How to Winterize an Outboard Motor | Winterizing a 4 Stroke Outboard Motor | Boats.net

Summary

In this video, John Talley from Boats.net walks through the winterization process for a 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado outboard engine. The steps include changing the lower unit oil, applying fogging oil to protect the engine’s combustion chamber, adding fuel stabilizer, and spraying corrosion guard to prevent rust. Detailed instructions for each process are provided, along with references to other videos for changing engine and lower unit oil. The video emphasizes the importance of winterization to ensure the engine starts smoothly in the next season.

Takeaways

• 🔧 The video focuses on winterizing a 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado outboard engine.
• 🛠️ Tools required for the process are basic hand tools, and sizes will be mentioned as needed.
• 🔄 Steps include changing the lower unit oil and engine oil, with other videos available for detailed instructions on these tasks.
• 🛢️ Fuel stabilizer should be added to the fuel tank, and the engine should be run to circulate it through the system.
• ⚙️ Fogging oil is applied by removing the spark plugs and spraying directly into the combustion chamber.
• 🛡️ It's crucial to apply corrosion guard to the engine, avoiding belts and anodes.
• 🔩 The coil harnesses are removed, and the spark plugs are accessed by taking off some parts of the engine cowling.
• ❌ Rust can build up in the engine if it’s not properly fogged, leading to severe damage.
• ⚖️ Avoid overapplying fogging oil to prevent hydro-locking the engine during startup.
• 🛒 For parts or assistance, viewers are encouraged to visit Boats.net and subscribe for future updates.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the winterization process?

The winterization process is done to prepare outboard engines, like the 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado, for the off-season by protecting the engine and its components.

Which parts of the engine require oil changes as part of winterization?

The lower unit oil and the engine oil both need to be changed during winterization.

How should fuel stabilizer be applied during the winterization process?

Fuel stabilizer should be added to the fuel tank, the engine should be cranked, and enough time should be given for the stabilizer to circulate through the fuel system.

What is fogging oil and why is it applied?

Fogging oil is sprayed into the combustion chambers to protect the engine from rusting during long periods of inactivity.

How do you access the combustion chambers for fogging?

The spark plugs need to be removed to access the combustion chambers before spraying in fogging oil.

Why is it important not to overuse fogging oil?

Overusing fogging oil can lead to hydro-locking the engine, which can prevent it from starting.

What size tool is required to remove the coils from the engine head?

An 8 millimeter tool is required to remove the coils from the engine head.

What should be done after applying the fogging oil?

After applying fogging oil, the spark plugs and coils should be reinstalled, and the bolts should be torqued to 20 foot-pounds.

What is corrosion guard and where should it be applied?

Corrosion guard is a protective coating applied to the engine to prevent rust, but it should not be used on belts or anodes.

Where can customers go for parts for their boats?

Customers can visit Boats.net to find parts for their boats, as mentioned in the video.

Outlines

00:00

🛥️ Introduction to Winterization of a 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado

John Talley begins the video by introducing the winterization process for a 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado outboard engine. He mentions the need to store equipment for the offseason and emphasizes the importance of following a proper procedure. He lists various tasks such as applying fogging oil, fuel stabilizer, and corrosion guard, and hints at separate videos for changing the lower unit oil and engine oil. Talley also discusses the basic hand tools required for the process.

05:07

🔧 Starting the Winterization Process: Lower Unit Oil and Fuel Stabilizer

The first major steps in the winterization process include changing the fluid in the lower unit and the engine oil and filter in the powerhead. Talley refers viewers to specific instructional videos for these procedures. He then explains the process of adding fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank, which helps preserve the fuel system. While he cannot demonstrate this due to the engine being on a stand, he stresses the importance of following the manufacturer's instructions when using fuel stabilizers.

🛠️ Fogging Oil Application and Spark Plug Removal

Next, Talley moves on to addressing the engine’s combustion chamber. He explains that the spark plugs need to be removed in order to apply fogging oil, which prevents rust during long periods of inactivity. He walks through the removal of spark plugs by first disconnecting the coils and then using an 8mm tool to access the plugs. Talley emphasizes the importance of performing this step annually to ensure the engine starts up properly in the future.

🔩 Dealing with Spark Plug Issues and Fogging Oil Precautions

Talley encounters difficulty with some of the spark plugs, noting that someone had likely worked on the engine before. He shows the wear on the spark plugs and explains how lack of fogging oil could lead to internal rust. He applies a couple of seconds of fogging oil into each chamber, cautioning viewers not to overdo it to avoid hydrolocking the engine. The plugs in cylinders three and four are particularly damaged, highlighting the importance of thorough maintenance.

🔧 Reassembly and Final Corrosion Guard Application

After applying fogging oil, Talley proceeds with reinstalling the spark plugs and coils. He tightens the plugs to twenty foot-pounds and places the coils back in their positions. The final step in the winterization process is applying corrosion guard to the engine, ensuring it is kept away from the belts and anodes. Talley notes that additional work still needs to be done but puts it aside for now. He concludes by inviting viewers to visit Boats.net for parts and to subscribe to the channel for more tutorials.

Keywords

💡Winterization

Winterization refers to the process of preparing equipment, such as a boat engine, for the off-season to prevent damage during colder months. In the video, the winterization of a Mercury 200 XL Verado engine involves steps like changing the oil, using fuel stabilizers, and applying corrosion protection to safeguard the engine from rust and other potential issues caused by cold weather.

💡Lower Unit Oil

Lower unit oil, also known as gear oil, is a lubricating oil used in the lower part of an outboard engine to protect the gears from wear and corrosion. The video highlights the importance of changing the lower unit oil as part of the winterization process. John Talley mentions that there is a separate video to guide viewers through this procedure.

💡Engine Oil

Engine oil is a crucial lubricant for the moving parts of an engine, reducing friction and heat. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the need to change the engine oil and oil filter during winterization to keep the Mercury 200 XL Verado engine running smoothly. The reference to a separate video for this process shows its significance in the overall maintenance routine.

💡Fuel Stabilizer

A fuel stabilizer is a chemical additive that helps prevent the fuel from breaking down or forming deposits during periods of inactivity. The video explains that adding fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank and running the engine helps circulate it throughout the fuel system, ensuring that the fuel remains usable during the off-season.

💡Fogging Oil

Fogging oil is used to protect the internal components of an engine from rust and corrosion during storage. In the video, the process involves spraying the fogging oil into the combustion chamber through the spark plug openings. This creates a protective film over the engine's internal surfaces, preventing rust from forming during long periods of disuse.

💡Corrosion Guard

Corrosion guard is a protective coating applied to metal surfaces to prevent rust and corrosion. In the video, the corrosion guard is applied to the exterior parts of the engine, avoiding areas with belts or anodes. It forms a barrier to protect the engine from moisture and other elements that could lead to corrosion during storage.

💡Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are devices that deliver electric current to the combustion chamber of an engine to ignite the fuel-air mixture. In the video, John Talley demonstrates removing the spark plugs to apply fogging oil into the engine's combustion chambers. He notes the condition of the spark plugs, warning that neglecting this step could lead to engine rust and poor performance.

💡Hydro-lock

Hydro-lock occurs when an engine’s cylinders become filled with liquid, preventing the pistons from moving and possibly causing damage. The video cautions against using too much fogging oil, as this could cause hydro-lock when the engine is restarted. Talley advises moderation to avoid this issue while still protecting the engine.

💡Powerhead

The powerhead is the upper part of an outboard engine, which houses the combustion chamber, pistons, and cylinders. In the video, the speaker mentions the importance of changing the oil and filter in the powerhead as part of the regular maintenance schedule, which is integral to keeping the engine functioning efficiently.

💡Coils

Coils, or ignition coils, are part of the engine's ignition system, converting the battery’s voltage into a higher voltage to create a spark in the spark plugs. In the video, Talley removes the coils to access the spark plugs and explains the importance of taking care during this process to prevent damage to the ignition system and ensure smooth operation during winterization.

Highlights

Introduction to winterization process for a 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado outboard.

Overview of necessary tools and products for outboard winterization, including fogging oil, fuel stabilizer, and corrosion guard.

Steps for changing lower unit oil, with reference to a separate video for detailed instructions.

Instructions for changing the engine oil and filter with reference to another tutorial video.

Importance of adding fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank, circulating it through the engine to protect the fuel system during storage.

Application of fogging oil to protect the combustion chamber by removing the spark plugs and spraying oil inside.

Detailed steps for removing engine cowling to access spark plugs and coils, using 8mm tools.

Explanation of fogging oil's role in preventing rust inside the engine during long periods of disuse.

Warning to avoid over-spraying fogging oil, which could cause hydro-lock in the engine during startup.

Procedure for reinstalling spark plugs and coils after applying fogging oil.

Final application of corrosion guard to protect engine components, with caution to avoid belts and anodes.

Emphasis on performing regular maintenance like winterization to ensure engine starts without issues after storage.

Encouragement to visit Boats.net for parts and assistance with boat maintenance needs.

Call to action for viewers to subscribe to the channel for more instructional content.

Closing remarks, thanking viewers for shopping at Boats.net and wishing them a great day.

Transcripts

Hello, John Talley here would Boats.net. Well, it's that time of year when you

need to put away your toys. But to do that properly, you need to go through

what they call a winterization process, and that's what I'm going to show you on

our 2009 Mercury 200 XL Verado. Before we get started, let's head over to

the table and look at the tools and the parts we're gonna need to pull this off.

These are all the products that you're going to need to safely and effectively

winterize your outboard for the off season. Now there's a couple of different

processes we're going to be going through. We're gonna change the lower

unit oil. We have a video that shows you how to do that, so if you would reference

it and I can walk you through that process. The other oil that we have to

deal with is the engine oil. We also have a video for that, so reference that video

and I can walk you through it as well. Now to that, that in this video we're going

to show you how to apply the fogging oil, the fuel stabilizer, and then corrosion

guard. Now, as far as the tools, well it's going to be just basic hand tools and

I'll call out whatever size that I'm using so you can find it in your box.

Well now that we've got our products and our tools organized and ready to roll,

let's step over there and get a little project done.

So the first thing we need to do is actually part of your regular

maintenance schedule. You want to go ahead and change the fluid in the lower

unit, and once that's done go ahead and change the oil and the filter in the

powerhead. Now if you need detailed instructions, we actually have videos on

this particular unit where I can walk you through the process. Alright, next

we need to address the fuel system and to do that we want to bring in some fuel

stabilizer. What you'll need to do is just add this to the fuel tank, crank up

the engine, give it enough time to actually draw some of that fluid in and

circulate it through the fuel system of the engine itself. I can't do that at the

moment because well, we're just sitting on an engine stand. But simple to do,

just follow whatever guidelines they give you on the fuel stabilizer itself

so you don't over saturate the system or worse yet, not get enough in there. So

whichever when you go with read the instructions and just follow it

accordingly. Next we want to address the combustion chamber of the engine itself

and the best way to access that is to pull the spark plugs and actually spray

in a fogging oil, so that's what we're going to do next. So let's get our

harness pulled off of each coil, and then you just got an 8 millimeter that

holds the coil in to the head. I know this is a little bit

time-consuming, but it'll pay off in the long run if you do this each and every

year. As you go through this process, you're almost guaranteed as long as you

have a good battery that your engine's going to start back up when you need it.

The top two are really easy to deal with, the second? We have to get rid of part of

the cowling to get to it. And there is a 8 millimeter bolt on the latch that we

need to remove the pivot point, and then that will expose two more bolts going

into this section. There we go. Alright someone has already removed these two

screws. What we want to do is hit a couple of pry points and then remove this

cover. There we go. Making progress. Now we just need to pull

these four eight millimeters, and that's going to allow this locking plate to

come out. And that'll give us access to those last two coils. There we go. There, there.

That's just in an tight. I get the thing somebody's been in here before,

what do y'all think? Figured out what it was and then ran away. We've never

experienced that have we? Hopefully the plugs you pull out of your engine look a

lot better than this. Not looking too spiffy either. This is what will happen

to your engine on the inside if you set it up without spraying it with fogging

oil and then let it sit for a long period of time. It'll actually rust

the inside. Number two didn't look that bad, three and four look terrible. Yep,

what we need to do now is just spray a couple of seconds worth of this fogging

oil directly into the chamber. And now you don't want to get carried away here

because when you go to start it, I mean granted, it's going to dissipate after a

while but we didn't want to pump so much in there that we hydro-lock our engine

from too much fogging oil. So we'll start up top, one, two, three.

That should be enough. One, two, three.

One, two, three. One, two, three. Alright, now let's just get our plugs back in and

get our coils back on. Alright, let's take these two twenty foot pounds. And

get our coils back in.

Get the plug back in. Alright, the last step in this process is to give it a nice coat

of corrosion guard, and you can use this thing anywhere on the engine except for

any area where the belts are and/or the anodes. You want to keep it away from

those. Now obviously, we still have a lot more work to do on our engine, so I'm

going to put that to the side for right now. Well listen, if you need any parts

for your boat, why don't you come see us at Boats.net and we can get you taken

care of. Have any questions or comments? Leave them in the section below and I'll

do my best to answer them. Hey, if you like what you see, why don't you go and hit

that subscribe button that way you can keep up with whatever I'm working on

next. We just want to say thank you for shopping here with us at Boats.net,

and we will see you in the next video. Y'all have a great day.