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What needs to be done to a typical fishing boat to winterize it for storage in the freezing cold? Fuel stabilizer? Any need to drain a bilge or livewell pump? What exactly is "fogging" the engine?
This is the first year for me to be doing this... my old 20hp was just stored in the cozy warm basement
Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Banjo, Put some new oil in the shaft, as for fogging, you spray it into the carb while the engine is running and keep spraying it untill the engine dies.
Put blocks on to take the wait away from the axel and the tires. Stablizer is good for the fuel. Put it in before you "fog". And if it a fiberglass boat, find something to keep the mice out!

g'luck

BASSSTALKER

banjo wrote:What needs to be done to a typical fishing boat to winterize it for storage in the freezing cold? Fuel stabilizer? Any need to drain a bilge or livewell pump? What exactly is "fogging" the engine?
This is the first year for me to be doing this... my old 20hp was just stored in the cozy warm basement
Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

I used to drain my livewell pump, don't have the boat anymore . With the bilge I would run RV antifreeze through it to be safe. A bit through the livewell pump too but, that's trickier.
Failing that, depending on the difficulty, remove both. I never went that far and was always fine.

It's the pink stuff you can get at any of your large Dept stores. I would also remove the plugs and fog in each hole! Fuel stabilizer is good for your tank. As for the motor, run it until it dies, take out what you can.

Also change the lower unit oil!

I'm sure everyone does it a tad different.

Additional tips:

I would change the oil in the motor before you put it to rest.

Fill your fuel tank to full, this will prevent condensation.

Drain boat and run bilge dry but leave the drain plug out incase there is any water it will not burst if it freezes and swells.

I think it should give you a few answers
OUTBOARD BASICS
Outboard engines are clearly the easiest and least time-consuming of marine engines to winterize. The most common cause of storage-related failure is water left in the engine block to freeze; ice forms, expands and cracks the block. With outboards, that shouldn’t be a problem as all the water drains out of the exhaust outlets and propeller hub as long as the engine is tilted all the way down after running it.

With the worry of a cracked block or manifold out of the way, emphasis centers on three main areas: fuel conditioning; cleaning and then “ pickling” the engine’s innards; and making sure there’s no water in the gearcase lubricant. After running the engine for five to 10 minutes on the boat’s treated fuel, switch to the storage mix tank and run it for another few minutes. Remove the air silencer cover and rapidly inject “engine tuner” (a high-detergent cleaner) into the throats of the carburetors or fuel injection air tubes.

Some engines have ports built into the fuel system and use special “engine tuner” oil cans to connect to these fittings. The cleaner will help “wash” carbon deposits from your outboard’s spark plugs, cylinder heads, piston tops, and piston rings. After squirting a healthy dose in, shut the engine off and let it sit for at least a half-hour (engines that have not had this treatment in awhile need to sit for several hours to let the tuner fluid work on the baked-on carbon deposits). Start the engine up again and resume spraying in the tuner until the can is empty.

Next, spray engine storage “fogging” oil into the same orifices. This coats the insides with a thick film, protecting the bearings and metal surfaces from condensation and rust. The fluid will try to choke the engine, and you’ll see a lot of smoke; that’s OK. You may need to rev the engine slightly to keep it running as you squirt the oil into all the cylinders — just don’t rev it over 1500 rpm in neutral.

After you fog the engine, shut it down — do not run it out of fuel, especially if it’s an oil-injected engine (the oil pump will continue to run, making it hard to start again in spring).

Remove the spark plugs and add a teaspoon of outboard oil (or spray more fogging oil) into each cylinder, then after removing the kill switch to prevent accidental starting, slowly rotate the flywheel to distribute the oil in the cylinders. If this is not possible, “bump” the key a few times (again, with the kill switch disconnected) so the engine turns over once or twice.

Check the tilt fluid and top off if necessary; then tilt the engine down fully and drain the gearcase lubricant. While it drains, check the lube’s color for water (contaminated lube will appear milky) or excessive metal shavings. If the lube is black and smells burnt, and the lower fill plug has large metal shavings on it, take it to the dealer for repair. Tiny metal filings are OK, and indicate normal operation. Fill the unit with fresh lubricant, and replace the fill/vent plug gaskets if they’re torn or broken. Grease all fittings on the engine (usually on the tilt mechanism, swivel bracket, steering tube and cowling latches) with a good waterproof grease.

Spray the entire powerhead and electrical wiring with silicone lubricant, and touch up any missing paint (especially on the gearcase and center section). Replace any zinc anodes that are more than halfway eroded. Finally, give the entire engine a coat of protective wax.

If you’re not going to store the rig in a heated garage, be sure to poke a pipe cleaner or probe into the gearcase water inlets and (if equipped) speedometer pitot to remove any debris that might be trapping water. Cover the propeller exhaust outlet with a plastic bag to keep water (and pests) out. Consider removing the prop if it’s stainless to prevent theft. If the prop is worn or damaged, now is a good time to send it out for repair and reconditioning. Remove the battery, charge it fully and check that the water level is correct. Store it in a cool, dry place.

Excellent advice MechantMalade, I have been doing all but the engine tuner bit. I shall have a look at that for this year.

I also disconnect the speedometer line from the guage - a few years ago the spring inspection revealed a 25mph starting point instead of zero!!! That year I got nearly 60mph out of my 60Merc!!!

One thing that is obvious but maybe over looked is to close all compartment doors fully... this will help to keep pests out but will also prevent hatches from warping if made from wood.

Excellent advice wallyandre! Thanks for the great post.

Great advise.....I think I'll just look for open water all winter

Thanks for the tips.
I'm gonna take the engine cover off tonite... and maybe it'll give me a better mental image of what needs to be done.
Cheers

To keep critters out of the boat over the winter, get a couple of packages of bay leaves, crunch them up and spread them throughout the deck. They smell better than mothballs and will blow out on your forst trip to the river next spring.

Ed Toobinator Puddephatt

I have this nifty doodad that looks like a giant pair of earmuffs. It attaches to a garden hose and clamps over the water intake on the lower unit. You can fog the motor in your backyard instead of polluting the lake.

For winterizing, I just bring the boat into the house...http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/glookin_0 ... .dir=/4f73

I could'nt get it to work Don?

BASSSTALKER

Thanks for the help so far. Before I dig out the manual and get more confused ... where are the carburators?




As you can tell by the question... I'm not that mechanically inclined. In the past with my old motor, I have pulled the plugs and squirted oil in the cylinders, and then turned the motor over once or twice... But I'm not sure where to squirt the fogging oil while the engine is running.
Thanks!