Don't Winterize Yet........... but,

[Rick]

here is a helpful checklist:

NOTE: Avoid injury due to accidental engagement of your prop, we recommend you remove the prop from your motor before winterizing.

If your motor is water cooled; running your outboard without an adequate source of cooling water will result in severe damage to your outboard!

1. Fill your fuel tank and add a conditioner. Mix thoroughly

2. Run motor for about 5 minutes at fast idle to ensure the gas with stabilizer has entered the carburetors and floats. Make sure you use a flusher over water intakes to keep engine cool check to see if water is coming out of the telltale.

3. Use engine tune up spray on your engine before winterizing. The spray works better on a warm engine. Make sure engine is off.

4. With engine running fog in the carb's with a good grade outboard fogging oil.

5. Fog until engine stalls. Make sure you alternate between carb's or better yet use two cans of fogging spray. Do this in a well ventilated area. It will be smoky.

6. Change gear oil. Put a pan, to catch the oil, under the lower screw hole. Unscrew the lower hole first. Then open the upper one and the gear oil will drain into the pain. Check your oil, it should not be cloudy, that indicates water in the lower unit. Which means you need new gaskets. Metal shavings mean gear problems.

7. Refill by inserting the new gear oil tube spout in the bottom hole and squeezing until oil over flows out of the top hole. Keep pressure on the tube or quickly the lower hole to keep the oil from pouring out. Replace the top screw first then the bottom screw. Be careful not to cross thread the screws. Tighten the screws. Do not over do it and strip the threads. Your screws are steel and your gear case aluminum.

NOTE: It's easier with the quart or larger containers and the small hand pump designed for them. The pump has a hose and a fitting on the end that will screw into the lower hole. Then you pump until oil comes out the top hole, replace the top plug, remove the hose, and replace the lower plug.

8. Grease all motor zerks.

9. Remove fishing line around the prop thrust washer.

10.Disconnect your batteries. Clean the terminals with baking soda solution, dry thoroughly and Charge Them Up! If this can be done in a warm environment, so much the better. Put Vaseline over the cleaned terminals. Store them in a well ventilated area, preferably above the freezing point. You should also recharge the battery once a month during the off-season to prevent electrical discharge and degradation of the electrolytes.

11.Store outboard in down position if possible. If not, and you're in an area that freezes, then cover exhaust outlet in center of prop so water won't collect and freeze.

Other Considerations:

12.Grease trailer hubs and bearings.

13.Wash and wax the hull.

14.Inspect all nuts and bolts.

15.Block up trailer axle, remove the boat weight from the tires.

16. Remove drain plug, this allows drainage during storage outside.

17.Open all hatches. Place an open bag or two of charcoal in the bilge and in any other enclosed areas. It won't hurt the opened area's either.

Any other good ideas to throw in here?

[Rick]

Who hasn'r winterized yet?

[EBass]

I haven't, but was planning on doing it tomorrow. What's up?

And this is the first time I've done this. So I printed out your first page.

I got some Stabil, fogging spray, carb cleaner and I can't find lower unit lube. But I did change it not too long ago. Can I just drain it and not put new lube in?

I need to get some blocks, and a plastic tarp to then I'm set to bring to my portable.

[can it be luck?]

I haven't! I hope to get up to Little Bay de Noc this weekend and troll up some hog walleye! Only a few weeks left. Brrr.

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http://groups.msn.com/canitbeluck

[Surface Tension]

Ebass it's not a good idea to store the lower unit empty. Fill her up and she'll be ready for next spring.

[Opie]

Can't remember the last time I've winterized a boat. Need to be ready at a moments notice for some pool 4 piggies at Red Wing. Also, heading up to LOW next week. My boat sits idle for maybe a month during the winter (late December to late January. I do all of the precautionary things like run the pumps, pull the plug, crank the motor over quick, and plug in the batteries. Plus it is kept in a garage. I just like having it available....love to ice fish, but would much rather be on "soft" water.

Dean Thorn

[Northlander]

Not yet for me. Still getting a few eyes on the St.Louis. Good practice for the Mississippi next month.

[Dr. Bob]

I am toughing it out too. Hoping for one more shot before freeze up.

I suppose that will pretty much guarantee bad weather .

[Dr. Bob]

Hey Pherris -

Was that you that got towed in to the river mouth on MEA weekend after dark???

I was (the last guy out) fishing by the first grass island and a boat came by towing another boat real slow. It looked pretty weird seeing those 2 sets of running lights coming in across the bay so slow and so close together. I did not know what it was until the were right by us.

P.S. - Sorry to hear about your motor. What a bummer thing to happen on a trip!!!

Did you catch any fish at least???

[This message has been edited by Dr. Bob (edited 10-31-2003).]

[upnorth]

Still hanging in there, planning on a trip to LOW next weekend if the weather is gonna be somewhat decent(highs in the 30s and no storms).

[Fisher Dave]

I haven't winterized yet ... there is still open water to launch on.

[Walleye_GFA]

Me either... teh rivers are good till my guides freeze faster than I can clear them...lol

I did however start to add Stabil since from here on its a crap shoot from one trip to the next if Ill get back out or not...

Im hoping for a few more days in the upper 50's or a bit higher heaven forbid...

Wally

[Cyberfish]

.

[This message has been edited by Cyberfish (edited 11-03-2003).]

[Cyberfish]

Fisher Dave, plenty of open water still, as far as I know, there is no ice on any lakes statewide, though that may change if this cold weather holds up....

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simul iustus et peccator

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