Posted: 16 October 2006 at 8:05am | IP Logged

I just recently acquired a 20' Grady with a 150 Horse Johnson outbard.  I live in the northeast.  Could someone direct me to a good site or provide detailed information on winterizing the engine and the boat.  Thank you.

Jamie Shores

Posted: 16 October 2006 at 3:33pm | IP Logged

Pick up either a Selco or Clymer repair manual for it, they will have a section on winterizing. Make sure you get the right one for the year you have. It's been 20 years since I had a outboard, back then we just changed the lower end fluid, ran the motor with the gas line disconnected, untill it burned up all the fuel , then sprayed foggin oil in the cylinders.  I used up the gas in the portable tanks up in the snowblower over the winter. In spring I would fire up the motor, let it run the foggin oil up, remove and clean the plugs, and repeat  whole proccess in late fall. I would definetly verify with a manual though, like I said, its been 20 years.

West Marine shoud have it in stock:

http://www.boatus-store.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Produc tDisplay?storeId=20002&langId=-1&catalogId=20002& ; ;productId=232883

Also see:

http://www.outboardrepairs.com/topics/004933.html , they have a few things to add.

Posted: 27 October 2006 at 1:28pm | IP Logged

Mike113:

I have never heard of oil stabilier. Who makes it? Do you leave it in for the next years use, or do you have to redrain? Is it just for outboards, or for use in I/O's also. Do you mix it with the gear oil before putting it into the drive, or just squeeze it in and hope it mixes?

Tim

Posted: 27 October 2006 at 5:13pm | IP Logged

Tim, West Marine sells it. It is called crankcase oil stabilizer.I like to drain the case at the end of the season so the old oil isn't in it for the winter and again in the spring. It may be overkill but with engines costing $10,000 or more I don't want to chance it. I think you can use it inI/O's draive and engine oil as well as outboard drives. It is supposed to prevent corrosion.

Thanks

Posted: 27 October 2006 at 5:20pm | IP Logged

Thanks Mike, I to am a firm believer in doing everything possible to avoid the need of  a major repair. An extra $20 up front is allot less than $5k latter. I will look more into it.

Tim

Posted: 28 October 2006 at 5:49am | IP Logged

Submariner wrote: What exactly does fuel stabilizer do?  I thought the shelf life for gasoline was 12 months.  The most my boat will sit is 5 months.  I'm also looking at a 50 gallon tank sitting on empty.

Gasoline will start to break down in about 3 months.  Stabilizer slows down this action and keeps the gas "fresh" for about 12 months.  So, if you fill up, put some Stabilizer in first.

Posted: 28 October 2006 at 9:21am | IP Logged

Oil stabilizer, now there is pure nake oil.  Change your oil at the end of the season and that's it.  The additive package in oils takes care of everything.  Then, again, it's "your" money.  I just see things like that as a means to extract money from the unknowledgeable consumer - money that could be put to better use elsewhere, it adds up.  $20 for junk pays for two of the four Racor filter cartridges I really do need.

Submariner:  I don't know where you live but here in N. VA gas is $2.15 which means where I like to get fuel near Fredericksburg is has to be about $1.75