Winterizing I/O

[SilverMustang35]

Ok, so the time hasnt come yet, but I'm trying to make sure when we do this it doesnt fark up the engine. I have a 190hp 4.3L Mercruiser Alpha 1 engine (I/O of course) and the places around here want $160 plus to winterizie. Last year we didn't winterize and took our chances. It was stored in our barn and we had a light in the engine compartment and a flood light on the foot.
This year, I was going to winterize and we are sealing the barn up more for it, closing door, new back wall, 2nd floor added back, and I was still going to winterize in case we lost power
I talked with a friend that is a dealer and I mentioned my plan for winterization which is changing for this year. Instead of paying $160, I was going to :
Crank the engine on ears, with normal water flow
Wait for the engine to heat up and the Thermo to open
Turn off briefly,
Hook another set of ears up that have a cut off hose going into a 5 gallon bucket of RV&Marine Antifreeze (pink kind), re-crank and wait for it to flow through completely and then put it in the barn (With a heater).
Anybody see issues with this or should I just go pay to get it done?
Just curious to make sure I protect the engine, I just thought almost 200 was crazy....
Thanks

[dirtysparks]

I don't think your ears will provide enough suction to suck up antifreeze. Usually what I do, is run the boat warm, fog the carb until it dies, remove drain plugs, drain the block, replace the block plugs, remove thermostat housing, pour antifreeze down the hose until it runs out the water outlet . You really shouldn't need a heater in the barn.

The dealer here doesn't even run antifreeze through, they just drain em.

Don't forget some sort of mouse deterrent, or you wont have any seats left.

[get_sum]

What is "Winterizing"?

[SilverMustang35]

Well...if I'm going by that...I won't worry about it and just pay to have it winterizied...I don't know how to fog it and don't know where the drain plugs are any of em, and im not doin all the rest of that...oh well...$160 isnt that bad to save the engine...The thing that made me feel I could just run it through the ears is that the dealership I bought it from (400 miles) away does that for their winterization...Oh well....just have to play it by ear and heat the barn just to be extra safe...thinkin bout buying a generator just incase the power goes out...

[dirtysparks]

You *may* be able to suck it through the ears, I just felt like mine never had suction against the outdrive and wouldn't work.

There's quite a bit more to it than that, that's just what I do for the water in the block. The plugs screw out by hand and are blue, should be easy to find. 4.3 alpha 1 has four I believe. Fogging is just a can of spray fog, you just spray it into the carb until the boat dies.

Other than that, I change oil (have to suck it out through dipstick), change lower unit drive oil, grease cables, remove battery and throw it on a trickle charger, and a full cleaning.

For 160 bucks, if your shop does all of that, it's a pretty easy decision. I think I've been told that it would take a solid 48 hours of sub-freezing temperatures for the water in your engine to crack the block.

[SilverMustang35]

Well the winterization is 160...oil change is another 90...Im going to have em change the oil, but I figured winterization I would try to hold off and do myself...No mice in the barn thank goodness...May have to do more investigating...

[macknjack]

just got my boat this season. I think it would be called a stern drive? it is a mastercraft prostar 190. it is going to be stored in my garage this winter. should i get it winterized?

[wsuwakeboarder]

SilverMustang35, This video helped me learn how to winterize my I/O.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIoTfYXT_o0