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Winterizing a boat

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tucker0104

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What all do they do when a boat gets winterized? I have a 2008 speedster 200 430HP. How much does it cost? Has anyone tried to do it themselves?
 
If you are the least bit mechanically inclined ..Do not pay a dealer to perform this service. I have the same boat and bought it new. The first year it took me two hours as I followed each and everything to a tee. Since, I've shaved about an hour off that.

Really it's easy.

Fog the engine and rail. Requires removing the plugs and injector rail (two bolts). You'll need fogging spray.

Dump coolant into the hose on the super charger and manifold

I remove the battery and store it inside.

There are some really informative posts all over these boards that provide more details. It's fairly easy and as usual a dealer is making a killing on this service.
 
Hey Scott, edit your post to say.

Dump coolant into intercooler hose and exhaust manifold ... LoLz
 
Luckily I live in Texas and we don't actually have a winter, but I'd also add to put some sort of moisture absorber to keep mold and mildew from growing under the cover. You can get it at Wal-Mart for $5 a piece.

Kane S.
 
Scott0321 said:
If you are the least bit mechanically inclined ..Do not pay a dealer to perform this service. I have the same boat and bought it new. The first year it took me two hours as I followed each and everything to a tee. Since, I've shaved about an hour off that.

Really it's easy.

Fog the engine and rail. Requires removing the plugs and injector rail (two bolts). You'll need fogging spray.

Dump coolant into the hose on the super charger and manifold

I remove the battery and store it inside.

There are some really informative posts all over these boards that provide more details. It's fairly easy and as usual a dealer is making a killing on this service.
Click to expand...

Use a small pump and run the boat out of water with antifreeze instead of water

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk 2
 
Here are a couple good posts on winterizing:

http://http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?9132-1503-4-TEC-winterizing-procedures
http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?242-Winter-and-De-Winterizing-your-Boat

Here is my winterization task list, may differ a bit from some of the other posts:

1: Add fuel stabilizer before you take boat out of water and take it out for a good 10 min run to ensure the fuel stabilizer gets into the engine internals. Fuel stabilizer will not do much good if it's only in the tank.

2: Flush RV antifreeze though engine flush port (if you have two engines just do one at a time) to ensure any internal water is out of the internal parts and will not freeze. I have heard that you can also blow out the internal water with compressed air through the flush port (and it is what Seadoo apparently now recommends) but I still like to use good old antifreeze for piece of mind. You will obviously do this with the engine running so you do not force water down the cylinders. Here is a recent post about this: http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?54401-Pumping-antifreeze-speedster-winterization&p=284316#post284316

3: Fog the engine with fogging oil. I just spray it liberally into the spark plug holes then crank the engine over a few times (make sure you hold the throttle open all the way, puts the engine in drown mode and shuts off gas and spark) to distribute the oil around all over. I know the correct official procedure is to remove the fuel rails, but this can be time consuming and there is always a risk to break something. My method may not be quite as good, but I have never had a problem. Not a bad idea to spray a bit of fogging oil in the throttle body, as well, to keep everything from corroding.

4: Change the engine coolant (each engine is separate) every two years, but best to check it every fall as part of winterization with a hydrometer just to be on the safe side. They are cheap and easy to use.

5: Pull the grease cone off the jet pump(s) and check for any water intrusion. If no water put it back together correctly (use loctite if I am not mistaken) and you are good. If you do find water it is now time to pull the pump and perform some maintenance. Refer to the shop manual for the correct procedure.

6: Spay and lube all the cables, electrical connectors, fittings, linkages, etc. and the engine to coat and protect the metal parts from any possible moisture and corrosion.

7: Remove battery from boat and store for the winter, preferably on a trickle charger out of the cold.

8: Inspect everything to make sure all in good shape, jet pump, impeller, engine compartment, etc.

9: Engine oil. I do not change my engine oil at the end of the season, I do it as part of the de-winterization process. I would rather have fresh oil in the engine at the beginning of the season that has not been sitting in the boat all winter. That said, just be sure there is no water in it and it looks relatively good. If you have any doubts just change the oil and filter now as part of the winterization.

10: Spark plugs. I like to change my plugs at the beginning of the season after the first run out on the lake. I like to burn off the fogging oil on the old plugs then put in fresh ones.

11: Wash clean and dry the boat inside and out. Suck up all the water you can in the engine compartment with a sponge or wet vac.

12: Try to prop the boat storage compartments up a bit with foam or cardboard to allow air circulation during storage, then put on the cover and into storage. I also like to put in a few of those DampRid bags around the boat and in the engine compartment to try and control moisture.

13: Before you put the boat on the trailer it is a good idea to inspect the trailer electrics, wheel bearings, and mechanical. I guess this depends on if you store your boat on the trailer or on the lake during the summer.

I think that is about all I do for winterization, but may have forgotten something (I'm sure if I did someone will let me know). Hope this helps some of you out. Good luck and post if you have any specific questions...
 
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does your boat not have the "closed loop cooling"? All i'm going to do is add fuel stabilizer to it, and that's it.
 
Yes, my boat has the 4-tec engine and the engine cooling system is closed loop just like yours. Even though the engine cooling system is closed loop, the exhaust cooling system is separate and uses raw lake/sea water to cool, just like your boat engines.

I see that you are in Texas so you may not experience freezing winters like we do up here in the frozen north. In your case you may not need to worry about residual water freezing. But if you do get freezing temperatures were you are, I would definitely make sure you have antifreeze in your exhaust cooling system, I believe your boat may have the supercharged intercooled engines. Any residual water that freezes inside the engine passages could cause very expensive damage.

If you store your boat for the winter (even if you have warm winters) you should still perform the other winterization (storage) tasks, like fogging the engines, to ensure they run good next year and for years to come. It's just normal proper maintenance. It's your boat though...
 
if you rev your boat, out of the water, then you'll get out most of the water from the exhaust. What little remains will do nothing if/when it freezes. As far as fogging the engines, that's only if you plan on not starting it for long periods of time. I'll be starting mine once a week or so, and driving it once a month.
 
cycleguy88 said:
if you rev your boat, out of the water, then you'll get out most of the water from the exhaust. What little remains will do nothing if/when it freezes. As far as fogging the engines, that's only if you plan on not starting it for long periods of time. I'll be starting mine once a week or so, and driving it once a month.
Click to expand...

Salt water, fog after every use.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk 2
 
cycleguy88 said:
if you rev your boat, out of the water, then you'll get out most of the water from the exhaust. What little remains will do nothing if/when it freezes. As far as fogging the engines, that's only if you plan on not starting it for long periods of time. I'll be starting mine once a week or so, and driving it once a month.
Click to expand...

Since you use your boat periodically throughout the entire year you never really store it, therefore you do not need to take any special storage care besides routine maintenance. For most of us though, who live in colder climates, we need to put our watercraft away for many months which necessitates the need for the winterization process.

On the non supercharged engines water does not get trapped in the exhaust cooling system, so reving it a couple times out of water is sufficient to rid the system and exhaust water boxes of water (so they say). If I am not mistaken, all of the supercharged engines have an intercooler of some sort. This is where the water gets trapped, and no amount of reving the engine will dispel all the water in these passages; at least that is what I understand from reading the shop manuals and from others on this forum. If you have a supercharged engine you need to get water out of the intercooler system either by blowing it with compressed air or by adding antifreeze.

Please understand I am not trying to be vindictive in any way, I just want to make sure that we have good information out here in these threads so we do not accidentally force someone into a false sense of security about their engines which could result in major repair bills down the line.
 
I got you, and the supercharged models only have the intercooler on the HO versions. I have the 215hp motors, so i have no intercooler. I just thought that part of the "closed loop cooling" was that they needed no winterizing, or very little anyways. Since there's coolant in the engine like a car, i'd just winterize like you would a car. Maybe i'm missing something, so it's good we have a forum full of knowledge. When I bought mine, they said "put it on the trailer, rev it a bit, and that's it". After hearing of the intercooler flushing, i'm glad i have the non-intercooled setup.
 
I don't see running antifreeze in shop or owner manual. All it asks for compressed air to remove remaining water from exhaust system if there's any. Is this one of those old days routine to be safe.

Also, Arent' these boats are self drain so how running an anti-freeze helps? wouldn't it drain out? Of course, it means no water in the exhaust manifold only anti-freeze. that's all I can understand. .
 
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sgoyal said:
I don't see running antifreeze in shop or owner manual. All it asks for compressed air to remove remaining water from exhaust system if there's any. Is this one of those old days routine to be safe.

Also, Arent' these boats are self drain so how running an anti-freeze helps? wouldn't it drain out? Of course, it means no water in the exhaust manifold only anti-freeze. that's all I can understand. .
Click to expand...

Yep anti freeze is the best option. Ya blowing it out can work but how do you know that no water is left? Antifreeze is full proof any water remaining can no longer freeze. I'm not a fan of using air anyway. Unless it is regulated down to about 40 psi, but then you don't have as much volume and water is surely left behind.

Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk 2
 
I don't think the internal intercooler on the 215 motors uses water. I think it uses the antifreeze from the motor. Either way, you'd have to have a lot of water in there to freeze and damage anything. As long as the water has room to expand then you're good
 
cycleguy88 said:
I don't think the internal intercooler on the 215 motors uses water. I think it uses the antifreeze from the motor. Either way, you'd have to have a lot of water in there to freeze and damage anything. As long as the water has room to expand then you're good
Click to expand...

The intercooler uses the same outside water that cools the exhaust. From the pump, water goes first to the intercooler at the front of the engine, then to the exhaust, then back out.
sportstercooling.jpg

Straight from the shop manual regarding scic motor antifreeze protection.
sportsterstorage.jpg
 
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Well just goes to show how little the dealer knows. I was told no water will be in there. They said just rev it.

Thanks for the info
 
cycleguy, that's the reason I'm asking pvamax because I don't find this info in 2011 shop manual either. May be I'm skipping this page somewhere.
 
I pull off bottom hose on intercooler, hold it down low in bilge and drain the water out, lift it up and give it a drink of RV antifreeze and reinstall,then screw a short hose in the water connection at the back of the boat and start engine, dumping in more antifreeze till I see pink coming out the exhaust then you know it is pickled with antifreeze. The reason I start it up first to blow out excess water then shut off engine and pulling the hose off the intercooler is so you don't dilute the antifreeze. Then do you fogging last.You will see a gear clamp on the bottom hose of the intercooler and a crimped clamp on the top line, just remove the bottom hose.As mentioned before this maybe over kill but sure beats replacing swelled up parts next spring.
 
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