Winterization with antifreeze

[biffdotorg]

I'm now a believer as we just spent $7300 to replace a cracked head on our SX190, attributed to frozen water damage.

That's what they attributed it to, as they had no other explanation. It is nearly impossible for that head to trap water. It's in the design. A better explanation that the cooling system may have been temporarily plugged, got hot and then got a shot of cool water and cracked the head. Way more likely than freezing.

But you do you. If it helps you sleep in the winter, do it. There is no right or wrong, just good use of time or waste of time and money.

 

[Neutron]

That's what they attributed it to, as they had no other explanation. It is nearly impossible for that head to trap water. It's in the design. A better explanation that the cooling system may have been temporarily plugged, got hot and then got a shot of cool water and cracked the head. Way more likely than freezing.

But you do you. If it helps you sleep in the winter, do it. There is no right or wrong, just good use of time or waste of time and money.

Dont be so sure of that, this block cracked at the rear cylinder. Most like because they stored the ski with the bow very high i am assuming. When you do this the drain which is near the front wont do its job.
From what i can see it to keep the engine as level as possible to make sure it drains properly.

 

[biffdotorg]

That does sound possible for sure. Isn’t that black piece the manifold?

 

[Neutron]

No here is a wider shot of the replacement block, the circle is where it was cracked on the old block.. you can see the two pipes to the left which would drain

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

As stated previously I used to flush with antifreeze, to be precise, for the first winter I had my boat. After researching via these forums and talking with Yamaha I just make sure to blow out the water locks @Julian and @biffdotorg and the little sticker on the back of the boat by the drain plug. A a fyi my boat spends most of the winter in a heated shop.

My boat has a raw water wash down system from the factory that has water pushed into that system by the starboard jet pump from the port waverunners have that shoots water straight up while underway. This system in its factory configuration also did not suffer any kind of freeze damage in sub zero conditions. I modified that system by adding an electric pump, I put a T in the line from the sea cock that is the supply for the live well and ran that to a strainer and then to the electric pump. I drain the strainer and I make sure to run the electric pump with the wash down hose plugged into the quick disconnect fitting until I’m no longer getting water out. When I fish during the shoulder seasons and overnight temps are in the teens or single digits I have found there is ice in one of the lines somewhere but there has yet to be any damage.

The other place I get ice forming is in the steering cables, enough that the steering will be locked for a few mins after launching, I’ve tried pulling the rubber boots on the steering shafts to let the water out, and run the steering from left to right numerous times to help get the water out but that hasn’t fixed the problem, and no apparent damage.

Last early spring I took my boat to lake Mohave for a few weeks, that drive had me towing in freezing rain at about 25°F ambient, had about a 2” thick layer of ice on the hull when I got to little America hotel in Wyoming the temp was still well below freezing and colder overnight. The next day I passed through Evanston Wyoming where it was 4°F. My boat was totally fine after that trip down and the return trip, I just made sure to blow out the water locks and the raw water wash down system before driving back home.

I do think if the boat was being operated in salt water regularly I’d have one of those fogging systems that cycle springs down in Florida has that has a tap in the intake boot on the post side of the air filter and I’d be fogging the engine that way regularly because of the salt atmosphere.