Water tank for winterizing F250

[Woody1]

I am hoping for some advice on making a suitable water tank for running my 2005 Yamaha F250 on my GW Tournament 225 while it is on the trailer. I live in Virginia and am winterizing the outboard myself. I would like to be able to run the engine from time to time and before spring launch.

Since muffs do not work well on this type of engine (no telltale stream), I bought a large plastic trash container, cut it down, and lowered the engine into it. The water level of the tank is above the water inlet grill, but below the horizontal (cavitation?) fins. There isn't a lot of clearance fore and aft in the tank.

When I run the engine, I still do not get a telltale stream, although it worked fine when I pulled the boat from the river a week ago.

Does the tank have to cover more of the lower unit? I read somewhere that one possibility is a 55 gallon drum covering several inches of the fins.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[BCLII]

:welcome
Woody, I just winterized my F-250 today! I cut down a 55 gal. drum. It is 26 inches high and covers the cavatation plate. It is not large enough in diamater, but will shape itself as I lowered the motor into it, making it oblong. Worked great! Dont like the thought of putting her away, but have a 16' lund to use until spring comes again.
Good Luck

 

[Woody1]

Hi, BCLII

Thanks for the timely response. What is the diameter of your drum? I started looking for a 55 gallon drum, and see some sources on the internet. Where did you get yours?

Also, does your F250 "pee" when you run it in the drum?

Frost on everything this morning, and I need to finish the job!

 

[BCLII]

Drum is 24" in dia. It flexes to the 26" needed, making it oblong. Yes it pees just fine like being in the lake! Mine was one i had left from anti freeze for in floor heat!
Byron

 

[BobP]

Why do muffs not work on the Fs?

 

[Woody1]

I ordered a 55 gal drum to cut down; dia. is 23" or so, so might work. Also I ordered a spigot so the tank can be drained easily.

Bobp - I do not know why muffs do not work on Fs. I think these big outboards should be designed so that muffs work, or have a custom muff that works. Perhaps I do not have the right kind, I don't know, but I did buy the type with rectangular shaped muffs and twin inlets. The shaping of the lower part of the outboard does not allow the muffs to totally cover the inlet grills. Even when I cut down a large trash can to cover the grills (but not the cavitation plate), the telltale "pee" will not happen.

Some posts say that it is safe to run the engine for a short time with the muffs. Some folks seem to combine the flush inlet with the muffs via twin hoses, but I am not sure that works, since you must have to break the circulation loop when you attach a hose to the flush inlet.

I wish to have a tank so that I can run the engine, have the cooling system circulate on a "normal" basis, and not worry about any overheating.

So maybe the drum tank will work. We will see.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Question...what do you all do when winterizing? I have lived in the mountains now since 06 and other than draining the water as best as we can, i have never winterized the motors of my boats with fogging oil. I have never had a problem in 6 years either. Am I missing something? We tend to get our boats annual service in late January or.early February as I can often get same day service. The motor is ran once or twice over the winter

 

[BCLII]

Why do muffs not work on the Fs?

:hmm
Bob, I don't know why they dont work. I have the rectangle dual feed muffs and they worked on my F-150 and F-115 motors. I too think if is a mater if fitting properly. Too loose a fit because of the radius of the lower unit? So the other day I just cut down a 55 gal drum and filled it, tight fit but worked good! I will install a drain fitting at the base!
Byron

 

[BCLII]

Question...what do you all do when winterizing? I have lived in the mountains now since 06 and other than draining the water as best as we can, i have never winterized the motors of my boats with fogging oil. I have never had a problem in 6 years either. Am I missing something? We tend to get our boats annual service in late January or.early February as I can often get same day service. The motor is ran once or twice over the winter

Bob
Here in MN I'm done for the season> My Grady is parked in the shed until next April. I winterize by running motor to operating temp, drain oil and replace oil filter. After that is done, I restart the engine(per manual) let it run for 3-5 min. I then remove from water tank and trim the unit in all the way and with the shut off chord removed, turn engine over a few times to remove any water in and around the impeller/water pump. Drain and fill lower unit. Replace Yamaha 10 micron fuel filter. remove bateries and cover boat.
Then fish the mississippi river with my 16 lund as much as possible through the winter months.
Byron

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Thanks! We pretty much do the same to the boat it self as you do. We removed all the removables and stored the cushions inside in our laundry room. I ran rv antifreeze in the water tank and water lines. Engine wise we topped off the gas tank and added stabil because I do not readily have access to ethanol free fuel. Today though temps are supposed to climb to 70. I have an itch to take the boat out today as come Monday a cold front is blowing through with highs in upper 40s.and lows in the upper 20s....

 

[trapper]

Hi Guys, I have no problem with the muffs on my F 150, but know of F 250 owners who have luck with the muffs by removing the screens on the intake openings ( 1 screw to remove?) giving a larger opening to the water passage. Of course it all depends on the water pressure at the source. Cheers, trapper

 

[BobP]

I was wondering, my 200 HPDIs and every motor since worked on muffs.
If the water is spraying out around the muff seal under pressure, need to get a tighter squeeze. I bent the U bracket on my muffs closer together.

If muff is not big enough thats opportunity for a vendor to make such a product for sale.

I looked at the owners manual on the Yamaha website for the Fs and there was nothing in there on running out of water or I missed it.
Wouldn't surprise me they no longer endorse running out of water because of litigation over loss of fingers with motors left in gear or forgetting to turn on valve to hose, in both cases suing Yamaha that is there fault! I tend to think this is why as I have aged with too too much wisdom or cynicism (sp?), or both.

I just fog the motors with plugs removed ignition off, just crank about 3 secs to wet the cylinders good. I run the muffs just to keep the water pump wet as water is lubrication for seals too. In the spring run I run up motors to be sure they start and run, then change plugs. Gas is always treated year round. But for me Nov to March run is not that long in storage. Use T9 on block at any specs of rust. Change plugs and racors in spring, if not too cold do the VSTs in fall and leave VST tank empty during duration if new filters in. 2nd year do the HP filter (metal in line can type). Do outboard oil tank filters every 3 yrs incl the one near the VST tank .

The largest (tallest but long rectangular shape) rubbermade container may work for you guys. When finished use it for storage it was intended for. If it doesn't work, bring it back for refund !

 

[Doc Stressor]

My F250 will always overheat (set off the warning buzzer) if I run it for more than a few minutes at idle using just the 2-hose muffs. After a tip from a Yamaha mechanic at Homosassa Marine, I now connect an additional hose to the flush port. Running water through both intakes keeps the lower unit cool and supplies enough water pressure to give a normal tell tale stream and no overheat warning; even when running at higher rpm before an oil change.

They say that they use both ports for all 4-stroke Yamahas F150 or bigger. They said that it was not necessary for the F115 and smaller engines.

 

[bayrat]

I THOUGHT that I had read somewhere that the problem with the f 250 is that it has that extra pickup in the front of the bullet so that the muff water runs out there and doesnt circulate. The article said to duct tape it to keep the water in while you run it on the muffs. Cant remember where I saw it and have never tried it myself so Im not advising it....maybe someone else can comment on whether this is feasible.

 

[Woody1]

Well, I cut down my 55 gal drum, and it works great. The telltale stream came right up, and I ran the engine for 20 minutes with no overheating.

The drum diameter was too small, so I cut a slot for the cavitation plate and added a close fitting wood box, which I sealed.

The drum was very easy to set up, and it has a spigot near the bottom for draining.

 

[BCLII]

Woody, glad you got it winterized. Sounds like you motified your drum to adapt better for the F250. spring will be here before we know it. Enjoy the off season!
Byron

 

[Woody1]

Thanks a lot for taking time to respond with your experience, Byron. A water tank is the way to go with these F250s.

Now to wait out the winter! At least I have my Avon inflatable with the old Nissan 8 hp for the occasional warm sunny day . . .

Woody

 

[eppem]

I agree, my F225s do not run well or like to be ran out of the water with muffs..asked a local mechanic what they use and he turned me onto using the large green "landscaper" garbage cans. I think it was 25 or 30 bucks from Home Depot.

Depending on how high the boat is off the ground I sometimes have to block up the garbage can to get it high up the shaft...make sure you run the water to the top and keep the water turned on while running the engine.

My cousin has a F115 and the smaller engines run fine on the muffs.