Winterizing your Atomic 4

[edwardc]

I took my boat out thinking I was going to have it back in before winter, but now I need to winterize it on the hard. What's the best method to do that? I've read through this thread and saw that some recommend cranking on the starter with the plugs out to get the antifreeze through. I don't have a thermostat so I'm not worried about having to to warm up the engine. But I dont want water getting back in to block through the exhaust. Please advise!

Ignoring any fuel or oil prep with MMO, here's what I would do:

1: Remove the thermostat (I know, you don't have one), replace the housing, and clamp off the bypass line. This will insure that water gets flushed out of the block.

2: Disconnect the raw water intake hose from the through-hull and lead it into bucket of antifreeze.

3: Be SURE you're in neutral! The cutlass bearing needs water to cool and lube it! Secure the prop with a rag or line so it won't rotate from any residual drag from the transmission.

4: Run the engine just long enough to get pink antifreeze out of the exhaust, adding to the bucket as needed until this happens.

5: Kill the engine, remove the plugs, put a few squirts of MMO in each cylinder (as described elsewhere) and use the starter to turn it over a rev or two to distribute the MMO.

All in all, pretty similar to what you would do in the water. The key points
are to remove the thermostat and imobilize the prop.

[P30]

A few questions on first winterization

I have a 1976 P30 /salt water cooled/ electric fuel pump / oil safety switch / fuel tank already filled up and additives ok / in the water on the Magothy river (mid-Maryland-Chesapeake Bay).

This forum talked me through resolving my fuel related shutdown earlier this year and hopefully I can get some more advice on my first winterizing. I’ve read Don’s instructions and lots of threads and here is how I intend to seduce her:
1. Warm her up, drain oil using the handy oil changer recommended elsewhere on this forum.
2. Add a quart of MMO thru filler cap.
3. Attach a washing machine hose to the “T” fitting on water inlet line.
4. Start engine and run 5 gallons of fresh water out of a bucket and through engine, then a bit extra to clear the exhaust system.
5. Do my darndest to locate the freeze plugs, remove any that I can, clean out the holes with a wire bush and replace.
This part kinda scares me. To be honest, relationship with my new mistress has gotten off to a rocky start as I have not been able to spend much time with her. I did finally get down to see her the other night and hung upside down in the dark poking around (Note: mistress analogy ends here) but am not sure that I ever found her drain plugs. I know that they aren’t the original shiny brass 2 inchers so someone must have replaced them over the last 35 years. Every other mechanical fastener that I have needed to loosen on this boat has been seized tight so I don’t want to strip any threads/screw up anything if I don’t need to.

Question 1: If I eventually get antifreeze out the exhaust after running with thermostat both open and closed, how critical is removing the drain plugs?

6. Fill bucket with antifreeze (I got some blue stuff at WM that is RV/non toxic but supposedly has some rust prohibitors in it) and run engine till it exhausts.
7. Remove thermostat, pinch hose with griplocks over wood strips and run engine again. Drain Racor bow. Drain carb bowl.

Question2: Is this just removing the bolt on the bottom of carb bowl and draining any fuel?

8. Reattach & tighten bowl then jump fuel pump to refill the carb.

Question3: Do I just remove the wires from the oil safety switch and touch them against each other?

9. Remove spark plugs (pray I don’t strip anything)/squirt MMO toward engine center/replace/then crank for a few seconds.
10. Spark plugs back in, hoses reconnected. Mix dark rum with ginger beer and a dash of bitters. Eyes on mistress, celebrate seduction.

Note: I plan on tackling the electrical system at a later date after I find my old Neilson album and figure out what a point is.

Sorry for the lengthy post but hanks in advance for any help.

[Ajax]

I also have a P30, and I'm in the Rhode River, middle Bay. My previous owner says that as the final step, he'd start the engine and spray MMO fogging oil into the flame arrester/intake until the engine stalls.

Good? Bad? Opinions?

[P30]

Access to drain plugs on your P30

Ajax, in years past, have you been removing your drain plugs? Based on whatever tilt they gave our engines, do you remember which ones that I should spend most of my time/energy on?

[Ajax]

This is my first winter, so no I don't. I'm in the same boat (literally and figuratively) as you are.

I'm racing the boat until November 20th, so that'll be the earliest that I winterize, unless the threat of a severe freeze comes before then. I plan on crawling into the engine space and investigating all of this before then.

[P30]

Racing your P30

Ajax, Good luck with the racing! I love the way the P30 sails, our first boat was a brand new First 29 and yet I swear this new girl is faster on all points except maybe hard on the wind. Let me know how you do.

Off topic: she has a newly installed furler and yet came with a full suite of North hank on headsails (spinnaker, 145, 125 and a light genny that I left on the boat) If you are interested in any (or a spare pole), PM or email me.

[Loki9]

The block drain plugs are on the starboard side of the motor. Note that we are talking about 1/8" NPT drain plugs, which are not "freeze plugs". "Freeze plugs" are pressed into the block and only removed during an overhaul. The forward drain plug is behind the starter. It's possible to get to it without removing the starter, but it isn't easy. The aft plug should have a pipe nipple in it that extends out past the accessory drive. Hopefully, it won't break off when you try to remove the end cap. I've worked on two A4s now, one had a brass extension that opened easily, the other had an iron/steel extension that broke off right at the block when I tried to open it.

Access to the starboard side of the A4 is really poor in a P30, so I'd probably leave the plugs in and just run more antifreeze through it.

[positron]

mild heresy

I have had a P30 for 2 winters so far. The first winter I followed the (rather lengthy) winterization procedure as well as I could. It took me about 5 hours but that included help from my 9 year old son. I'm pretty sure I was the first person to take out the drain plugs in a while. I got all of them out and it wasn't too hard, but I couldn't verify unobstructed flow from the starboard side. Actually I was thrilled to get the aft one back in again. As I was explaining to my son how "fogging oil" gets its name, we happened to poke our heads above deck and saw that there was indeed a very thick petroleum fog rolling across the creek. Motor ran fine next spring.

The next year I noticed a check-box on the marina's haul-out form for "engine winterization". I was in a hurry and it was cold, so I thought what the heck. Now, the marina guy is pretty conscientious, but the service costs $100 and at $85/hour I'm pretty sure he didn't have time to pull all of the drain plugs, run it with/without thermostat, lovingly squirt MMF in key spots, etc. Motor ran fine next spring. Just saying.

[CalebD]

I also have a P30, and I'm in the Rhode River, middle Bay. My previous owner says that as the final step, he'd start the engine and spray MMO fogging oil into the flame arrester/intake until the engine stalls.

Good? Bad? Opinions?

Actually this sounds like a pretty good idea; coat the air intake side with a light coating of lightweight oil like MMO or fogging oil. I've never used this as a last step before. I'm not sure that I will do it though as it does not seem to be needed, in my experience.

I'm sure that Loki9 is right and the drain plugs you want to remove are the block drain plugs, not the 'freeze plugs' which are different. It is optimal to be able to drain the block using these plugs if you are able to clear out any crud that may have built up in there. I'll admit that I don't always do this though as the access is poor on my boat (perhaps to my own detriment). I have become accustomed to draining my raw water pump after winterizing and letting it drain over time. Perhaps this winter I'll find the rear block drain plug on my A4 and try to remove it as well.

What is it with all you new P30 owners? Is Pearson still making them?
We raced against one a few years ago that was usually our nemesis on the race course. Good sailing boats.

I hope to get down the the Chessy soon for one last overnight sail.

[Laker]

Sabina was in a heated shed for 6 years , so it's been a while since I winterized. As best I can remember , I did the following on the hard :

Briefly ran engine , all hoses attached , to belch raw water out of system

Disconnected intake at thru hull and discharge at standpipe , inserted both into bucket of antifreeze

Ran engine until antifreeze in bucket was steamy hot and temp gauge told me that operating temp was reached

Fogged with MMO at spark arrester

Shut down , MMO injected thru spark plug holes

Easy procedure , no drain plugs to fight with , block full of antifreeze until spring start up.

Anything wrong with this procedure?

From the land of -20 F. , Laker

[smosher]

I'm not sure 1. If the starter can provide enough rotation for the pump to fill the engine with antifreeze. 2. I wouldn't run the starter any longer than 10 - 15 sec.

I place the end of hose into the bottle of antifreeze and I have another bottle cap off ready to go. Start the engine, wait untill 1st bottle empty, put hose into
into 2nd bottle. When its empty I shut down the engine.

[Laker]

Smosh ,

If you were responding to my post , I was running the engine , not cranking it.

[smosher]

I must be getting senile, I thought someone asked if they could antifreeze the engine just with the starter and not running the motor.

Steve

[Laker]

I think someone did ask that question , but I do not think it was recent on this thread.

[Laker]

I am re-running this in the hope that someone will answer and/or comment regarding the question at the bottom. Thanks in advance , Laker.

Sabina was in a heated shed for 6 years , so it's been a while since I winterized. As best I can remember , I did the following on the hard :

Briefly ran engine , all hoses attached , to belch raw water out of system

Disconnected intake at thru hull and discharge at standpipe , inserted both into bucket of antifreeze

Ran engine until antifreeze in bucket was steamy hot and temp gauge told me that operating temp was reached

Fogged with MMO at spark arrester

Shut down , MMO injected thru spark plug holes

Easy procedure , no drain plugs to fight with , block full of antifreeze until spring start up.

Anything wrong with this procedure?

From the land of -20 F. , Laker