Winterizing on the hard

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bjensen

bjensen

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2013
Messages
37
Location
USA
Vessel Name
JOYSEA
Vessel Make
Grand Banks 36 Classic
My GB with twin 120 Lehman’s in on the hard. It getting cold, engines don’t want to start. What would be best way to get antifreeze in the system and how much. Will be mid 20s for a couple of nights.
Bottom of boat has many planks off.
 
bjensen said:
My GB with twin 120 Lehman’s in on the hard. It getting cold, engines don’t want to start. What would be best way to get antifreeze in the system and how much. Will be mid 20s for a couple of nights.
Bottom of boat has many planks off.
Click to expand...

Block heater or engine room heater if you have 110 available continuously
 
bjensen said:
My GB with twin 120 Lehman’s in on the hard. It getting cold, engines don’t want to start. What would be best way to get antifreeze in the system and how much. Will be mid 20s for a couple of nights.
Bottom of boat has many planks off.
Click to expand...

Drain the raw water muffler if you have one. Pull the raw water impeller from the pump and reinstall the impeller cover. Get a 5 gallon bucket and a small cheap bilge pump. Connect a hose from the bilge pump to the raw water intake and Pump the antifreeze through the system until it exits the exhaust. My Lehman takes 4-5 gallons including the muffler.
 
Last edited:
Cigatoo said:
Drain the raw water muffler if you have one. Pull the raw water impeller from the pump and reinstall the impeller cover. Get a 5 gallon bucket and a small cheap bilge pump. Connect a hose from the bilge pump to the raw water intake and Pump the antifreeze through the system until it exits the exhaust. My Lehman takes 4-5 gallons including the muffler.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I’ll look for a muffler drain. I was worried about to much liquid in the muffler if it wouldn’t start.
 
Cigatoo said:
Drain the raw water muffler if you have one. Pull the raw water impeller from the pump and reinstall the impeller cover. Get a 5 gallon bucket and a small cheap bilge pump. Connect a hose from the bilge pump to the raw water intake and Pump the antifreeze through the system until it exits the exhaust. My Lehman takes 4-5 gallons including the muffler.
Click to expand...


:iagree: But you also need to winterize the potable water system, the raw water system feeding the A/C, the waste system, etc.


David
 
Cigatoo said:
Drain the raw water muffler if you have one. Pull the raw water impeller from the pump and reinstall the impeller cover. Get a 5 gallon bucket and a small cheap bilge pump. Connect a hose from the bilge pump to the raw water intake and Pump the antifreeze through the system until it exits the exhaust. My Lehman takes 4-5 gallons including the muffler.
Click to expand...

Sorry to say but depending on the exact exhaust configuration this technique could send water into cylinders. If the exhaust outlet is higher than the exhaust elbow on the engine it WILL happen.

the safest way to winterize an engine including the lift muffler is to run the engine and have the winterizing fluid drawn into and through the engine and exhaust naturally.

Ken
 
kchace said:
Sorry to say but depending on the exact exhaust configuration this technique could send water into cylinders. If the exhaust outlet is higher than the exhaust elbow on the engine it WILL happen.

the safest way to winterize an engine including the lift muffler is to run the engine and have the winterizing fluid drawn into and through the engine and exhaust naturally.

Ken
Click to expand...

Good call. Pull the hose off of the exhaust elbow so the antifreeze doesn’t go into the elbow. You will need to be sure that the muffler is drained of water as antifreeze won’t flow into it.
 
djmarchand said:
:iagree: But you also need to winterize the potable water system, the raw water system feeding the A/C, the waste system, etc.


David
Click to expand...

I have the fresh water and heads covered. I hate to use ether to start engines.
 
What are they doing or not doing so they won’t start. Running them and sucking the antifreeze in is the best way to do it but if you can’t get them to start go the other route.
 
IF they are just on the cold side and it's not dead batteries then warm them up using a heater or two in the engine compartment. Set the heaters on 500 w or whatever is the low setting and aim them at the engines overnight.
Charge the batteries overnight also.

And a question, I assume East coast Portland but is it West coast Portland. It makes a difference.


Tarp the bottom so the heat will be retained inside. The tapr can come off after the engines have been dealt with.
Don't forget the water system including the pump and HWT , the holding tank and toilets and their piping and pumps.

Often mufflers, especially if it is a waterlift muffler have a drain, use it.
 
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Thanks, west coast. Port engine never been overhauled, doesn’t like anything below 50f
 
Better get it done soon.
It’s going to be in the teens in a few days up here near Burlington Wa. Being out of the water creates big problems. In the water the relatively warm water contacting the hull works wonders keeping the boat warm. We use electric heaters w a thermostatic switch to adjust for temp. That way most of the heat is off when it’s warm enough for freezing. And when it’s in the upper twenties the heater is off. And in Puget Sound sub-25 degree weather is unusual.

But hauled out absolutely everything needs to be protected from freezing.
 
Nomad Willy said:
Better get it done soon.
It’s going to be in the teens in a few days up here near Burlington Wa. Being out of the water creates big problems. In the water the relatively warm water contacting the hull works wonders keeping the boat warm. We use electric heaters w a thermostatic switch to adjust for temp. That way most of the heat is off when it’s warm enough for freezing. And when it’s in the upper twenties the heater is off. And in Puget Sound sub-25 degree weather is unusual.

But hauled out absolutely everything needs to be protected from freezing.
Click to expand...

Yes I see it coming! I have owned this boat six years and never had to winterize. In a boat house on the Columbia R.
Planks going on next week so some gaps will be closed.
 
It may be too late now but slow cranking speeds due to weak or inadequate batteries or poor wiring connections or wires themselves can seriously affect cold weather starting ability. Unless there is something wrong that engine should be able to start colder than you describe.

If the cranking revs are not high enough it won't start.
I've been there although a different engine.

Close those gaps now and get a couple heaters aboard.
 
Most engine manuals include a procedure for draining the raw water side. Basically, open a spot at the top and bottom. Really it's just the heat exchanger(s) and raw water pump. Not sure how much water remains in a water lift muffler, but I've always assumed it's got room to expand anyway.

My experience is closer to the "other" Portland, where we get real Winter. A couple of days where it hits 20F doesn't instill panic here. It takes a lot for the hull and engine to come down to a temperature which will freeze salt water solid enough to do damage. And, as was pointed out, a cheap $15 Walmart electric heater would do the trick anyway.
 
If you can figure out a way to shut the fuel off and crank the engines with no fuel going in, you can likely get enough heat in the engines to get them to start by cranking them for 30 seconds without fuel. This just makes an engine act like an air compressor and without fuel chilling the cylinders, the heat builds up quickly. Detroit Diesel guys do this all the time around here on cold days.
 
Mischief Managed said:
If you can figure out a way to shut the fuel off and crank the engines with no fuel going in, you can likely get enough heat in the engines to get them to start by cranking them for 30 seconds without fuel. This just makes an engine act like an air compressor and without fuel chilling the cylinders, the heat builds up quickly. Detroit Diesel guys do this all the time around here on cold days.
Click to expand...



Thanks for the tip, I’ll give that a try next time. One engine doesn’t like cold weather. Probably low compression. 50yr old.
 
Mischief Managed said:
If you can figure out a way to shut the fuel off and crank the engines with no fuel going in, you can likely get enough heat in the engines to get them to start by cranking them for 30 seconds without fuel. This just makes an engine act like an air compressor and without fuel chilling the cylinders, the heat builds up quickly. Detroit Diesel guys do this all the time around here on cold days.
Click to expand...

Probably wouldn’t want to do that while it’s in the water unless is dry exhaust. But a good thought while on the hard.
 
Cigatoo said:
Probably wouldn’t want to do that while it’s in the water unless is dry exhaust. But a good thought while on the hard.
Click to expand...



It’s to bad water lift mufflers don’t have a site glass.
 
Planks

Trying to attach a photo of part of plank replacement. 7DF679B8-2E35-49B5-BDF1-6BBF8E2F7DD2.jpg
 
I have hull number 150 have all the original manuals and books for the boat and engines if you need any copies let me know.
 
I don't know if you have had to start your Lehmans in cold weather but mine won't even try unless I give it 1/2 to 3/4 throttle. Lehmans don't have glow plugs or any cold starting assist. Giving it a ton of throttle has always worked for me. Hope this helps.
 
I have a cold weather start button that sets the fast idle. Starts every time easily.
 
THANKS for everybody's suggestions. I managed to drain all the heat exchangers and mufflers. and installed some antifreeze in the fresh water system.

I think I found a persistent leak of the last few months. One of the dripless shaft seals was way past due for replacement. A boat part that shouldn't be neglected.
As the manager at the boat yard told me a few years ago, a wood boat is spelled with two T's (Ten Thousand).

Happy Holidays
 
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