it RV pink antifreeze ok use for boat engine winterization?

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Ive always used bulk green antifreeze when winterizing my i/o engine, but I was wondering if RV antifreeze is ok to use in an engine for winterizing? It is propylene glycol, but nowhere does it say on the jugs that it is ok for engine winterizing. Thoughts?
 
The CORRECT pink does-in fact AZ had a rebate off 4 gallons, it was the Dow Chemical Dowfrost, and it has corrosion inhibitors and is safe for the environment when you start 'er back up in the spring. And I used it on my 350 Mag in the boat 2 weeks ago when I did it!
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
What is the benefit of using this vs leaving the engine dry?


There can be pockets of water you are unaware of. The better choice is Sierra or Zerex Low Tox. Either one mixed 50/50 with plain water does not cost much more than the pink stuff you can get at Walmart which you cannot dilute. Or get some antifreeze made for boat engine winterizing at a marine store. Use the pink stuff for your FW system.

I also prefer to fill the block with AF via pouring it in rather than to pull in the antifreeze running the engine. If you do it that way you are dependent on knowing when the thermostat is open.

But the pink stuff is better than nothing.
 
If the engine is freshwater cooled, it's fine to use on the seawater side. We've used it for longer than I've been alive, and the 25 year old heat exchangers on both 454s and the genset are still going strong.

I don't know that I'd use it in a RWC setup though, and I agree with the thermostat comment above in that situation.
 
My neighbor used this for a personal watercraft with open cooling. The container didn't say much about its forumla, but did claimed to be low tox, aluminum safe and to provide freeze protection to -12F and burst protection to -50. It had a warning that it was only for winterizing and not to be used as a coolant, which made me think dilution lowered the boiling point. Now if I could only remember the brand name
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
What is the benefit of using this vs leaving the engine dry?
You also slow down the (inevitable) rusting out of your exhaust & intake manifolds, which usually leads to engine failure.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
What is the benefit of using this vs leaving the engine dry?


There can be pockets of water you are unaware of. The better choice is Sierra or Zerex Low Tox. Either one mixed 50/50 with plain water does not cost much more than the pink stuff you can get at Walmart which you cannot dilute. Or get some antifreeze made for boat engine winterizing at a marine store. Use the pink stuff for your FW system.

I also prefer to fill the block with AF via pouring it in rather than to pull in the antifreeze running the engine. If you do it that way you are dependent on knowing when the thermostat is open.

But the pink stuff is better than nothing.


I agree with draining and pouring in the A/F, but many do suck it into the water pump pickup and have no problems. I've never seen a manufacturers' winterize instructions that sucked A/F into a running engine.

One of the problems with sucking into a running engine, as noted with your thermostat point, is unknown concentration of A/F. All winterize instruction I have ever seen leaves the exhaust manifolds of raw water cooled engines dry.

The only boat I winterize by sucking A/F into while running I drain the water first. It is a 50 foot Fountain express cruiser with 3 440 horse Yanmars. I did the winterize on it yesterday.
 
Originally Posted By: ledslinger
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
What is the benefit of using this vs leaving the engine dry?


There can be pockets of water you are unaware of. The better choice is Sierra or Zerex Low Tox. Either one mixed 50/50 with plain water does not cost much more than the pink stuff you can get at Walmart which you cannot dilute. Or get some antifreeze made for boat engine winterizing at a marine store. Use the pink stuff for your FW system.

I also prefer to fill the block with AF via pouring it in rather than to pull in the antifreeze running the engine. If you do it that way you are dependent on knowing when the thermostat is open.

But the pink stuff is better than nothing.


I agree with draining and pouring in the A/F, but many do suck it into the water pump pickup and have no problems. I've never seen a manufacturers' winterize instructions that sucked A/F into a running engine.

One of the problems with sucking into a running engine, as noted with your thermostat point, is unknown concentration of A/F. All winterize instruction I have ever seen leaves the exhaust manifolds of raw water cooled engines dry.

The only boat I winterize by sucking A/F into while running I drain the water first. It is a 50 foot Fountain express cruiser with 3 440 horse Yanmars. I did the winterize on it yesterday.


On something like a Mercruiser, you need to run the engine on water from a garden hose then switch to the antifreeze when the thermostat is fully open, then just before the last of the antifreeze is running in, you fog the engine and stall it. Too much to coordinate for me.
 
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