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...to let an engine sit between runs?
I haven't winterized my engines more than once or twice in the last 25 years and I haven't lost one yet nor suffered any cylinder rust issues that I am aware of. This based upon seasonal compression checks.
There are two reasons for this, 1) the winter striped bass and speck fishing can be great in Virginia Beach and 2) that's when the humpbacks show up. But as you might expect the engines do sit a spell between outings because of how my work schedule dovetails with decent enough weather to venture out. I have generally used 30 days as the maximum for a whole host of reasons, the number one being the boat is 20 or so mins away and I don't typically have a hose to run them once the hard freeze has gotten here. So, it's a pain to hook the boat up and back it down the ramp when it's freezing a$$ cold out. And, the older I get the lazier I get. And I'm pretty old and it's a pretty big boat. It all adds up to my sitting on the couch instead.
I always perform an oil change and general maintenance late in the season so the engines sit with fresh oil in them and the boat is ready to go in the spring. I wonder if simply disconnecting the kill switch and cranking each engine over two or three times (for 10-15 seconds each) ought to go a long way to keeping some fresh oil on the internals, particularly the cylinder walls. Are 15 seconds long enough to generate some oil movement within the engine without causing excessive heat buildup in the starters? I installed a pretty big solar panel to keep the batteries topped off so Voltage should not be a problem over the winter. I add a good whack of Startron Fuel Enzyme and Marine Stabil right about this time of year.
Am I smoking ganja or is this a reasonable option to helping keep $40 grand in the bank as opposed to hanging it on my transom?
There are boats in my hood that sit all winter without a peep and without any winterization and they're still running.
What do you say, smart guys?
I haven't winterized my engines more than once or twice in the last 25 years and I haven't lost one yet nor suffered any cylinder rust issues that I am aware of. This based upon seasonal compression checks.
There are two reasons for this, 1) the winter striped bass and speck fishing can be great in Virginia Beach and 2) that's when the humpbacks show up. But as you might expect the engines do sit a spell between outings because of how my work schedule dovetails with decent enough weather to venture out. I have generally used 30 days as the maximum for a whole host of reasons, the number one being the boat is 20 or so mins away and I don't typically have a hose to run them once the hard freeze has gotten here. So, it's a pain to hook the boat up and back it down the ramp when it's freezing a$$ cold out. And, the older I get the lazier I get. And I'm pretty old and it's a pretty big boat. It all adds up to my sitting on the couch instead.
I always perform an oil change and general maintenance late in the season so the engines sit with fresh oil in them and the boat is ready to go in the spring. I wonder if simply disconnecting the kill switch and cranking each engine over two or three times (for 10-15 seconds each) ought to go a long way to keeping some fresh oil on the internals, particularly the cylinder walls. Are 15 seconds long enough to generate some oil movement within the engine without causing excessive heat buildup in the starters? I installed a pretty big solar panel to keep the batteries topped off so Voltage should not be a problem over the winter. I add a good whack of Startron Fuel Enzyme and Marine Stabil right about this time of year.
Am I smoking ganja or is this a reasonable option to helping keep $40 grand in the bank as opposed to hanging it on my transom?
There are boats in my hood that sit all winter without a peep and without any winterization and they're still running.
What do you say, smart guys?
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