165G Winterizing

[Sharked]

This will be my first winter owning my 165, I was going to have a marine shop shrink wrap and winterize my boat, however a friend has offered to let me store my boat in his barn instead.

I am going to pull the battery out and keep it at my house on a trickle charger

Can anyone advise what else I should do to the engine prior to putting in the barn for the winter?

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Hi. The only thing you MUST do is ensure the exhaust system is clear of any water. You can either use a compressor to blow it out as per the manual or do what I do which is pump a 2 gallon jug of RV antifreeze through using something like a cheap drill pump. The rest of the work isn't really "winterizing" but rather maintenance. Which I do in the fall as well since it's a good time.

If you want to discuss further, I can help you out some more. Feel free to PM me here or for faster response, via Facebook Messenger here: Log into Facebook

 

[funbobby]

I was just looking for this info myself... Look under "Storage" in the Rotax User's manual here: https://jetboaters.net/attachments/engines-manual-pdf.51849/

 

[funbobby]

What/where is the throttle accelerator sensor (TAS)?

12)Ensure the throttle/shifter lever is in the NEUTRAL position. 13)Activate the drowned mode as follows. 14)Move the throttle accelerator sensor (TAS) to the wide open throttle position (WOT).

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

The TAS is where the cable pulls on the sensor to send the speed you want electronically to the engine. Aka, converts the physical motion of your throttle to a digital signal and that's sent to the engine to adjust your speed.

The location of it is different on each boat. Mine, on my 165, is in front of the shifters under my "hood" in front of the driver. I have to remove 6 screws and pull out the plastic tray to see it. Yours will be different and I'm uncertain where it's located exactly on the 195. But it should be somewhere near the shifters. Here's a random post from the 215... I suspect the 195 is similar. Look at post #9. https://jetboaters.net/threads/2015-scarab-215-wont-start.19228/

By keeping the shifter in neutral and manually moving the TAS to wide open throttle, the engine understands this as "drown mode". It will allow the engine to turn over but not start.

Others just pull the fuel pump fuse(s). That essentially does the same thing. Doesn't allow fuel to get to the engine so it won't start.

With all of this in mind, many of us, including myself, don't lubricate the interior of the engine. It is very common to "muck up" the O2 sensors with whatever oil you use causing you grief in the spring and having to replace them. In theory, it shouldn't, but in reality, it's very common to have this problem.

As this post states in big, bright red text... https://jetboaters.net/threads/scarab-chaparral-glastron-rotax-winter-prep.5978/

Obviously, if you understand the O2 sensor may need replacing in the spring due to fogging, then by all means. But just be aware of this. I live in Canada, 228h on my engine and don't fog.

 

[funbobby]

Thanks Luc! I've always taken it to the dealer I bought it from up to now. I assume they lube and fog, but I don't know for sure. I do know it's thrown O2 sensor codes before though.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Yeah, fogging can definitely cause sensor issues. That's why I don't do it. I just don't think the benefits are that great on these engines. I think having to replace O2 sensor to be more annoying.

The rest should definitely be done though. I have a little winterizing procedure list I follow (made myself) every fall. Covers all the winterizing and maintenance. Nothing too hard. The only important part is the water in exhaust thing. Maybe the stabilizer in the fuel too. Otherwise, it's maintenance that you can do whenever you please.

 

[funbobby]

Nice, can you share the list?

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

What's in it for me? Just kidding.

Keep in mind this is my personal checklist of what I do each fall and MY sources where to get them. By doing this each fall, all my boat maintenance is done and the boat is ready to go in the spring.

Scarab Winterizing & Maintenance Procedures

docs.google.com

 

[funbobby]

If you come to MI next year I'll give you a ride in the plane I'm building in my garage.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Noted! I don't go down that way very often though... lol

 

[Miitch]

I also avoid fogging.. Never found it necessary.. I just pull the spark plugs and put a drop of oil in each of the cylinders, then crank with no plugs in. Put it all back together and theyre lubed up enough for the winter. Probably not the most "by the book method", but is has worked for my father for years, and is now working for me!

Also, if you pump antifreeze in, i found you don't even need a pump. If you can get like 7-8 ft of garden hose attached to the flush port, you can just funnel antifreeze in right from the jug. Hold the jug and funnel at chest level while the boats running and pour in from there. You'll see antifreeze come out of the pump which means its in your exhaust system.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

@Miitch

My only worry with the gravity method is the speed/length of time it takes to pump those gallons through. How long does it take? Approximate. I assume you're well aware of not running the boat out of water for too long. I'm going to time it this year with my drill pump method. If I had to guess, it takes about 45 sec with this technique. I'm curious how long the gravity technique takes.

 

[Miitch]

@Miitch

My only worry with the gravity method is the speed/length of time it takes to pump those gallons through. How long does it take? Approximate. I assume you're well aware of not running the boat out of water for too long. I'm going to time it this year with my drill pump method. If I had to guess, it takes about 45 sec with this technique. I'm curious how long the gravity technique takes.

It was about 30-45 seconds before i saw antifreeze coming out of the pump. as long as you make sure there is a sufficient amount of antifreeze in your funnel/hose system it should push everything through to the exhaust system relatively quickly. Ill confirm again in a couple of weeks

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

If you don't mind, I'd love to get exact times. Aka, it takes x seconds to run 2 gallons through with gravity. I'll do the same. I get the feeling it's minimal. But it would be good to know, this comes up quite often. So if you could measure that and report back when you do it, and I'll do the same.

 

[JetBoat195G]

Just answering the question above, “where is the throttle accelerator sensor (TAS)?” The TAS on a Scarab 195 (at least on my single engine 195G) is in the compartment behind the driver’s station instrument panel. It can be accessed by lifting the seat in front of the driver’s station and unsnapping the vinyl covering on the back side of the compartment. Below is a picture of the compartment looking aft. The TAS is in the reflection of the red handled inspection mirror. It’s mounted by the three bolts at the bottom of the picture. You have to be a bit of a contortionist to reach it, but it’s doable.

 

[Miitch]

@Luc Lafreniere Update on the time for the gravity method: 48 seconds total from when I tipped the 10L container upside down to when i saw antifreeze coming out of the exhaust. when i was done, i had just over half of the full container remaining. So im guessing i used about 4L. Which is about 1 gallon in Fahrenheit numbers.

Apologies for the delay... I was late to the winterization this year because fishing > everything else.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

All good. I did mine but my drill pump kind of seems to be taking air. I'm not sure what's going on. But to pump 1.75 gallons (6.6L), it took just over 1 min.

I'm not sure if the pump was working properly or not. But regardless, this sounds like the gravity vs. drill pump method is extremely similar. The one benefit of the pump is that you can leave the jug on the ground.

I'll try to remember to measure it again next year after I check my pump over. But probably little difference since it felt pretty similar to last year.