Used Houseboats for Sale, Rentals and Plans

I have 2001 Sunstar houseboat with twin 5.0 EFI Mercruisers, BravoII raw water cooled. Winteriztion is a royal PITA. Doing by the book involves disconnecting the hoses to the engine mounted raw water pump and draing, then removing the six blue plastic drain plugs per engine. The hoses on the pump are difficult to get to as well as most of the drain plugs.

My 8.5 Westerbeke is simple with closed cooling all I have to do is close the intake valve and pour antifreeze in the open top Forespar strainer until it comes out the exhaust.

The boat was hauled back to the factory a few years ago for storm damage repair and while there I had the same Forespar strainers and valve put in the hose from the outdrive intrake to the raw water pump. Last year I ran the engines until the thermostats were open then closed the valves and poured antifreeze in until it came out of the outdrives. Just to be sure I removed the drain plugs to check. The manifolds, circulating pump and fuel cooler had antifreeze but the block plugs were clear water.

I called Mercruiser and they told me with my setup it would take 10 gallons per engine to get it properly circulated. That's a lot of antifreeze.

This year I ran three gallons of antifreeze solution through the strainer and pumps, then drained everything and filled the block up through the thermostat housing. The bruises and cuts from this process have just healed.

There has to be an easier way. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Rick

Hate to be a smart a** but you seem to have equipped your rig about as far as you can, to do the job properly.

You might replace the plugs with petcocks.

Other than that, the only way you can make it easier is to break out your wallet and have someone you can trust, do it for you.

IMHO: You are doing all the right things and can sleep well when done. Keep doing it. Each year you will hurt yourself less and get done quicker.

Have a good offseason.

As I get older the task doesn't get any easier. I might just try putting some food coloring in some water next year and run 10 gal per engine through the strainer and then check the block plugs. Petcocks would be much easier. I may try to look for some. I think the thread on the merc plugs is 1/2 by 13. The worst part of getting the blue wing nuts back in is doing it by feel while having to contort your body. And at age 60 my body doesn't contort as well as it used to. I wish Mercruiser would get some of the 60 year old design enginneers into the engine compartments and try doing this.

Thanks, Old Houseboater.

Rick

I used raditor petcocks which were 1/4 inch pipe thread at the time. I don't know what the plug thread is in metric engines.

Really, the best petcocks are the 1/4 turn ones that you can stick a wire in, to clear sand and debris.

You might also consider replacing the blue plugs with hose fittings then running hoses (radiator quality or heater hose) to easy-to-get-to area.
With a petcock valve on the end of the hoses.

What would happen if you were to manifold them into a log with the hoses and then you could have a fitting on the log that would allow you to pressure fill with antifreeze into the block via where the blue plugs were???

That might be more efficient as far as amount of fluid it takes before all areas are filled with antifreeze?

Just some thoughts, don't know if they would work.

jeeperman wrote:

QUOTE:
You might also consider replacing the blue plugs with hose fittings then running hoses (radiator quality or heater hose) to easy-to-get-to area.
With a petcock valve on the end of the hoses.

What would happen if you were to manifold them into a log with the hoses and then you could have a fitting on the log that would allow you to pressure fill with antifreeze into the block via where the blue plugs were???

That might be more efficient as far as amount of fluid it takes before all areas are filled with antifreeze?

Just some thoughts, don't know if they would work.

I will keep that idea in mind. The cuts on my hands are just healing after fighting with the plugs a few weeks ago.