Storage & Winterization
2007 MasterCraft Owners Manual - Page 17-1
Storage or winter lay-up requires special preparation to prevent damage to the boat. Since winter storage is
an annual event, it presents an excellent opportunity to perform the annual maintenance at this time.
Without proper preparation, storage for long periods of time may cause internal parts of the engine and
transmission to rust because of lack of lubrication. Also, if the boat has been stored in below-freezing temperatures with
water inside the bilge or engine cooling system, including the heater or shower, this condition could result in major
damage from freezing.
Also, refer to the section regarding oil changes. Your boat should have an oil change performed immediately
prior to storage to prevent potential damage to your engine.
Thefollowingprocedureswillhelpavoidmostpotentialtypesofdamageforaperiodnottoexceedve(5)months!
Because of the complexity of preparing your boat for proper winter storage, as well as the possibility of extreme dam-
age to the engine if a preparation error was made during winterization, MasterCraft recommends that you schedule
an appointment with your local MasterCraft dealer and permit the dealer to perform the winterization procedures.
To properly winterize your engine, you MUST be able to bring the engine up to operating temperature. To
accomplish this, your boat must be in the water or attached to a water supply using a hose and suitable adapter that
will allow an uninterrupted supply of water to the engine.
General Preparation
Before starting you will need the following supplies:
• Sta-Bil Gasoline Stabilizer
• Six(6)quartsofspeciedengineoil(see engine oil change instructions elsewhere in this manual)
• Appropriateoillterforyourengine(see Specifi cations elsewhere in the manual or contact your dealer)
• Fuellter
• Low tack tape
• Four to six ounces of fogging oil
• One(1)canofcorrosionprotectantandlubricant
• Transmission oil (if needed)
• Multi-purpose grease
• Short piece of stiff wire such as coat hanger wire
• Pip thread sealant
• Anti-freeze tester suitable for propylene glycol anti-freeze (fresh-water cooled engines only)
• Anti-freeze (see elsewhere in this manual for more details regarding acceptable brands and specifi cations—
NEVER mix anti-freeze types)
Fuel System Treatment
Step 1: Iftheboatwillbeplacedinstoragewithfuel(noalcoholinthemix)inthetank,llthetankwithfreshfueland
asufcientamountofSta-Bilgasolinestabilizertotreattheentiretank.Followinstructionsonthecontainer.
Step 2: If the boat will be placed in storage with fuel that contains alcohol, the fuel tank should be drained as com-
pletely as possible, disposed of properly, and Sta-Bil gasoline stabilizer added to any fuel remaining in the
tank. Follow the directions on the container.
Step 3: Starttheengineandoperateatidleuntiltheenginereachesnormaloperatingtemperature.(Ifusingahose
andadapter,adjustthefaucettoavoidover-coolingtheengineatlowRPM.)Runtheengineforatleast15
minutes to ensure that the fuel stabilizer enters the engine’s fuel system.