New owner. do I need to do anything to motors for an inside heated storage situation?

[Bob Quinn]

I bought my 53My with 8v71Ti's after it was already on blocks inside in heated storage.
Just thought I should double check to see if there is anything that I should make sure to get done to the motors. I know it won't freeze but should anything be fogged or anything?

Thanks!

 

[Sadey]

I asked Sky for his winterization checklist the first year we stored our boat. His response was:

Battery Switches Off

Other than emptying the holding tank and trying to get the boat washed before she’s put away that’s all we’ve done for Benedetto.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Top off the flooded batteries.

Maybe adding a stabilizer to the potable water tank. Or ensure it is dumped out and refilled when re-commissioned.
If you have a Water Maker, ensure it is pickled.

 

[Avenger]

I can think of things I'd do just anyway, but they're not really necessary. Except in extremes.

One thing I'm going to point out is that "fogging" a diesel is a huge no-no. Diesels see any combustible in the cylinder as fuel.

 

[spartonboat1]

I asked Sky for his winterization checklist the first year we stored our boat. His response was:

Battery Switches Off

Other than emptying the holding tank and trying to get the boat washed before she’s put away that’s all we’ve done for Benedetto.

Since you are new to the boat, you may not yet be aware of electrical or other details. Research if any electrical system does not run through the battery switches, i.e., bypasses the battery switches. If so, shut them off, aka turn their switches to off. Sometimes certain bilge pump switches are directly connected to the battery circuits.

Using a digital VOM (volt meter), record or note the voltage levels of the batteries. Their voltage readings should remain mostly stable, if no demands on this them. Probably 12.65 to 12.75v. If they drift below 12.65v, over a couple or several weeks, that is a concern to be researched.

"Filling" the batteries does not mean adding water to the bottom of the filler openings. Please research "filling the batteries" to get a sense for how much water to add. Also, I believe distilled water should be added, not tap water. NAPA sells black plastic containers esp. designed for adding battery water. They have a special snout that fits the battery openings.

P.s., to go all out. Check the cleanliness and tightness of the battery connections. The bolts for the battery posts should tightened be in the range of 50-70 inch #'s.

 

[Bob Bradley]

"Filling" the batteries does not mean adding water to the bottom of the filler openings. Please research "filling the batteries" to get a sense for how much water to add.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I've been filling my batteries to the bottom of the filler openings for the past 50 years or so. What should I have been doing?

 

[Lmcruiser]

Found this as a reference. I always filled to top of fill.

 

[Lmcruiser]

Correct is 1/4 inch below fill well according to this.

 

[spartonboat1]

Correct is 1/4 inch below fill well according to this.

This is essentially what I was referring to as "correct battery fill". The "...1/4 inch below..." allows for expansion of the battery cell fluid, which contains Sulfuric Acid, so that the fluid does not over-flow out over the top of a battery. Battery fluid volume is not static, during periods when battery fluid temperature changes, so allowance for expansion is to be allowed. On another point, the tops of the cell plates should always be covered with fluid.

 

[spartonboat1]

View attachment 54514

Found this as a reference. I always filled to top of fill.

Right. The middle graphic is correct. The right hand graphic is "too full".

 

[tom5518]

Since you are new to the boat, you may not yet be aware of electrical or other details. Research if any electrical system does not run through the battery switches, i.e., bypasses the battery switches. If so, shut them off, aka turn their switches to off. Sometimes certain bilge pump switches are directly connected to the battery circuits.

Using a digital VOM (volt meter), record or note the voltage levels of the batteries. Their voltage readings should remain mostly stable, if no demands on this them. Probably 12.65 to 12.75v. If they drift below 12.65v, over a couple or several weeks, that is a concern to be researched.

"Filling" the batteries does not mean adding water to the bottom of the filler openings. Please research "filling the batteries" to get a sense for how much water to add. Also, I believe distilled water should be added, not tap water. NAPA sells black plastic containers esp. designed for adding battery water. They have a special snout that fits the battery openings.

P.s., to go all out. Check the cleanliness and tightness of the battery connections. The bolts for the battery posts should tightened be in the range of 50-70 inch #'s.

Bolded for the win. Back in the day I used to help my grandpa fill the batteries on his 53. We always used one of those plastic containers making it easy. Except for the ones under the aft galley seat. Not much room to work on those. Grandpa just used water from the galley tap. He also didn't get many years out of those batteries, so use distilled water. More importantly, use a face shield. One of my friends didn't and had a battery explode on him. He had a miserable weekend.

 

[carolinacoast]

Batteries:

I added this: https://www.flow-rite.com/battery-care/technologies/pro-fill-3/

 

[Bob Quinn]

Thank you everyone and SpartonBoat1, good idea on checking voltages etc.
Nothing worse for a battery than to have it run down and there are way to many of these to find a whole bank ruined from being run dead.

On another note, the storage place says they rotate power to the boats so the batteries will remain charged.

Are the battery chargers on these always "on"? I have a lot to learn!

I use trickle chargers on things like my motorcycles, so I am wondering if the large chargers are set up to do trickle charging or do they charge then shut off or how do they work?

I have a hi-lo that has a large charger, it fires up when plugged in to the battery and pulls around 100 amps to charge the hi-lo batteries. It then shuts off completely.
So I am assuming the ones on boats must have some sort of electronics in them to control the charging but do they act like trickle chargers or just blast the batteries to full charge then shut off?

I guess on my next trip to the boat I will have to do a lot of research and see how things are connected, find manuals etc. Yikes a lot to learn!