Winterizing Fail?

[Solarz11]

I recently just winterized my 212x for the first time since owning and I know not everyone does the antifreeze but I’m in MN and it’s peice of mind for me. For those of you that do antifreeze did I do this right? I rigged up a bucket to gravity feed the marine antifreeze, first started the engine and then introduced the antifreeze until it started to come out the jet pump. At that time I fogged the engine while it was running on antifreeze until it died. Later on after doing a little more research I come to find out that using gravity to feed the antifreeze is pretty much useless as it doesn’t cycle all the way through the engine. Is that correct? If so could the engines have gotten too hot while it was running and me waiting for the antifreeze to come out the jet pump? Any insight on the matter would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Babin Farms]

I see temps in the -30 range in N. Illinois and don't even consider antifreeze.

Here is some good reading on the subject.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/antifreeze-for-winterization.24694/

 

[Canuckjetboater]

I recently just winterized my 212x for the first time since owning and I know not everyone does the antifreeze but I’m in MN and it’s peice of mind for me. For those of you that do antifreeze did I do this right? I rigged up a bucket to gravity feed the marine antifreeze, first started the engine and then introduced the antifreeze until it started to come out the jet pump. At that time I fogged the engine while it was running on antifreeze until it died. Later on after doing a little more research I come to find out that using gravity to feed the antifreeze is pretty much useless as it doesn’t cycle all the way through the engine. Is that correct? If so could the engines have gotten too hot while it was running and me waiting for the antifreeze to come out the jet pump? Any insight on the matter would be helpful. Thanks.

@Solarz11 .....if you were about to overheat your engine the overheat alarm would have gone off. Yamaha sets their alarm to respond early. As well you might have seen some "steam" and the water would have stopped exiting your outlets. So, I doubt you overheated it. Although I store my jet boat in heated storage I still run AF through it as marine AF contains lubricants and anti rust inhibitors - so for a few $ and a few minutes it is IMO well worth it.

 

[Scottintexas]

I wouldn't worry about an overheat

I don't think we have proof about the backflow, only speculation,

It would be helpful for us if you did a test with your rig to see how much backflows out the inlet screen

 

[Alan]

Another way to winterize with RV antifreeze that is flushed through the cooling system is to fill a 5 gallon bucket with 3 to 5 gallons of antifreeze and then take a small water pump (no motor) that you power with a portable electric drill. Attach a short section of garden hose to the intake side and the another to the output side. Then connect the output hose to the flush connection on the boat. I can't remember where I purchased the pump but it was less than $20. You start the motor with the free end of the suction hose in the 5 gallon bucket and the free end of the output hose connected to the flush connection on the boat. As soon as the motor is running you start pumping by turning on the drill. When the bucket runs dry rev the motor, then turn it off and your done. You can also fog as the bucket reaches the bottom. Note that the service manager at the Yamaha dealer recommends against fogging. This approach perfectly and I've been winterizing this way for the past 6 years.

 

[mwalker4]

I do something very similar using the pump on my 25 gallon boom sprayer and it gets winterized at the same time. Not sure if I will fog this year, but the 2019 190 Yamaha Owner's manual does recommend lubricating the Throttle Body and fogging for long term storage.

 

[twentiesforever]

@Solarz11 What I do is I fill up a 5-gallon bucket of the pink RV antifreeze. I have a fish pump inside the bucket pumping into the flush outfitting inside the boat. I have a 2014 SX240 and that's where they are on mine. run the pump, turn on the engine. 30 seconds in should empty about 2 gallons at least and you there should be plenty of pink fluid under the pump.

 

[MidnightRider]

I recently just winterized my 212x for the first time since owning and I know not everyone does the antifreeze but I’m in MN and it’s peice of mind for me. For those of you that do antifreeze did I do this right? I rigged up a bucket to gravity feed the marine antifreeze, first started the engine and then introduced the antifreeze until it started to come out the jet pump. At that time I fogged the engine while it was running on antifreeze until it died. Later on after doing a little more research I come to find out that using gravity to feed the antifreeze is pretty much useless as it doesn’t cycle all the way through the engine. Is that correct? If so could the engines have gotten too hot while it was running and me waiting for the antifreeze to come out the jet pump? Any insight on the matter would be helpful. Thanks.

I'm a MN "antifreezer" as well. I doubt you have anything to worry about. Yeah your method probably didn't do very much but a lot of people don't do any antifreeze and don't have problems. If you didn't get any alarms then you didn't overheat the engines enough for any damage. I use a small submersible pump in a 5 gallon bucket. I also personally think that clamping off the intake tubes is a good idea so the antifreeze doesn't just runs out the intake screen. I have tow valves installed so I just shut those off while I pump antifreeze in. All depends on pressure though, you don't have to clamp off the intake tubes to run on household water pressure so if you have enough pressure it probably isn't necessary. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Jores]

Harbor freight sells a small transfer pump with clips that connect to the battery complete with an on/off switch- pour 2 gallons of antifreeze into a five gallon bucket, drop the pump in with hose connected to the wash port, start engine and turn on pump- when the antifreeze is almost empty in the bucket turn off the pump and gun the engine a couple times before turning it off. I use anti freeze from west marine that says its for engines on the label. John