Winterizing Houseboats Part 2

Now that the boat is out of the water there are a few things you are going to need to do to prepare your boat for a long winter's nap here in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. We have twin Mercury Marine I/O sterndrives powered by twin Ford 302 engines. You will need to pick up a few supplies. You are going to need oil filter(s), , be sure to check you manufacturer's manual for the exact size you need, oil filter wrench, water/fuel separator(s)(if your boat engine(s) is equipped with one, 5 quarts per engine of proper marine engine oil( Quicksilver 4-cycle 25W-40 Marine Engine Oil), oil changing pump, container for used oil, proper gear lube for the sterndrive(s), lube pump, grease gun equipped with marine grease, environmentally friendly water line antifreeze(pink in color), marine fuel stabilizer, motor flushing attachment, and fogging oil.
When we winterize our houseboat we start with the fuel system first by changing the water/fuel separators, filling the fuel tank full and adding the recommended amount of fuel stabilizer. The fuel stabilizer prevents the fuel from breaking down over the winter months. We hookup the motor flushing attachment(always remove the propeller first to avoid injury) and run the engines to circulate the stabilizer through the fuel lines and we will spray fogging oil into the carburetors or directly into the cylinder walls to lubricate and prevent internal corrosion.
Next we change the gear lube in the sterndrives while the engine is warm is helps the flow of the old gear lube for removal. Check your owner's manual to find the drain plug and vent for this procedure and for the proper type of gear lube as there is regular and high performance lubes.
After draining the lube you use your lube pump to refill the lower units pushing the lube up from bottom to top. This is a good time to look at the old gear lube to see if there are any metal shavings or if it's a dark brown color these will indicate a possible problem and you should seek the advice of a professional marine mechanic.
Next we change the oil and oil filters in the engine(s) to keep the interior of the engine properly lubricated. Best advice is to purchase an oil pump from your local marine supply store and pump out the oil into a container to be disposed of. The oil gets pumped out through the dipstick holder, it has a narrow tube that extends all the way into the oil pan. We use Quicksilver 25W-40 Marine Engine Oil(5 quarts).
Next we use the grease gun and lubricate all the grease fittings around the tilt mechanisms and the steering mechanisms.
Next we remove all the engine plugs on the manifold and engine block to drain any or all the water that is trapped in the coolant system. Check your owner's manual for their locations. This is very crucial so ice will not form inside the engine and crack something. We even remove a hose and dump in water line antifreeze to make sure all the water has been removed and it any stayed inside it won't freeze completely.
This is a great time to check over all the belts and hoses and remove the batteries and keep them charged over the winter months.
This is how we take care of our engines on our houseboat so stay with us for Part 3 and we will give advice on the interior and the rest of the exterior of our houseboat.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we explore more cruise stops and events and provide more information.