Marlin 30 generator winterization

[Graybeard]

Hi guys.....I have to winterize my “new to us” 2003 Marlin 30 with a Kohler gen-set. I’m not sure how to go about doing it. I was told most gen-sets are winterized by taking the intake hose off the sea cock, putting it in a jug of antifreeze and let the generator suck it out until the exhaust port flows pink. Easy in and theory but how can you even get to the sea cock hose? Is there an easier way to winterize the gen-set? Thanks

 

[HMBJack]

First, locate the sea strainer for your genset raw water coolant hose. It should be about a foot from your genset seacock. Then you close the seacock and open the top of the sea strainer. Clean out the sea strainer filter. Next you're going to fill the genset sea strainer with your mix of antifreeze and water. Pour it in with a pitcher or better yet, a 4-5 foot section of garden hose with a funnel on the end,

Then you start your generator and do as you said being 100% sure you keep the sea strainer FULL of antifreeze. If some spills into the bilge, that's better than a burned out impellor. Good luck and I hope this helps.

 

[DennisG01]

There are all sorts of adapters you can get for the sea strainer - replacing the cap with an adapter that has a hose fitting on it... special funnel systems... etc. But simply pouring AF into the strainer works fine, too. Also... google "fake-a-lake".

I would suggest using the pink RV antifreeze as it's non-tox, rather than mixing normal AF (toxic) with water. Make sure you use the pink stuff with polypropylene glycol, not ethanol glycol.

And, absolutely, if any spills in the bilge... just consider it a "sacrifice to the winterization gods"!

 

[journeyman]

It's much easier to winterize your systems if you remove the deck panel.I know it's kind of a PIA but it'll save you some skin and blood and aggravation. It takes just a few minutes to unscrew and cut the silicone. The PIA part is removing the old silicone to re-bed it, which I do in the spring. Having this off gives you a good view to inspect all that's there, hoses bilge pump etc. I have a few sections of hose to replace before I splash next year. It also gives you room the clean up the area if you're so inclined.

I run the genny on a Fake-A-Lake to give it a good fresh water flush. Loosen the strainer cap, have a couple of gallons of AF standing by, shut the sea cock, unscrew the cap and pour away. As I'm getting to the end of my second gallon, I signal the admiral to shut down the genny. Screw the strainer cap back on. Done. Now the genny is all warmed up to change the oil. I'll change the water separator for the genny while I'm down there as well.

Here's more than you asked for but maybe it'll help...

With the deck panel off, you also have easier access to your other systems the livewell and wasdown. A small portable pump with garden hose threads on the suction and discharge will make those jobs a cinch. I remove the livewell hose from the pump and the washdown hose from the seacock and pump AF through them.

The AC is the easiest. A small hose can fit into the outlet through hull fitting. The pump I bought mentioned above came with one. Pump AF backwards through the system until it comes out the seacock. A gallon will do the job.

Don't forget to winterize the shower sump under your mid-berth.

Water heater gets by-passed and drained. Don't turn it on again until it's reconnected and filled or you'll burn it out.

Fresh water tank gets emptied then I fill with 4 or 5 gallons of AF. There's a lot of hoses under your decks. Each outlet, galley sink (hot and cold), head sink(hot and cold), head (if you have fresh water flush), windshield washer, bait prep sink and transom shower, all run til pink shows up.

The head gets emptied before hauling so a gallon goes in the bowl and flushed (not all at once) and because I'm the way I am, a gallon goes down the deck fitting. Probably unnecessary, but MEH, it's cheap.

 

[Graybeard]

I was thinking I had to remove the access penal on the deck. The impeller on my gen-set had to be replaced, I looked at the limited access, gave up on doing it myself and the repair tech had to remove the panal and rebed it again. So that’s what I’ll do. I also want to replace the potable water system strainer because it’s attached to the pump and a PIA to clean every time it clogs.

 

[DennisG01]

If you start using your fresh water on a regular basis, the screen shouldn't clog up. After giving it a good cleaning/flushing, also add a couple capfuls of bleach (or fresh water additive) each time you fill the tank. If you don't "need" the fresh water all that often, still run the tank dry on a regular basis and refill to keep things fresh. On my last boat, a Sea Ray Sundancer, it had a 28 gallon fresh water tank and the water never got nasty and the filter/screen never clogged up by following that schedule. We even occasionally drank the water.