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Cold weather question
I was curious as to what others do as the colder weather moves in. With the temps dropping into the 20s how do you continue to fish without damaging your outboard when you get off the lake? I don't have the luxury of a heated garage so the boat sits outside. Hate to quit fishing this early but not certain how to protect my motor.
Thanks for any recommendations
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We usually dont get temps real low for very long ... If you use use a Transom saver take it off and more water will drain out of the Motor -- You can cover the Engine with a Tarp and aim a Floodlight at the Lower Unit -- The Radiant heat will warm the Motor enough to never freeze
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I have left motor down till all water drains out spent the night at a motel came out in the morning to 16 degrees gone to the lake and have to let motor run for a minute shut it off let sit and restart a few times to get water out of pee hole but no other issues. Just a thought out of the blue but if you have a flush port on your motor why not attach a short hose pour some RV anti freeze in hose start motor let run a few seconds I think it should circulate thru. Anyone in the know might chime in with opinions
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I've never done anything special except make sure I let the water drain with the the motor down all the way down after I pull it out and store it with the motor down not tilted up. Maybe I've just been lucky? I do get the tell-tail frozen every once and a while and it takes a few minutes of the engine warming up to get it to pee.
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I always drain and replace my lower unit oil (just in case) if there is any water in it that could freeze and bust the casing.:twocents
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What old goat said. If your going to fish in cold weather. Change lower unit oil at start of cold weather. If you had any water when you drained then get it fixed before. If not just run it and do as others said. Pull boat out on trailer, trim motor down and let water drain good while getting boat ready. Then trim up for trip home. Then trim down once home and let any leftover water drain.
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Just the answers to the questions I've had. Thanks for the input. Ya just gotta love this site.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
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thanks for everyone's input. hope to get out soon
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I pull the kill switch lanyard on my tiller 25 hp Yamaha leaving the motor down and hit the starter couple times to turn it over when I trailer the boat at the lake in cold weather, then drive home. This blows the water out of the motor quite a bit without starting it on dry land. Never had one freeze up,yet in all these years of cold weather spring, fall, fishing.
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When you back your boat in after a cold night let the motor set in the water a couple minutes if any ice in lower unit it will melt before you crank.