How to Winterize a 60-HP Mercury Engine
by Jared Curtis
Your 60-HP Mercury engine needs special care before winter storage. The engine uses lake water to cool it when it is running. The water remaining in the engine must be removed to avoid corrosion and damage to the engine block. The supplies and tools to winterize your engine may be purchased at any boat shop. You will need access to a water source in order to do the winterizing. The process will take about an hour.
Step 1
Pour the appropriate amount of fuel stabilizer into the fuel tank. Refer to the bottle's label for the correct ratio.
Step 2
Loosen and remove the boat's drain plug, using a wrench. The plug is at the back of the boat, near the bottom. This will allow the water you will drain from the engine to drain out of the bottom of the boat.
Step 3
Open the engine compartment lid. Locate the spark arrester, which is mounted on the carburetor. It is a round air filter that is held to the carburetor by a nut. Remove this nut with a wrench, and remove the spark arrester from the carburetor.
Step 4
Connect the garden hose to the outdrive muffs by screwing them together at the connection. Place the outdrive muffs around the lower unit of the outdrive. Ensure that the outdrive muffs are fully covering the vents on each side of the outdrive.
Step 5
Turn on the water source and allow the water to reach the outdrive muffs. If air pockets are in the hose, allow them to work through the hose.
Step 6
Start the engine and allow it to idle for at least 10 minutes.
Step 7
Spray fogging oil into and around the carburetor until the engine stalls. Replace the spark arrester, and tighten the nut with a wrench.
Step 8
Turn the water source off. Remove the outdrive muffs from the lower unit of the outdrive.
Step 9
Locate the drain plugs on the engine block itself. Refer to your owners manual for the drain-plug location, as each model is different. Remove the drain plugs with a wrench, and allow the water to completely drain from the engine before reinstalling the drain plugs and tightening them with a wrench.
Step 10
Turn the battery switch on your boat to the "off" position. If you do not have a battery switch, simply remove the negative cable from the battery with a wrench. The black cable is the negative cable.
References
Things You'll Need
- Fuel stabilizer
- Wrench set
- Garden hose connected to water source
- Outdrive muffs
- Fogging oil
Warnings
- Do not attempt to start your engine without the outdrive muffs connected and the water connected and running.
Writer Bio
Living in Utah, Jared Curtis graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Curtis is continuing his education in hard sciences to apply to medical school in the future. He began writing professionally in 2010, specializing in cabinet-related articles.
