke and not foul the sensors. No spray thru the throttle body !!

You can also roll the engines over regularly, or remove valve covers in the spring and tap closed valves with your plastic hammer....they will pop. Spring start up is where a lot of those annoying valve train problems can start.

[AlexB]

A new issue I just learned of. Apparently last year the mechanics on the marina used 10w-30 oil when on the engines it says to use SAE40. Would that cause problems? Does this mean I have to use 10w-30 when I do an oil change now?
Also what oil would you recommend for my crusaders?

Thank you everyone for all the advice.

[Phrancus]

I think you're mixing definitions here. SAE40 is an old name for single grade mineral oil. 10W30 is the newer name that is more specific.

Here's a picture:

Schermafbeelding 2022-10-20 om 14.51.47.png

SEA40 is meant for higher summer temperatures while 10W30 covers freezing temperatures as well. This concerns viscosity when cold and when in operating temperature, not that it will freeze and destroy your engine over winter.

Depending on where you use your boat, you can choose an appropiate lubrication.

However, an old-style mineral single grade should not simply be mixed with a modern synthetic type. And an engine developed a long time ago does not always need the old type of oil but also will not necesarily benefit from a modern type.

Many knowledgeable people here who know your engines so you'll get the right type for your engine and area for sure.

[km1125]

Source of the post I think you're mixing definitions here. SAE40 is an old name for single grade mineral oil. 10W30 is the newer name that is more specific. ....

It's not necessarily "older" vs "newer". The specs just mean different things. SAE40 is a single-viscosity oil and 10W-30 is a multi-viscosity oil. You use a multi-viscosity oil when the device has to operate over a very wide range of temperatures, like a car. It used to be more expensive and would be a waste for an engine that operates under a more narrow range of temperatures. Nowadays it's actually much harder to find a single viscosity oil and it wouldn't necessarily be any less expensive. The multi-viscosity oils are rated at two temperatures whereas the single viscosity oils are only rated at one, which is where the "w" comes from in the 10W-30 (the "W" indicates a "winter" rating). It "acts" like a 10 weight oil in the colder temperatures and a 30 weight oil in the warmer temperatures.

To the OP: The oil spec of SAE40 or 10W-30 indicates a "thinness" or "thickness" of the oil. Because marine engines are usually operated at higher RPMs and higher loads, they usually prefer a "thicker" oil like a 40 or 50 weight. Since your engine calls for a SAE40 (40 weight oil), then you should really be using 10W-40 rather than a 10W-30. You could use a SAE40 if you can find it. A very popular oil for marine use is the Shell Rotella, which can come in SAE40, or 15W-40, both of which would be fine for your motor.

And it USED to be a big deal mixing synthetics and mineral oil. You probably should check the exact oil you're using if it's compatible to do that, but I'd say most today don't have that issue. I wouldn't willy-nilly just switch back and forth a quart at a time, but if you're going to switch to a synthetic during an oil change that should not be an issue. While I'm normally a BIG synthetic advocate, I DON'T think it's really necessary in most boating applications given the good conventional oils that are on the market now.