how to winterize a merc black scorpion?

[Monkstr6100]

Wondering what is the best way to winterize my merc black scorpion? Its a 2006 5.7L. I live in WI, so it gets VERY cold, unfortunately! I contacted Mercury and they replied by email that they can only send me to a dealer to have them service it properly, because it is easy for us comon folk to mess up. And i cant see forking over $99 for the service manual! I want to add antifreeze to the system, so more than just pulling the 7 or so blue drain plugs. Thanks in advance guys.

[PatM]

5 gallons of RV antifreeze. Fog each cylinder through each spark plug hole.

[DW]

There are several articles and forum threads on winterizing so you could check those out, perhaps on other boat sites such as TMC, Malibu Crew, etc if the Gekko gang does not have a forum site. Other sites also have threads on the subject.

 

My suggestions are to pull all the plugs, make sure you get one each from the side of the block on each side, drain the water out of the exhaust manifolds, empty the transmission cooler and empty the heater core if you have one. Button it back up and pull the hoses on the high side of the exhaust manifolds and at least one that feeds the top of the thermostat or if the heater pulls from a plug on the high side of the intake manifold that one will also work, that hose should also feed to the heater core. Slowly add antifreeze to both exhaust manifolds, the engine block (note: the thermostat will be closed so it will flow really slow unless you remove it for this step) and the heater core. Button it back up, you should have emptied at least one gallon and up to two gallons of antifreeze in to the various areas. The purpose is to make sure you mix any antifreeze to the remaining water still in various crevices and IMO you provide a water barrier to the cast surfaces of the block to keep any additional corrosion from happening.

 

A couple of additional steps, pull the impeller out and store it in a ziplock bag to allow it to relax over the long storage period, fog the engine and add Stabil to the fuel. Have you drained the oil, or do you plan to do that in the spring, best method is when the oil is warm as it will flow out much easier.

[boarditup]

Here is the details:

 

Get a fake-a-lake - it is a plunger with a hose connection.

 

Run the engine on the fake-a-lake attached to a flowing water supply. I use hot water because I am impatient. In any case, get it hot enough for the thermostat to open. Verify by feeling the various hoses for heat.

 

Shut off engine. Shut off water, swap to a 6-foot section of gardent hose with a large funnel taped to the cut end. Fill with pink anti-freeze and restart motor so that it draws in the anti-freeze though the entire motor. Verify hot pink anti-freeze discharging out of the exhaust. Figure on 5-6 gallons. Then shut off engine.

 

Change the oil and filter. There are two brass plugs on each side of the block. Remove and allow the anti-freeze to drain. Use a dental pick type scraper to loosen the sediment that builds up in that area (Harbor Freight has an inexpensive set, or a bobby pin if in a pinch).

 

There are plugs in the exhaust manifolds that should also be drained and removed. Sediment sometimes builds up in there.

 

I use PB Blaster for fogging oil. If your butterfly plate on your throttle body has a small hole in it, remove the coil wire and spray PB Blaster through the hole while turning over the motor. That is the best way to fog. If not, spray into each spark plug hole for about 5-seconds. After all have been sprayed, turn over the motor 2-3 revolutions. Replace the coil wire.

 

Remove impeller and store in plastic bag with a few ounces of fresh anti-freeze. Tape to steering wheel. Purchase fresh gasket for the spring.

 

If you have a heater, remove the upper hose and blow through it while the block drain plugs are out. Fill hose with anti-freeze and repeat twice. Blow out any residual and reconnect hose.

 

I put the plugs back in the block, some put them in the bag with the impeller and replace in the spring. Your call.

 

You just saved $200 and have a well winterized boat motor. Good job.

[oldjeep]

I just did my father in laws a couple weeks ago. The procedure in the manual is to pull the drain plugs (block, exhaust, water pump, fuel cooler, etc) They are all blue and easy to see. Then you pull the upper hose from the heater core if you have one and use compressed air to blow the water out. Fill the heater core with RV/Marine antifreeze through the hose you just pulled off. Then we pulled the passenger side hose off the tstat housing and filled both side from there with a couple gallons of antifreeze.

 

If it were my boat I would have left the plugs out and only filled the heater core.

 

[otisg]

I have found that the safest way to thoroughly winterize (particularly if you have a heater) is to circulate you antifreeze mixture until you are sure that the thermostat is open and water & anti-freeze is completely mixed.

I built the contraption pictured below which makes it really easy.

Once you are sure that you accomplished that use fogging oil in the air intake to smother the engine until it stops. I then replace the air cleaner and cover it with a paper bag containing an oil soaked rag. I keep the fuel tank filled and the gas treated with a mixture of Marine Stabil, Mystery Oil & Dry gas...

Knock on wood never had a problem. It starts right up in the spring....

P.S. Change your oil and transmission fluids before starting the final winterizing sequence.

Lids are on to start to keep ant-freeze at maximum strength.

[cmso]

Do you have more details on bucket system you built?

[RAWSki]

The blue drain nuts that Merc use are really handy there are 6 or 7 all together and when you pull them the entire engine drains easily. If you have the a heater give the core extra attention with air or RV anti freeze . Finally replace all the plugs make sure the rubber gaskets are all in place on them......some RV antifreeze for the engine. fogging and you are done.

[BraceMaker]

@cmso its a really old post but all he did was connect two buckets with plumbing to a pump to the water inlet fill the buckets with rv antifreeze and start pump. You start boat with lids on buckets so the initial water does not dillute and as soom as pink comes out you remove lids to recover tge juice.

 

I wouldn't bother unless you winteeize lpts of boats or you winterize 30 times a year skiing late season

[swc5150]

@"Pat M" 's method seems like it would work just fine, as long as the boat is up to temp on a fake-a-lake. If pink RV is coming out the tail pipes, shouldn't that do the trick?

[Monkstr6100]

I have switched to the stainless plugs from harden marine. HUGE improvement and you will never break a POS blue merc plug again.

[Monkstr6100]

I have used on mine this system since 2013. Run on fake a lake till up to temp. Drain oil. Change oil and fuel filter. Fill new fuel filter/water separator up 1/3 full or more with 2 stroke injection oil. Add new engine oil. Start engine again on fake a lake. Let run for a min or so. Till you know new fuel/oil mixture is running through it. Shut off. Pull all of the drain plugs. Rod each hole out to verify it's not plugged. Re-install all drain plugs. Pull 4 upper water hoses. Start at lowest and fill with rv antifreeze till it over flows, re-attach, move on to the next lowest, till all 4 are full and re-attached. Wipe down engine with WD40 or similar to prevent corrosion. Unplug battery. Have moment of silence. And walk away.