LAY·UP
&
RECOMMISSIONING
GENERAL
Many owners rely
on
their boatyards to prepare their craft,
including engines
and
generators, for lay-up during the
off-season or for
long
periods
of inactivity. Others prefer
to
accomplish
lay-up preparation themselves.
The procedures
which
follow
will allow you
to
perform your
own
lay-up
and recommissioning, or you may use them
as
a
check list
if
others
do
the
procedures.
These procedures
should
afford your engine protection
during a lay-up and
also
help
familiarize you with the
maintenance needs
of
your engine.
If
you
have
any
questions
regarding lay-up procedures, call
your
local
servicing
dealer;
he
will
be
more than willing to
provide assistance. ·
Propeller
Shaft
Coupling
[Propulsion
Engine]
The transmission
and
propeller half couplings should always
be
opened
up and
the
bolts removed when the boat is hauled
out of
the
water or
moved
from land to water, and during
storage
in
the cradle.
The
flexibility
of
the boat often puts a
severe strain on the propeller shaft or coupling or both, while
the boat
is
taken out
or
put in the water.
In
some cases, the
shaft
has
actually
been
bent by these strains. This does not
apply
to
small boats that
are
hauled out
of
the water when
not
in
use,
unless
they
have
been dry for a considerable
period of time.
Fresh
Water
Cooling
Circuit
[Propulsion
Engine]
A
50-50
solution
of
antifreeze and distilled water is
recommended for
use
in
the coolant system
at
all times.
This solution
may
require a higher concentration
of
antifreeze, depending
on
the
area's winter climate. Check the
solution
to
make
sure
the
antifreeze protection is adequate.
Should
more
antifreeze
be needed, drain an appropriate
amount
from
the
engine
block and add a more concentrated
mixture.
Operate
the
engine
to ensure a complete circulation
and
mixture
of
the
antifreeze
concentration throughout the
cooling
system.
Now
recheck the antifreeze solution's strength.
Lubrication
System
With
the
engine
warm,
drain
all the engine oil from the oil
sump.
Remove
and
replace the oil filter and fill the sump
with
new
oil.
Use
the
correct
grade
of
oil. Refer to the
ENGINE
LUBRICATING
OIL pages
in
this manual for the
oil
changing
procedure.
Run the engine and check for proper
oil
pressure and
make
sure
there are
no
leaks.
A
CAUTION:
Do
n~
leave
the
engine's
old
engine
oil
in
the
sump
over
the
lay-up
period.
Lubricating
oil
and
combustion
deposits
combine
to
produce
harmful
chemicals
which
can
reduce
the
life
of
your
engine's
internal
parts.
Fuel
System
[Gasoline]
Top
off your fuel
tanks
with unleaded gasoline
of
89
octane
or higher. A fuel conditioner such
as
Sta-Bil gasoline
stabilizer should be added. Change the element
in
your
gasoline/water separator and clean the metal bowl. Re-install
and make certain there are
no
leaks. Clean
up
any spilled
fuel.
Fuel
System
[Diesel]
Top
off your fuel
tanks
with
No.
2D diesel fuel. Fuel
··additives should
be
added prior
to
topping off
to
ensure
they
' mix with the fuel being added and fuel still in
the
tank.
Additives. such
as
Bio-bor and Diesel Kleen + Cetane Boost
should
be·
added at this time to control bacteria growth and
condition the fuel. Care should be taken that the additives
used are compatible
with
the primary fuel filter/water
separator used in the system. Change the element in your
primary fuel filter/water separator clean the separator
sediment bowl.
Change the fuel filter elements on the engine and bleed the
fuel system,
as
needed. Start the engine and allow it to run
for 5 -
10
minutes
to
make sure
no
air
is
left
in
the fuel
system. Check for
any
leaks that may have been created
in
the fuel system during this servicing, correcting them as
needed. Operating the engine for 5 - 10 minutes will help
allow movement
of
the
treated fuel through the injection
equipment on the engine. ·
Raw
Water
Cooling
Circuit
Close the through-hull seacock. Remove
the
raw water intake
hose from the seacock. Place the end
of
this hose into a
five
gallon bucket
of
clean fresh water. Before starting the engine,
check the zinc anode found in the primary heat exchanger
on
the engine and clean or replace it as required, and
also
clean
any zinc debris from inside the heat.exchanger where the
zinc anode is located. Clean the raw water strainer.
Start the engine and allow the raw water pump to draw the
fresh water through the system. When the bucket is
empty,
stop the engine and refill the bucket with
an
antifreeze
solution slightly stronger than needed for winter freeze
protection in your
area.
Start the engine and allow all of this mixture to be drawn
through the raw water system. Once the bucket is
empty,
stop
the engine. This antifreeze mixture should protect the
raw
water circuit from freezing during the winter lay-up,
as
well
as
providing corrosion protection.
Remove the impeller from your raw water pump (some
antifreeze mixture will accompany it, so catch it in a bucket).
Examine the impeller. Acquire a replacement, if needed, and
a cover gasket. Do not replace the impeller (into the pump)
until recommissioning, but replace the cover and gasket.
Engines & Generators
41
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