Winterizing question

[jawroe]

First inboard( 04 Air Nautique, Excalibur 330). First time winterizing. I was going to just drain all the water ( and stabilize, fog, ect.)and call it good but then decided to add antifreeze. I used a fake-a-lake attached to five gallons of rv/marine pink antifreeze. I started the motor and after one minute three gallons of antifreeze was gone but no antifreeze, only a little smoke was coming out the exhaust. I shut the engine down and am now wondering if I did something wrong and may have damaged the motor. Any advice out there? Thanks

[CradGen2]

The manifolds hold about 3 gallons alone. Did you start and run the motor for at least 15 minutes prior. You need to open the tstat or it will by-pass the block.

I run the boat for 15 minutes, drain and fill with antifreeze. I use 4 gallons total until it runs out the back of the boat. Also I made a hose that I put on the back side of the transmission cooler. Don't leave anything in the strainer. In fact put it in a cup holder.

[Quinner]

Hopefully you drained fully first, if you have a shower and heater those need to be drained as well. My Ex on a straight inboard with shower and heater needs at least 6 gallons after complete drain. I also pour into the intake hose via funnel. Not sure you want to rely on 100% suction using a fake a lake.

[Quinner]

Did you start and run the motor for at least 15 minutes prior. You need to open the tstat or it will by-pass the block.

Don't believe that is correct, T-stat prevents water from leaving not entering, as long as the block is drained it should not matter if warm or cold.

[jawroe]

I didn't start and run it 15 minutes before draining.I just removed the two manifold plugs, port (knock sensor) and starboard plugs, both v-drive plugs, transmission cooler plug and the sea-pump hose. I unhooked both the shower hoses and heater hoses, blew them out with air and manually put antifreeze in those hoses before hooking them back up. I guess what freaked me out was I thought using the fake-a-lake would get the antifreeze through the system a lot quicker.The strainer was only half full.
I'm worried that I could have damaged the motor running it for a minute without the antifreeze getting through it. I had thought about removing the Tstat but it sounds like that is not necessary? Thanks for the replies. This is a great forum especially for a newbie like me.

[DanielC]

The engine can run for a while with out cooling water. The raw water pump on the other hand, cannot run without water being supplied to it.

[azeus17]

My guess is you have an air leak in the fake a lake. You should be sucking up way more than 3 gallons in a minute. I did 3 gallons in about 20 seconds on mine. Check your fake a lake connection, and then check your impeller. Drained block or not, you should be getting some anti freeze out the exhaust inside 3 gallons.