SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Pretorien Winterization

5K views 8 replies 3 participants last post by  CalebD 
#1 ·
The plastic blue seacock is frozen. From what I understand, this is the sea water cooling intake, feeding from the "holes" in the saildrive.
Since it is frozen, I can not disconnect the hose that leads from it to below the raw water pump, in order to fill the pump itself, the heat exchanger and the exhaust with antifreeze. This was an easy 3 minutes procedure on my previous boat's Westerbeke: just close the thru-hull and dunk the hose in the antifreeze container while running the engine .

What is the procedure for the Volvo? Should I do that ashore, in order to be sure that the water pump is above the water line and will not sink the boat? Do I then "collect" the anti-freeze spitting off the exhaust, so that my neighbor's boat do not get showered?

Has anyone replaced that "seacock"?

The fuel pump is almost inaccessible: there is a second Racor fuel strainer. Is it necessary to replace the Volvo fuel filter? It seems it was replaced in 2010 and I suspect less than 100 hours on the engine since.
( This is urgent since I have to fly overseas and the yard takes the boat out of the water very soon...) Thank you !



I have to winterize ASAP in order to fly overseas.
How do I winterize the Isotemp waterheater? I emptied all the water from the tanks, via the faucets and the foot pumps. I opened the releif valve et the Isotemp, and let is flow. I got maybe 4 oz of water. Does that mean there is no more fresh water in the heater?

What about the "fluid" that circulates in the heater, in order to heat tghe fresh water? Is it raw seawater ( I don't think so... ) or is it antifreeze coming from the heat exchanger? Sorry, I am a bit confused in my life ...
 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
So kind to respond to me so fast! If they do it after hauling, I can do it also, in December before the great freezes... I might also tackle the seacock challenge. One of the mechanics who helped me install a new isoterm water heater told me that he hates the saildrive intake and always suggested a separate seacock straight to the engine. I can do that, but does the saildrive need some seawater flow as well for cooling?
Note: it is so difficult to get Volvo customer support ! ! !
 
#5 ·
Follow up - after Thanksgivings:
I really thought the access to the engine was easier than my Carter 33... not really :(
But I did the filter and oil change through the dip stick - OK
But, I did manage to check the impeller - OK !
I did manage to unblock and open/close the blue faucet the the water intake. - OK !
I removed the hose at the faucet, , dunked it in a 3 gal antifreeze and started the engine... Aaarhhh - no fluid was pumped, no suction on the tube, no spit through the exhaust and the manifold got too hot too fast. I immediately shut off. So, my Lady it is still not winterized.
What did I do wrong? Is it maybe because I had an air-lock in the tube?

For my westerbeke, I had gone to a 2 days eminar by Hansen Marine. does anyone knows if Volvo offers something like that ?
 
#6 ·
Not sure what you are referring to as the faucet. I pull the hose off the thru-hull intake for engine cooling water and put it in a bucket for the generator.

For the main engine, I just take the top off the seawater strainer and snake a 2" hose from the strainer to outside the engine compartment and pour directly into it. It takes two people as I have to be at the ready to pour when someone else starts the motor and they need to kill it as soon as they see the AF in the exhaust. The seawater intake remains closed, but has to be opened when she is hauled so the salt water that rises to the strainer can backflow out.
 
#8 ·
Sorry, still can't tell what you are calling the faucet. I've never had a saildrive, so I may just be missing something obvious.

Can you pull the intake line from the seawater pump and add a new hose into your bucket? If that works, you would have to be sure you can actually empty the hose leading to it, as they would not receive protection.
 
#9 ·
Minne,
I think he is calling the blue handled valve a 'faucet'.

If you are using an intake hose to suck anti-freeze from the cabin floor you may likely need to prime the intake hose with anti-freeze. Your cooling water pump 'expects' that sea water will be pushed to it as it is below the water line.

By 'priming the input line' I mean that it needs to be largely full of liquid with very few air bubbles before the water pump starts.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top