[C320-list] Fresh Water Engine Flush

[Gus Macdonald]

Good discussion on this subject.  As an aside and a question for John—when winterizing, do you use an automotive type ethylene glycol anti-freeze in the “fresh water” cooling circuit or a non-toxic type anti-freeze (usually pink)?  I have asked many people this in the Great Lakes  area and the responses are about 50/50.  Naturally if the ethylene glycol type is used it must be removed before the boat goes back in the water in the spring to avoid pollution.

Gus
Hull #999
Georgian Bay 





> On Sep 3, 2019, at 12:23 PM, John Meyers <jcmeyers7 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Like Christian, I also have a Tee for antifreeze here on the (Unsalted and
> Shark Free) Great Lakes. I put my Tee just after the thru hull and before
> the strainer so that the antifreeze is also in the strainer. Not that it
> makes much of a difference but my thru hull outputs forward which makes it
> slightly easier to attach the short hose to the bucket of antifreeze in the
> cockpit.
> 
> John Meyers
> Wind Chime #406
> Muskegon, MI
> 
> On Tue, Sep 3, 2019 at 11:25 AM Christian <ccaper at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Bob,
>> I have done this for winterizing my boat to flush out water and get
>> anti-freeze in the system.  I installed the t-fitting last fall.
>> 
>> Here is the t-fitting I ordered, available at Walmart for $1.67.
>> 
>> https://www.walmart.com/ip/LASCO-Fem-Tee-Insert-x-FNPT-3-4-In-PVC-1402007/406982633
>> 
>> Take this t-fitting to Home Depot, and in the pvc section get the male end
>> cap, matched to the threads in t-fitting.  You will want this end cap in
>> the t-fitting during normal boat use, and use some teflon tape on this
>> threads as well.  Then, go to the plumbing section and get a male PVC to
>> male garden hose adapter that will convert the threads to a garden hose
>> thread.  This allows you to connect a garden hose to your raw water line.
>> Mine was a metal adapter.  Also get hose clamps for 3/4" hose, you'll need
>> at least 2. I recommend 4, 2 on each side of the t-fitting, each one
>> flipped 180 for redundancy.
>> 
>> All parts will be less than $15 total.  You'll also need auto hose cutters,
>> and a likely a wire cutter at that hose has re-enforced wire you'll need to
>> cut where hose cutter couldn't cut through.
>> 
>> When you want to use the t-fitting, connect the garden hose to the
>> t-fitting, pass the hose through a port light opening, have a bucket in the
>> cockpit, put other end of hose in bucket, and CLOSE through hull for raw
>> water intake.  Start engine, and just mind you don't run out of water in
>> the bucket and that hose is at bottom of bucket and hasn't floated to the
>> top, only sucking in air.  Nice thing about this is you can also easily
>> start engine on land when needed.
>> 
>> I've included a link to two pictures I took when I did this.  Don't make
>> the same location mistake I made, and put the t-fitting right under the
>> Racor filter, as now I have a difficult time draining my racor (I plan to
>> adjust that this fall during haul out).
>> 
>> https://www.instagram.com/p/BorFrCCDV3B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
>> 
>> Hope this helps.
>> 
>> Christian Caperton
>> 1994 C320 "Canuck" #138
>> Monroe Harbor, Chicago, IL
>> 
>> On Tue, Sep 3, 2019 at 10:00 AM Bob Hoyt <rehoyt at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> A diesel mechanic recommended that I flush the raw water side of the
>> engine
>>> with fresh water when not using the boat for more than 2 weeks. This
>> would
>>> require installing a barbed tee piece between the strainer and the water
>>> pump. Has anyone done this as I didn't find it in the forum archives?
>> Also,
>>> I live in Florida so I don't need to do this as part of winterizing.
>> Thanks
>>> 
>>> Bob Hoyt
>>> "Ikigai"
>>> !994 Hull #58
>>> Pensacola, FL
>>> 
>>> --
>>> 
>>> *Robert (Bob) Hoyt MD, FACP, ABPM-CI*
>>> 
>>> *Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Internal Medicine*
>>> 
>>> *Virginia Commonwealth University*
>>> 
>>> *Richmond, VA*
>>> 
>>> 
>>> *CAPT (Ret) USN*
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> *---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
>>> 
>>> *Adjunct Associate Professor, College of Allied Health Professions*
>>> 
>>> *University of Nebraska Medical Center*
>>> 
>>> *Omaha, NE*
>>> 
>>> *Diplomate, Clinical Informatics*
>>> 
>>> InformaticsEducation.org  <http://InformaticsEducation.org>
>>> rehoyt at gmail.com
>>> 
>>> robert.hoyt at unmc.edu <robert.hoyt at unmd.edu>
>>> 
>>> robert.hoyt at vcuhealth.org
>>> 
>>> Cell: 850-384-5235
>>> 
>>