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I am putting the boat away for the winter and wanted to know what you guys do with your outboards? I have a 1980 40 Merc. I ran it in fresh water this past year so it is flushed. But what else do you guys do?
There are two main objectives for winterizing the motor: #1 is to make sure there is no water in the lower unit and #2 is to make sure the cylinders are lubricated well enough to protect them over the long storage period.
There are many other things that are done for which "winterization" offers a convenient opportunity.
I will provide you with my routine for my older outboards (the E-TEC's winterize themselves, however, I do some of these things also):
1. Add Stabil or other fuel-stabilizer in the appropriate quantity to your fuel tank (or alternatively on a small boat, empty your fuel tanks in the snowblower or other two-stroke motor, if available).
2. Mix up a "special" mix of fuel with stabilizer, a somewhat rich fuel mixture (say, 40:1) and some Marvel Mystery Oil
3. Run your motor to operating temperature in fresh water (on flushing muffs or at the ramp). The purpose of this is to get the special mix of fuel into the entire system.
(at this point, most folks "fog" the cylinders. I use the method described below)
4. Shut down the motor and pull the boat or remove the flushing muffs. Crank the motor (use your kill switch) to make it "Cough" (*Note - do not RUN the motor dry). This will expel any remaining water from your water pump impeller.
5. Lower the motor completely to fully drain the rest of the water system. Remove the propeller, (take it in for repairs, if necessary) and grease the propeller shaft. Inspect seal for any wear, monofilament line, etc. repair as necessary. Replace propeller.
6. Drain lower unit gear oil. Inspect for signs of water (milky color). Be sure you got the drain plug gasket. There are two mistakes made here - either the gasket pops out and into your container for the spent oil and you never see it or it sticks in the hole. Either way, people either "double up" on the gaskets or replace the plug with NO gasket. This is a common way for water to enter next season. Buy a new gasket, make sure the old one is out of the hole and replace the plug. Refill lower unit oil.
7. Pull cowling from motor and remove spark plugs. Spray fogging oil into cylinders. Turn flywheel with your hands...spray more fogging oil. Repeat a few more times to completely coat cylinder walls with fogging oil. Replace spark plugs.
8. Wipe down powerhead with clean rag. Inspect for loose electrical connections. Test pliability of rubber hoses. Replace/repair as necessary. Spray all rubber/plastic components with silicone spray. Spray metal components with corrosion blocking spray (fluid film or even WD-40 works). Clean up any overspray or messes.
9. Close cowling. Inspect lower unit for paint wear. Add touch-up paint as necessary.
10. Wax outboard motor.
If storing the boat outdoors, you may wish to put a plastic bag over the prop hub to prevent water/snow melt from entering the hub and freezing. I'd remove the prop if storing in public storage where other boats are around...theives love propellers.
Even if you have a water in the lower unit problem, this ensures you got it out with the oil change. You can take the boat in to your mechanic in January to make any repairs you identify....they usually have 15% discounts on labor in the winter months (that has been my experience).
This is your opportunity to "get to know" how your motor faired over the season. Make note of any signs of corrosion, etc. I keep notes for the following year so I can track if there's any worsening of condition. It also helps when I run to the chandlery in January for a boating fix, I may remember that I need a hose, or whatever.
I have a 1940-something Atwater-Scott and a 1976 Seahorse that are in exceptional condition due to my grandfather, dad and me following these procedures every year.
I'm not sure what's on the Merc as far as grease fittings, but you want to grab a gun and shoot some grease into all the fittings, aside from lubing, this will displace any water that's made its way in there. I'd also change the lower unit oil. You want to put Stabil or another gas preservative in your tanks and then get it up into the engine by letting it run for 5 min's or so. Finally I'd fog the power head, which would involve spraying the fogger into the carbs with the engine running to get the fogger on the reed box and front end. If that doesn't kill the engine, shut it off quickly. Pull the plugs and spray the fogger into each cyl while turning the flywheel manually to distribute it through each cylinder, then put the plugs back in. Merc owners may have additional things to protect the wiring, etc. The work you do now goes a long way to extending the life of your engine as sitting and non use can take its toll if it's not prepared properly. Good luck,
Excellent information above, don't forget to take out the battery, store the engine in the down "Running" position when finished winterizing, this lets all of the water drain out of the head to prevent freezing/cracked block. It's best to remove all fuel (if you can) as Gasoline's quality deteriorates quickly even with stabilizer in it, greasing is very important at the pivot points and tilt tube, a light mist all over the engine block of wd-40 helps fight corrosion. COVER the boat, don't seal the boat up tight, as mildew loves that, instead keep it covered but, well vented, "Rain Water OUT, AIR IN" (Vented), I wrap a plastic garbage bag around the engine too, with a hole in it by the prop, to let any accumulated water from rain/condensation, drain out if it gets in there, the 15' and 13' sports basically have the shape of a Bath Tub (perfect for collecting rain/ snow), so I run a rope down the middle of the boat a few feet above the hull before covering, the sharper the angle of the cover, the better the snow and rain roll off, stick ya head in there once a week, to make sure that no critters got in, and made a home for the winter. If you need any help, my e-mail is always open.
