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 provide protection for your
engine/generator during a lay-up and also help familiarize
you
with
its maintenance needs.
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
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
"engine oil change".
Run
the
engine and check for proper oil pressure and make
sure there
are
no
leaks.
A
CAUTION:
Do
not
leave
the
engine's
old
engine
oil
in
the
sump
over
the
lay-up
period.
Lubricating
011
and
combustion
depos~ts
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
STABIL 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.2
diesel
fuel.
Fuel additives
such as BIOBOR and DIESEL KLEEN should be added
at
this time to control algae
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,
if
the
fuel
system has one, and 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.
Cylinder
Lubrication
[Gasoline]
Spray fogging oil into the open air intake, with the
flame
arrester removed, while the engine is running. The fogging
oil will stall out the engine and coat the valves, cylinders and
spark plugs for winter protection.
Engines & Generators
53