Another " how to winterize" thread

[Mike]

I have searched here and on "the other" site for a concrete answer but here's the question:
Why replace/change oil and spark plugs now oppose to the spring? Am I wrong to think that the new oil and/or spark plugs will just sit there and gather moisture over the winter??

 

[jcyamaharider]

I do my oil and spark plugs in the spring..... * shrug* I actually do my spark plugs after the first run of the year.

 

[Mike]

After reading more into this I found some more info...and kinda anwsered my own questions

1- moisture in the oil comes mostly from use, meaning hot/cold/hot/cold etc...
2- Spark plugs sometimes foul from fogging them

Please correct me if I got this wrong! and happy winterizing!!

 

[jawsf16]

I do my oil and spark plugs in the spring..... * shrug* I actually do my spark plugs after the first run of the year.

This.

Definitely hold off on spark plugs until after the fogging oil is burned off. Oil change is your choice. Probably not a huge issue either way.

 

[Gym]

The theory behind oil changes in the fall @Mike is to remove the old oil, or in our case, as much old oil as possible as it contains acids which can cause subtle damage to metal parts when left in contact with it. This is not just a marine theory but goes back many decades in the auto industry. Will you experience damage if you wait till spring? Probably nothing that you would notice. If you have an unexplained loss of compression in one or more cylinders are you going to question yourself about what you may have done wrong? Probably.

Spark plug changes in the spring is a good idea if you fog but it also limits the rusting potential of the plug in the head that some have experienced as a result of exhaust valves in the open position.

 

[Mike]

Great insight @Gym thank you.

 

[wakeformer]

I do oil in the fall before I put her away and I change the plugs in the spring as the fogging oil fouls the spark plugs.

 

[KXCam22]

I have never had fogging oil foul the plugs. Mine have been in for 4 seasons. I still get full RPM but it is time to change them in the spring. Cam.

 

[96Pirate]

So it's getting to the point where I need to perform these maintenance items. I have heard it both ways with each having a good argument.

So what about this option? Change the oil twice a year...once in the fall and again in the spring. Its relatively inexpensive and from the way it sounds is fairly easy with a good pump. If you don't like the extra cost, what about changing in the fall and in the spring during the next change, just store the oil you pump out until the next fall and reuse for the winter storage? You will probably suck out some old oil in the spring again but most would be fairly fresh. Maybe you can get a few years out of that oil just for storage. Am I crazy? Well yeah! But is this idea crazy???

 

[Gym]

You NEVER want reuse old oil as you further contaminate containmated oil. In my view the only reasons to change oil more than once a season is if you are running up on the scheduled oil change interval or you have a problem such as water in the oil.

 

[Mike]

This there a reason you can't spray the fogging oil in the smaller inlet tube leading to the engine as shown on the picture?? Instead of taking the whole air box assy off? ... pic courtesy: @JetBoatPilot

 

[JetBoatPilot]

I have a dealer that adds a fogging port inline that replicates the use of that hose's junction point. Not sure if there would be any down side to doing it that way.

 

[96Pirate]

You NEVER want reuse old oil as you further contaminate containmated oil. In my view the only reasons to change oil more than once a season is if you are running up on the scheduled oil change interval or you have a problem such as water in the oil.

Not suggesting you run the motors on the "storage oil" so speaking directly to those that put their boat away for storage. The oil change in the spring would provide fresh oil for the season. I was thinking more for those that think the used oil potentially damages the internals during winter storage and they prefer to change in the fall. But also for those that think the fresh oil, if changed in the fall will get contaminated by moisture and they prefer to change in the spring. Obviously this would work better with the more oil you can pull out each time as then the "storage oil" doesn't get contaminated with the old oil. I think the one concern I have is how much moisture really does build up in the oil during the storage? If none or very minimal why not just change in the fall. If a lot, then reusing the "storage oil" would not be a good idea as over the few years you would just be introducing more moisture.

Still on the fence on when I will be doing my oil change. Help convince me either way

 

[jcyamaharider]

I have changed my oil in the spring in every single item I have owned over the years... Atv's, motorcycles, race cars, boats.....doesn't matter for me. All of these items always get stored in the winter ( except my rhino ) . I have never had an instance where not changing the oil in the fall made an engine fail. Nor have I ever heard of an engine failure due to not changing in the fall. We have over 20 atvs, dirtbikes, side x sides at our family farm and all of these get oil changes in the spring. Not one engine failure due to changing oil in the spring. Now running them out of oil is a different story....Long story, not one of mine, but I just built a 686cc rhino last fall.

 

[txav8r]

I was over active in the previous 230. I changed it in the fall and again in the spring the first 3 seasons. Ha ha...primarily because I was just spending time with my boat and enjoying working on her. It isn't necessary to do it that often unless your logging more than 50hrs a year. I will follow the manual for the most part and change annually in the spring...except this year. I am at the 10 hour point and will go ahead and change the plugs/oil/filter/fog now for winter. I also keep the 1 oz to 5 gallon ratio of Marine grade Stabil in my fuel year round, as well as keep the ratio of Yamaha ring free in my gas. So at any given time, the upper and lower end of the entire engine is lubricated and protected from not only use, but for storage. After this 10 hour service, I will switch to the spring as mentioned. With exception to fogging in the fall as well as in the spring. Yamaha now says you should fog more than once a year, and it isn't just a storage thing. The properties in the fogging oil cling and do not burn off in the upper end of the engine quickly. They provide ongoing protections against moisture and corrosion, so in my mind, fogging spring and fall works good for a fresh water boat, and I would add maybe two more fogging sessions to a salt water boat that gets used year round. If I only used my salt water boat in the spring/summer/fall, I would fog 3 times, beginning/midseason/fall in those environments. If you fog according to Yamaha tech bulletin, you should not foul your plugs and you will be able to use the fogging without concern to when you do it or how it affects the plugs. Using that method, you don't kill the engine and build up a damaging coating on the electrode of the plug. The exception to this in my mind, would be if I were storing for a longer term. Such as a year or more, then I would want to use a storage oil, as well as a deeper fog, and putting the engine back in service after would require a good deal of work and cleaning.

 

[Gym]

I have changed my oil in the spring in every single item I have owned over the years... Atv's, motorcycles, race cars, boats.....doesn't matter for me. All of these items always get stored in the winter ( except my rhino ) . I have never had an instance where not changing the oil in the fall made an engine fail. Nor have I ever heard of an engine failure due to not changing in the fall. We have over 20 atvs, dirtbikes, side x sides at our family farm and all of these get oil changes in the spring. Not one engine failure due to changing oil in the spring. Now running them out of oil is a different story....Long story, not one of mine, but I just built a 686cc rhino last fall.

Leaving old oil in till spring will not cause engine failure. It will, however, cause very subtle engine damage in the way of pitting metal surfaces like rings, cylinder walls, valves, cranks and cams. Over time this could more likely cause a small amount of compression loss or valve leakage but engine failure is unlikely. Fogging can help to limit that process. These engines can take more abuse than that.

 

[txav8r]

I'm wondering here, what the definition of "old oil" is. If it is old, change it now. If it is just a season under 50 hours, that oil isn't old or cause any damage being changed in the spring vs fall. It is just preference. If you want to get down to it, leaving any equipment standing for a period if time without use, with varying temperature and humidity, could cause whatever damage, regardless. Not much acid build up in oil with minimal time on it. This is all very subjective and losing sleep over it isn't worth it to anyone IMHO.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Agreed, I think this is a very useful thread for anyone wanting to know a little more. @Gym has brought up some great points that should be considered if you are unsure as what to do.

 

[GTBRMC]

I am of the "change the oil in the fall, plugs in the spring (if necessary)" school.

However, the arguments in both directions are valid.

If anyone is truly concerned about this, it would be quite easy to pull an oil sample before/after oil changes in spring and/or fall and send those samples to a lab to get tested. The test results would bring facts to this preferential discussion.

IMHO, quality modern engine oils are highly sophisticated, stable, and can provide excellent protection for our engines - so much so that there is a fairly large margin for error.

 

[beachbum]

OK >>> OK... I started looking into the winter maintenance stuff early on to know what i would have to do... and what I needed to do it...

many opinions here and there ... so in an effort to go the route of my dealer ... thinking he is the guy that will assist in any warranty claims... the dealer's tech guy replied to me with this list of what to do.

I can't wait to read the comments... LOL...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You do NOT spray fogging oil into the cylinders with the new fuel injected motors! Fogging oil is only used for carburated engines. Yamaha has a new EFI ( Electronic Fuel Injection ) oil that is to be used in a separate fuel tank to run the engines on however, this is so new that we haven't mastered the task yet and I will recommend that you bypass this step. It will not do any damage to your engines.....we have not been doing this for the past couple years. I am waiting for Yamaha to give me the proper steps for this fogging oil.


Step by step winterizing:


1. Extract as much oil as you can from the crank case and replace with same amount of Yamalube 10W40. Change oil filter. Check spark plugs and replace if neccessary.

2. Fill your fuel tank full to reduce the chances of and condensation build up and water droplets in the fuel. Add enough Fuel Stabilizer into the tank to cover the full tank.

3. Grease the moving parts of the jet bucket at the rear and also the linkages inside the engine hatch.

4. You want to start your engine 1st, then turn on the water and let the unit run for aprox 10 mins.

5. The last step is to have a 4L jug of non-tox ( environmentally friendly anti-freeze ) which you would pour down into the water system of the boat.....same entry point where you hook up the garden hose to. You may need to get a 2nd adaptor for a quick change of hose as you keep the engine running during the switch. Once the non-tox has run through the system you will see the pink liquid coming out of the jet nozzle in the stern. Once the 4L bottle is empty, run the boat for 30 more seconds then shut off immediately.

6. After the boat is complete, turn the battery switch off, or dis-connect and put in your basement. Remove the clean out hatch to rid of any water so it doesn't freeze. Unplug the drain plugs in the hull so any water inside can find its way out.