Outboard in freezing temps

I’m on the 3rd year of boat ownership, the 2nd of which was spent dry because I was refurbishing the interior. The first year I owned it I winterized it before started freezing over night (late October in SE Wisco). I’d like to keep her out later into the fall this year, but I don’t have heated storage. I do keep it inside, but its not heated.

What’s the best way to make sure you get as much water out of the motor as possible so as not to have to worry about the problems freezing will cause? What else do I have to worry about other than getting the water out of the motor? It’s an old aluminum hull, but doesn’t leak a drop.

I will offer what has worked for me for many years without issue.
first off,if you can get it on the trailer while the motor is still warmed up,let it hang straight down while you are putting gear away,tying the boat down etc.
this allows the heat to evaporate any water in the power head,and the pump area and lower unit will drain itself this way,if you can,store it with motor trimmed all of the way down.

if you are not confident in doing this,when you get home,run some rv antifreeze through it whether you have to do it in a barrel,or by pumping it through with an rv water pump and hose through a pair of muffs on it.
depending on how much you use it during cold weather,this can get a little spendy.
by the way,rv antifreeze will not hurt the rubber impeller as it is designed for this very purpose in campers and rvs.

also make sure to check the lower units oil to make sure there is no water in it.

Little or no worries about the boat itself. Motor…always the concern was the lower unit. Many years ago I thought I had everything prepped for winter and overlooked the lower unit. Next spring, the telltale pool of murky grease under the motor. Closer look, sure enough could see the crack in the housing. Dang!! Anyway there is far more expertise regarding this from other members and I’ll defer to them now…was and still is always a “student”!

Thanks Iowa. I can and do store it straight down. I trim up while getting it out of the water, but I do drop it down while putting everything away, so it sounds like I do the right things already in warm temps.

The motor is a 1999 25 HP 2 stroke Merc if anyone has experience with that particular unit.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Little or no worries about the boat itself. Motor…always the concern was the lower unit. Many years ago I thought I had everything prepped for winter and overlooked the lower unit. Next spring, the telltale pool of murky grease under the motor. Closer look, sure enough could see the crack in the housing. Dang!! Anyway there is far more expertise regarding this from other members and I’ll defer to them now…was and still is always a “student”!

Same thing here on last boat. Check that lube before the cold, or do what I do now and just make that your annual time for tune-ups. No better time for tip top engine than in freezing air, and cold water temps.

Works good to plug your livewell drain from the outside, if you plug the inside it may create a small vacuum where it will hold the water from the line and freeze up, same with the aerator.

There are many good threads if you google this site and cold weather fishing, many many threads that have helped myself tremendously.

Yeah, I check the lower unit oil periodically during the season, just to make sure it’s the right color.

No worries here about a livewell, because I don’t have one. Thanks for the tip though. Something to keep in mind when I upgrade.

I have that exact same motor on my duck boat. I hunt the river right up to the end of season in early December. Always freezing cold and usually breaking ice. I do what everyone else has said, get as much water drained out as you can. I’ve never had any problems…yet

Outboards are self draining, so as long as the motor is down, it will drain. Start and shut it off a couple of times and you will be fine. Check the lower unit before freezing temperatures arrives a d if it is good, you should be good to go.

I’ve had two good outboard mechanics tell me that starting a motor out of water is not a best practice. I see a lot of this down at the resort in the colder month and haven’t heard of anyone seizing their motor though.

What was suggested by both of them was to turn the kill switch to OFF and then turn you motor over by using the key.

Made sense to me and have been doing that ever since along with keeping the motor down.

Another best practice that was suggested was to forget about checking your lower unit lube in the fall. Just change it. It’s inexpensive.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Another best practice that was suggested was to forget about checking your lower unit lube in the fall. Just change it. It’s inexpensive.

Agreed! How do you check it without draining it to determine the presence of water mixed in. That could/should alert you to another problem such as a bad seal and even if not, good idea just to change after a season of use. Inexpensive maintenance!

when in cold weather when on the river. right when I get the boat on the trailer and out of the water. I immediately put both motors full down, they will drain quite quickly, I then start the motor and put in gear just for about 2 seconds, just to spin any water out of the pump, then shut it off.
Leave it full down til the rest of your unpacking is done. Last thing I do is put motor up on bracket for driving home.
You also want to pull your prop at end of season to check for line on your prob shaft and seal. I check mine a few times during the year.
Jack

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
Another best practice that was suggested was to forget about checking your lower unit lube in the fall. Just change it. It’s inexpensive.

Agreed! How do you check it without draining it to determine the presence of water mixed in. That could/should alert you to another problem such as a bad seal and even if not, good idea just to change after a season of use. Inexpensive maintenance!

If you only pull the bottom plug it will come out slowly. Just pull it long enough to make sure its not milky and put it back in. It will come out fast if the top plug is loose as well.

And yes I do change lower unit oil when I put it away for the season.

Thank you all for the tips

Brian, I do see your point and it makes sense to just pull the kill switch and turn the motor over for a few seconds to blow out any extra water. But I like living on the edge and starting the motor for a second and shutting it off a few times while out of the water hasn’t hurt my opti in the last 12 years so until it costs me $25,000 for a new one. Stubborn I guess