Fish-Hawk.Net

Hi guys. This summer I purchased a new (used) boat with a 70 HP Outboard on it (Evinrude).

I have always been a MOSTLY bass fisherman, but after my first muskie last weekend I am itching to keep on trying for them 'till my fingers freeze.

I guess the question is: How far down can the temperature drop before a non-winterized motor sitting outside (driveway) breaks?

I just want to be prepared 'cuz I don't want to scew up my very first nice boat/motor. Also I want to be able to go out with you guys more often for some muskies.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Cheers everybody!

The good news is you can use your motor all winter,following a few steps each time you pull you boat out at the ramp

Tilt the motor all the way down so the water drains from the pump housing while tying down the boat.Pull the drain plug for livewells also.


You can turn over the motor once to spit out any remaning water, some do and some don't.


I would also drain my lower unit gear lube and add fresh lube in case water is getting into the crankcase.

good luck

roughrider

Another small thing but it helps, start adding gas line anti-freeze to your fill ups when it get's colder

thank you guys. I ws a little upset because I thought I was going to have to winterize the motor pretty soon!

Another problem you may run into is the boat freezing to the bunks although i don't really know of any solution to this. You can still launch your boat but you may need to break free from the frozen bunks. This will mostly happen a lot closer to ice up though for those die hards

I've run these motors exclusively for many years. With a little care they're bulletproof - at least in my experience. It seems that each year I have the best of intentions when it comes to winterizing, but sometimes I forget. I think I'll be out one more time before freeze-up, but stuff happens. I've been using Sta-bil in my gas all year long so that if and when I forget, it's in the tank and in the motor and fuel lines. Sometimes I fog the cylinders, but not always. I make sure all the water is out by storing in the full down position. I wait until just before my first outing in the Spring to change the lower unit oil. It's a routine, along with lubing the wheel bearings, checking tire pressure, etc., that has enabled me enjoy many hours of trouble free OMC motoring.

Water freezes when temps are below zero (really...news to me) and this is your main concern when either storing or using you boat in the winter:

- ensure no water is in the motor (store in down position - no tilt)
- use gas line anti-freeze keeping in mind as water in the gas line is not good
- store with a full tank of gas. This prevents condensation in the gas tank and therefore in the gas
- lower unit sound never have water in the gear oil. If there is water in the gear oil (cloudy) you will first need to change the gear oil to prevent the lower unit from freezing and second get your seals checked/replace to ensure no water gets in the lower gear unit again
- flush livewells with either an air hose or pour anti-freeze down the live well drain (ensure you collect the anti-freeze and dispose of properly)
- drain hull of water
- ensure there is no water never the bulge pump. It there is drain it and/or pour some anti-freeze there to prevent the bulge pump from freezing

Other things to keep in mind:

- dont' store your batteries in the boat when it is cold out. This kills your battery regardless if it is charged or not. Bring the batteries in the house for the winter or after every use if you are still using the boat during the cold days. Keep those batteries charged (charge at least once a month if you are storing them during the winter).
- as stated, put fuel stabilzer in the fuel when storing. Gasoline doesn't last and this will help it last. This is also a good tip for during the season if you don't use you boat a lot. Doing this has nothing to do with the cold. It is simply adding shelf life to your fuel.

Frozen bunks...I got no answer for that.

Don't forget to carry some sand in the tow vechile for those slippery launches. Do not use salt near the launches. This is fresh water not salt around here.

Cheers,

Mike

All good points in PBs note, but I'd suggest using plumbers antifreeze instead of regular glycol antifreeze for your pumps and drains. The plumbers antifreeze is more environmentally friendly (and cheaper).