Antifreeze

[Rockter]

harp :

No problem. I like talking motors. You want to try maintaining a Russky bike!

It's a damn good motor that Volvo, given the occasional oil change, and not thrashed all the time. The truly outrageous cost of the spare parts is the real drawback.

Mine did freeze a while back, so beware. I was kicking myself up the ass for weeks after that classic mistake. For the first time in years the ship was in fresh water, and I let it freeze, and it cracked a wee bit. It's a drip about every 60 seconds or so, so I live with it.

I did not want the same to happen to you.

When you do drain it, keep a wee piece of wire nearby, or a very fine screwdriver. You may find that no water comes out when you take the plugs out. Often there is a build up of finely-divided rust behind the plug holes. Simply poke it a bit with the wire and the water will come out, and the rust with it. Keep poking until the water stops, and leave the plugs out until spring.

Don't forget the plug under the exhaust manifold. You have three plugs to take out on the twin cylinder motor. I have four to take out on the three cylinder.

Rockter.

[Rockter]

Harp :

I went up to Loch Ness yesterday and back today, warmed the MD17c motor and charged batteries, drained the coolant and blew the water out of the gearbox.
The water can be hot there Harp, so be careful. Watch that it doesn't pour into the dipstick hole either.
Make sure that the water intake through-hull is closed... on my motor, water will flow right through the motor and out of the drain holes into the bilge if you don't.

It will be ok until spring, I reckon.
It doesn't get that cold here, but occasionally it can freeze. We are blessed with a temperate climate.... rarely hot, rarely freezing.

I have some topsiides leaks that I really must find. It is not easy to find them. Two covers arrive in about a week.

[Quickstep192]

Originally Posted by harpguitar

The head isn't working so not an issue.

Just a thought.... Even though the head doesn't work, if there's water in it somewhere that freezes and causes it to crack, that would suck.