winterizing

[Jim Corson]

I have a 2004 NX882DC with a Merc 150 EFI. Is there anything "I" can do to winterize the motor, rather than taking it to the shop? I know about Stabil, but would that be enuf? Economys ruff, tryin to SAVE $$$$$$$$$ if i can, but i know, i've never had any problems when i took it to the shop to be winterized either, just wondering......... Thanx everyone, Jim

 

[cq]

There are a number of sites that you can view. Try your DNR for one.

Here is a link to Ohio's DNR.



cq
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/safetytips/winterize/tabid/2717/Default.aspx

 

[KEVIN WERHAN]

If you have gas containing ethanol in your tank, get it out and fill up with non-oxygenated gas, add stabilizer and even a can of seam foam to the tank. Run the engine long enough to be sure that the good gas has run thru the engine. Drain and fill the lower unit, if the fluid looks milky, replace the plug gaskets. In fact, you may want to do that anyways. Their cheap insurance to keep water out of the lower unit. After you have ran the engine for the last time and are going to put your baby to rest for the winter, remove the spark plugs, spray fogging oil into the cylinders, turn the engine over by hand, using the flywheel. With the plugs removed, it will turn over very easy. Put the plugs back into the engine, using the correct torque, so you do not strip the threads out of the engine. YOUR DONE!!!

 

[Jim Corson]

Yes, i know all those things but where my Merc 150 is Fuel Injected, i can't fog, as the computer will conpensate to lean out the mixture. I can put oil in the cylinders, but wondering if the fuel system should be done, or put stabil in the existing gas and run for 5-10 mins to get stabil into fuel system. Thanx

 

[Marty Klein]

I could be wrong now, but once you fog everything up, your motor should be done for the year. Your computer will most likely do nothing either. Next spring, when you fire it up for the first time, your computer's leaning action will probably be a little advantageous as the fog oil burns off.

 

[Berry Lindley]

Here is what Merc says to do when storing:

http://www.mercurymarine.com/_media/pdfs/serviceandwarranty/storage/StorageInformation.pdf

 

[C C]

Until I got rid of my Merc I was spending $125 to have my 150 Merc Opti Max winterized.



Not trying to hijack your thread but I now have an Evinrude E-TEC and spend about 15 minutes doing the winterizing process and that includes pulling the prop and putting away the battery when I am finished.



After checking the lower end fluid, putting in the stable and running the motor for a couple of minutes the actual winterizing part only takes about 2 minutes. You hook the hose directly to the motor, no muffs and then go through a routine that takes about 2 minutes, top off the oil and it's done.



The motor starts in the spring just as if I had just ran it the day before, no smoke or slugishness, she is ready to run.



Point of the story is, I wonder why other manufactures don't set up their motors to do this? It's cheap and easy.



Cass

 

[Tim King]

I put my coveralls in mine!!:lol::lol:



Tim

 

[Berry Lindley]

Yeah, I don't winterize my boat either, unless the water gets hard (I love to fish for saugers), I go fishing. I do keep mine in the garage which is really handy, but I do change my L/U oil.

 

[KEVIN WERHAN]

wondering if the fuel system should be done, or put stabil in the existing gas and run for 5-10 mins to get stabil into fuel system.



YES, at the very least, put stabil in the gas and run it thru the engine. I also add a can of sea foam before the last couple of trips out. Helps clean out all fuel related components, it's not going to hurt anything, and it's added insurance.