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#1
11-15-2004, 11:35 AM
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Oil dipstick heater
I'm using a oil dipstick heater after I winterize. I have not read any other threads on this subject,It only uses 90 watts and keeps the oil warm all winter long.My garage gets alot of afternoon sun,so after a cold night condensation can be a problem. Im surprised nobody has talked about this option.
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#2
11-15-2004, 04:47 PM
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I'd be interested in what others think about this. I've thought of putting a frost plug block heater in mine for late fall and early spring. My reasoning being, I live in Minnesota and also travel out of town nearly every week for work. I often end up winterizing my boat in mid-late October, even though I could ski a couple more weeks because I don't want to be out of town and have a cold snap hit.
Anyone else done this?
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#3
11-15-2004, 04:51 PM
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I think the fact that the cooling system is not a closed system (unless yours is) would cause a problem using the traditional freeze/frost plug type block heater. I could be wrong though, maybe someone has better knowledge of them than I.
Other types of heaters include a stick on oil pan heater or a magnet heater. Those basically just stick to the outside of the oil pan and heat the oil that way. I like the idea of those because they can be left on always, and there is no direct contact between oil and heating element. I have no experience with a dipstick type heater. Kyle
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#4
11-16-2004, 05:49 AM
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All I can say is that I use the magnet type on my diesel tractors & they work rather well. I ended up not needing to use one this year (I ended my season 2 weeks ago), but if I were to extend it a bit, I'd probably go with the magnet type. You could put one on each side of your block to be sure you got complete coverage. That would be more than plenty to keep the entire engine compartment warm.
Don't forget to keep the water out of your speedo tubes. There shouldn't be any in there, but I know of more than a couple that busted over winter from people not blowing out their speedo lines when winterizing.
__________________
If one day you're asked: " How did you spend your time here on Earth?" Will you say: "I kept a crabgrass free lawn" It's time to SKI. 
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#5
11-16-2004, 10:51 AM
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Jimmer, this is one thing I wasn't able to do when I winterized last week. I made sure the pitot tube pickups weren't clogged, but I couldn't get to the lines on my 93 Prostar. I called a local dealer and they said that they never do that as part of winterization and haven't had any problems reported. I was thinking of removing the tube from the pickup and, using a syringe, sucking water out. Anybody see any downside to this method?
__________________
Previous: 1993 Prostar 205 Red 1998 Closed Bow Ski Boat, Ford 351, 310 hp, Acme 4 blade, Perfect Pass SG. FAQ Tyler Ski Club To me, this forum is about love of inboard boats. It is about the sharing of information and, on a good day, some humor. It is not about post count, brand of boat, or any other superfluous labels that lend themselves to a false sense of superiority. Please, respect one another, try to pass on accurate information, and keep your eye on the ball.
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#6
11-16-2004, 11:34 AM
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Quote:
All I can tell you is that in my kneck of the woods, I've seen more than a couple that froze & split. It may be easier (it is for me) to remove the rear carpet piece just in front of the gas tank, then remove the host from there & let it drain. I wouldn't blow air from the back of the boat front, as if anything is in the tube (other than water), it needs to travel the entire distance to come out. just my .02 worth...
__________________
If one day you're asked: " How did you spend your time here on Earth?" Will you say: "I kept a crabgrass free lawn" It's time to SKI.
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#7
11-16-2004, 07:56 PM
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Use to have a freeze plug heater in one of my EX's car.. Worked great but, as said above, it would not work in a raw water cooling system.. It needs to be submerged in water or it would burn up..
Someway to heat the oil and block, dipstick or magnet, sounds like a great idea... My tristar came with a hose hooked to the block drain. ( poor mans shower). I use to winterize with Anti freeze.. That year my boat had to stay out in my friends covered patio. ( Divorce years).. The nozzle, at the hose end, froze and broke. Pretty scary, and I was glad everything was OK that spring. Apparently NO antifreeze got down the hose to the nozzle. These things do happen..
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#8
11-17-2004, 06:03 AM
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Quote:
__________________
If one day you're asked: " How did you spend your time here on Earth?" Will you say: "I kept a crabgrass free lawn" It's time to SKI.
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#9
11-17-2004, 08:33 PM
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If you were real quick it wasnt bad.. Pretty much worthless except for water fights....
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#10
10-14-2005, 03:04 PM
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Quote:
 Here is where I am at: It never gets terribly cold here, snows maybe once/twice a year. I do not winterize, I ride year round. Boat stays in garage. I have always used the magnetic block heaters. They work well, but after a few years, bilge water and condensation break them down. I am interested in learning more about the freeze plug heaters. My buddy w/ a diff brand boat has one and seems to work well. What / where is the freeze plug(s)? Why (above) would these not work in an un-winterized raw water cooling system? My engine should stay full of water, right? Any other suggestions for heaters? I am not opposed to staying with the tried/true magnetic heaters, but thought I would at least seek other input. Thanks...
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