freezing water in lower unit

[EYESWON]

Just a question to the people who are fishing now. Don't you worry about water freezing in your lower unit after you get out of the water? What about the water in the water pump? PS It's still cold here. River open but ramps are not.

[Backwater Eddy]

I run my motor briefly and tilt to drain as much water as possable from the cooling system after I load up in freezing comnditions.

In very cold freezing conditions I also fog the cooling intake with WD-40 as I turn it over so the water pump impeller is coated and protected from a freeze up.

I fish into late November and some times December here in the Dakotas and I am also on the rivers as soon as possable in the spring and have never experienced a freeze up on the drive or cooling system by doing this.

If your case is tight and your seals are sound the lower unit should be fine. If the unit leaks oil it's time to put new seals in before trouble catches up with you from water seeping in or loss of oil.

Seals are very cheap compared to the alternative, potential damage and big repair bill's.

[coondog]

Ditto on what Eddy just said, I fish in cold weather all the time, when I pull my boat out of the water I trim it all the way down, then start the motor for a second and poof, all water is out. I have alot more trouble with the gear shift and throttle frezzing up for me latley, no fun to take the day off work, drive 20 miles then learn that you cant put the motor in gear of give it any fuel.

[Backwater Eddy]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-16-01 AT 03:18PM (CST)[p]Coondog I know that thrill too, kinda makes a guy mad, EH!

Try what I found to work get a bottle of BLUE LUBE that is used in Polar Tip-Up's. Unhook the cables and fill them with the lube as best as you can.

Work the cable to get it to flow into the low points of the cable's that will stop the freezing up. Make sure the levers are well lubed too they also see a lot of moisture.

If you have the zurk style lube system it is a snap to get the lube in the cables. Sure beats rubbing them tell they thaw out, that's if you can reach the frozen section?

Backwater Eddy

[coondog]

Thanks Mr. BACKWATER, I'll give that a try, I have been thinking about taking the whole thing apart, there must be some water in the cables somewhere, but this might be a job for a marine mechanic. Is the ice off your lakes yet? still lots around here, but the rivers are open and the eyes have been biting pretty well. THANKS EDDY