1999 Speedster Winterization

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racerxxx

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Ok, there have been some questions being asked about how to winterize your jet boat. I use the procedure from the Seadoo manual, albeit I slightly modified it, just to make it easier, the procedure is the same.

1. Put fuel stabilizer in your fuel tank on your last ride of the season so you are sure it has made it into the carbs.
2. While on the trailer remove the air box lid and start the engine, bring the engine just off idle a bit and start to spray fogging oil into the flame arrestor moving from side to side. This will ensure you are fogging both cylinders. I like to do it so it starts to choke out the engine but does not stall it out. Then after a bout 15 -20 seconds of that I let loose and spray so much it chokes out the engine. I know you can pop the rubber plug out, for me that is not enough fogging oil. Then I pop the spark plugs out and lather the pistons with fogging oil. Then replace the plugs and ground the spark plug boots and crank the engine over to work the lube over the cylinders.
3. Now for the antifreeze. On my Speedster there are three lines that need to be pinched.
A. the drain line coming from the cylinders low on the exhaust side--usually a clear line that is laying in the bilge, I leave this clamp on all winter.
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B.The drain line after the T for the upper flush line. Here is where I modified the procedure. I use a #4 expansion plug available at most Pool supply places.

Like this :
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And it put it in the flush line on the back of the boat near the jet pump. If you have twin engines you'll need two of them. I leave these in all winter so the anti-freeze doesn't drain out. I'll get that in the spring.

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C. The third and final line. This is the low side of the head but before the T for the Water control valve. This will stop you from filling the exhaust INTERNALLY and draining out of the water box. The main pipe will still fill with anti-freeze where it is supposed to, but not on the inside where the exhaust flows. Right where my finger is where you want to clamp it. I use a Vise-Grip that is for sheetmetal like this:
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4. Find you upper flush line insert a funnel(snugly so it seals) and begin to fill the line. This will fill the cooling system with anti-freeze all the way to the point where it will come out the "tell tale" line (bleed hose) that is off the side of the exhaust manifold. This is the HIGHEST point of the cooling system, so you want this open because you are pushing the air out of the system. So it should take roughly a 1/2 gallon of anti-freeze. It is up to you to which anti-freeze to use, I use 50/50 for cars. I don't use R/V anti-freeze but it would probably work the same, just my preference. Also you might need to jiggle the fill line to help burp the air. When you see it come out the tell tale in a nice stream top off the funnel and quickly remove the Vise-Grip this will allow what is in the funnel to go into the Water Control Valve and just drop a bit in the water box.
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5. Wash off any spilled Anti-Freeze.
6. Service the Jet Pump(s) and change the oil.
7. Remove battery(s) and store them in a warm environment and on a piece of wood.
8. Do whatever else you do to winterize, like pull your seat cushions etc...


This is more or less just for doing the anti-freeze, also this is the procedure for a 99 Speedster with twin 787's


NOTE: If you use a gallon of Anti-Freeze your clamp might not be tight enough before your water control valve. I originally use the little red clamp(like pictured) but never could get it to fully clamp the line, that is when I switched to the Vise-Grip. I get NO ANTI-FREEZE out of my exhaust at all.
 
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Very good... and I will sticky it. :cheers:


reflecting on #1.... With the stabilizer... I also like to put 1oz oil per gal in the main tank on the final ride. That little amount of oil will help keep the internals of the carbs from rusting. AND... you are assured to have a little extra oil when waking the boat up the next season. (but that's just me)


Also... to add to #8... Spray protection oil (or silicon oil) on the metal parts in the engine bay, and pump to keep corrosion in check. (like the rusty nut in your weedless system)
 
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Thanks Doc, just wayyyy to many questions for something that takes nothing more than 20-30 minutes to complete. And the pics make it easier for the new owner of an old boat!
 
Very good... and I will sticky it. :cheers:
(like the rusty nut in your weedless system)

Always floored me that that nut is the only piece of hardware in the whole boat that is not stainless! Drives me nuts(pun intended). I think the only time I ever used the weedless system was when my buddy sucked the rope around the drive shaft. I'd rather have top loader grates to stay hooked up.

Oh and thanks for pointing out the rusty nut! :reddevil:
 
In relevance to this post, do you still need to winterize your speedster even if its garaged kept?
 
How cold does Albuquerque get in the winter months? Is your garage heated or will it not go below freezing? It's a 1/2 hour of labor, and tops $20 in supplies, that's cheap insurance. But if you average in the 40's to 50's without going below freezing then sure. I know that my shop will not drop below 45 degrees all winter long(without heat), and we can be sub 30 for more than a week at a time, but my shop is well insulated and does get some good sun during the day. But since I installed heat in my shop it won't dip below 55 at night and I turn the heat off at night.
 
How cold does Albuquerque get in the winter months? Is your garage heated or will it not go below freezing? It's a 1/2 hour of labor, and tops $20 in supplies, that's cheap insurance. But if you average in the 40's to 50's without going below freezing then sure. I know that my shop will not drop below 45 degrees all winter long(without heat), and we can be sub 30 for more than a week at a time, but my shop is well insulated and does get some good sun during the day. But since I installed heat in my shop it won't dip below 55 at night and I turn the heat off at night.


It varies. Last winter we got all the way down to 8º. This year so far we've been getting 35º at night and high 50º during the day. But its still to early to tell. We could get 30s and below. My garage is ok bur it does get cold. I guess I better do this procedure then..
 
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Just Wondering?

It varies. Last winter we got all the way down to 8º. This year so far we've been getting 35º at night and high 50º during the day. But its still to early to tell. We could get 30s and below. My garage is ok bur it does get cold. I guess I better do this procedure then..

Why do you fog a two stroke motor? Already has oil mixed in? Just wondering?
 
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Just a new boat owner this year. But my new battery has a sticker that says; "colder the storage less the charge." So I looked into this and found that the old days yes put your battery on a piece of wood in a warm area. But with most newer battries as long as they are fully charged you could leave them in the boat. This would be better for the battery in the cold because the plates will not be as active.
 
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Why do you fog a two stroke motor? Already has oil mixed in? Just wondering?

The oil is there to lubricate the engine while running, fogging will "coat" the surfaces for storage. Everyone has their own methods, but a simple $5 can of fogging oil will last you a long time, I think the last time I bought one was probably 5-6 years ago.


Just a new boat owner this year. But my new battery has a sticker that says; "colder the storage less the charge." So I looked into this and found that the old days yes put your battery on a piece of wood in a warm area. But with most newer battries as long as they are fully charged you could leave them in the boat. This would be better for the battery in the cold because the plates will not be as active.

Yes, new batteries can be left on the ground and probably left in the boat, but some old practices are hard to stop. I'll never leave a battery in my boat,ski's, or lawn tractor or on the ground. It seems my boat batteries only last 5-6 years tops, could they last the same if I left them in? maybe but I'll never know. Here's my reasoning: My lawn tractor was bought brand new on 2000, I still have the OEM battery in it--the one it came with, the battery spends it's winter inside near the heater. It has NEVER seen a battery charger EVER. It could be coincidence but I'm looking forward to season # 13 with it in the spring. And my restored car that I finished in 03-04 still has the same 6 volt battery in it, never been on a charger and gets stored inside. That's a good enough track record for me.

If you do leave your battery in your boat and it needs a charge in the spring DO NOT charge it with the boat electronics hooked up to it, remove all the connections then charge it.
 
That is a VERY (very) useful post with the photos and thorough descriptions, particularly for newbies such as myself who are still looking in the engine bay and scratching our heads.

One question...
are we talking automotive antifreeze, the kind that kills unfortunate animals drawn to the sweet smell for a little taste? Are you collecting this stuff in the spring somehow or does it end up in the lake? I recommend the pink RV stuff. I've used it to winterize the Yanmar diesel motor in my sailboat (and other systems) to endure the frigid cold of winter in North Dakota where we routinely see temps in the -20 range (wind chills to -50 last season). Nice thing is you could drink it if you had to as its completely nontoxic. Blow it into the lake in the spring guilt free (ignoring all the oil these 2-strokes pump out).
 
RV antifreeze works fine, I don't even want to think about winterizing much less talk about it.

Lou
 
Thanks, yes I use the real deal antifreeze, Prestone Dex-Cool. If you notice that is why I use the plug in the back, so none escapes. I do catch it in a 5 gallon bucket in the spring. And anything that hits the ground is thoroughly flooded with the garden hose when I start the engines in the spring before I even hit the water, there is no antifreeze in my engines when I hit the water. And I'll take your word on drinking it, I'm not trying it. And yes I think the small amount of anti freeze would be a moot point on all the 2 stroke exhaust I'm laying down all season long. For psychological reasons I can't get past the RV stuff.
 
Im a little confused on where to pour anti freeze in. Says upper flush line but no pic of a line , just a pic of the cap what ever that is. Does anti freeze get poured in their?
 
Im a little confused on where to pour anti freeze in. Says upper flush line but no pic of a line , just a pic of the cap what ever that is. Does anti freeze get poured in their?

That is the upper flush port, that is where you pour antifreeze into. Make sure you follow that line, there is probably a "T" and that will exit on the rear of the boat on the pump support mount. That is where I put the expansion plug vs. trying to clamp it. If not, all your antifreeze will just run out the back of the boat and never get into the engine.
 
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