[C320-list] Engine Winterizing

[mike gutshall]

Allen, my guess is that your pump is fine.  Perhaps you coincidentally allowed the water to empty from the hose leading to the pump and ended up with an air pocket at and north and south of the pump.   Maybe it then took the higher revs to generate enough pull to start the flow of liquid again.  Just a guess and a fairly uneducated opinion.  I have always needed to get the revs up a little in order to pull the antifreeze at a satisfactory rate.

mike g
Alibi - 401  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Allan Field<mailto:Allan.Field at comcast.net> 
  To: Catalina Association<mailto:C320-List at catalina320.com> 
  Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 12:09 PM
  Subject: [C320-list] Engine Winterizing


  When winterizing Sea Shadow for the first time 5 years ago, I cut the raw
  water line about 12 inches forward of the raw water strainer, installed a
  3-way gate valve, and ran a hose off of the gate valve into a bucket of
  anti-freeze.  I then turn of the engine and turn it off when the bucket is
  empty.  Again, I have done this for 5 years with Sea Shadow and 13-14 with
  my previous boat with never a problem.

  Yesterday I winterized and had a fit getting the engine winterized.  I could
  not get the anti-freeze to start flowing from the bucket.  I even changed
  the raw water impellor but it was fine and not the problem.  I tightened the
  belt to the raw water pump and that was not the problem.  Sea water flowed
  no problem.  Finally, after fiddling around for more than an hour, I took
  the engine up to about 2500 RPM's, got sea water flowing with no problem,
  had the winterizing hose in the bucket, changed the 3-way valve to bucket
  mid-stream and was successful at emptying the bucket.

  The question is what is going on?  Is it possible that the raw water pump is
  giving up the ghost?  Does that pump die slowly or go all at once?  For the
  past 19 or so seasons, I always have been able to winterize at idle speed.
  Any ideas would be appreciated.  Thank you!

  Allan S. Field
  Sea Shadow - #808
  Columbia, MD