If you’re asking yourself ‘do I need to fog my boat engine,’ I’m here to answer that question with as much detail as possible. But first, what do we mean by fogging a boat engine?
It’s the process of coating the engine’s inner walls with a waxy oil so that it doesn’t rust.
You must be a boat owner, perhaps that’s why you entered this query into your system. It makes me assume that you’re familiar with the storage problems of a boat when extreme weather conditions strike. The upcoming text will cut the hassle of a gritting boat engine when you start it after a winter break.
Going back to the original question, the answer is a clear yes. You need to fog that engine if you’re an owner of an inboard or a sterndrive engine boat. Here’s why:
Why Do I Need To Fog My Boat Engine?
Water is corrosive to almost all types of construction materials. Unfortunately, your boat has to deal with water every day. You cannot moor your speed engine boat on an island for good because the engine can corrode if you do otherwise. So the best approach is to prevent it against corrosion.
How to do it? Yes, you guessed it right, by using the fogging technique. The process of fogging the boat engine is a preventive measure against corrosion, the development of fungus inside the engine, and the most crucial, freeze-damage.
Here’s a little detail of all these problems:
Corrosion
When water gets in contact with a metallic surface continuously, it oxidizes the metallic surface making the metal lose its original texture and strength. Since a boat engine is usually made of metal, it can corrode very easily.
Fungal Development
Any surface that gets in contact with water, with no contact to sunlight, can easily see fungal developments. An engine boat is an ideal place for fungi such as mold and mildew to grow their colonies.
Freeze-Damage
Last on this list is freeze damage. Not only a boat’s engine but almost all the mechanical parts of a boat can go bad through freeze damage if you don’t take preventive measures. The pipes and compartments can get cracks due to the accumulation of snow. It can cause permanent damage to a boat.
Now that we have seen the problems, it’s time to see how to carry the process of fogging:
How To Perform Fogging Of A Boat Engine?
According to experts, fogging a boat engine once a year is a must. It not only prevents the problems mentioned above but also increases the life of a boat engine. The best part about fogging a boat engine is the DIY, meaning you don’t really need a company’s help to perform it.
In case of freeze damage, you may incur huge costs of repair that can be easily cut down by following the step-by-step process of fogging a boat engine. So here we go:
Here’s what you need::
- A water hose
- Engine oil
- Fuel stabilizer
- Anti-freeze
- Fogging oil
Changing The Engine Oil
It is not the first step of the process of fogging, but to make sure that the engine runs perfectly, you need to change or add up more engine oil to your boat engine. Just like cars, the boat engine also needs time to time engine oil change to keep up the engine performance.
Running Water Through The Engine
Remember the water hose I have listed in the products’ list? It has the purpose of cleaning the engine insides.
Attach the water hose to a water outlet, and run the water thoroughly through the engine. This marks the first step of the fogging process of a boat engine.
The water that runs through the engine ensures that any water debris or an external invader such as zebra mussels (hear me out Texas boaters) do not take up hiding inside the engine.
This process should take good 3 to 4 minutes until the water comes out completely clean.
Warming Up The Engine
While you are running water through the engine, turn the engine on. It is a necessary step in the fogging process because the thorough distribution of the fogging oil depends on a running engine. The engine should be left running for almost ten minutes before you put the stabilizer in the fuel tank.
The fuel tank must be full with an ethanol-free gas when you put the stabilizer in the fuel tank. After doing this, wait for the engine to run so that the stabilizer reaches every piston and internal part of the engine.
Some people prefer adding an anti-freeze at this step as well, but it is not a necessary step to follow.
Putting The Fogging Oil In The Carburetors
While the engine is still turned on, and you’re sure that the stabilizer has got inside completely, spray the fogging oil in the carburetors.
Continue this process of spraying fogging oil in the carburetors until the whole pack goes inside the engine.
When you spray the fogging oil in the carburetors, the engine may seem to throw up too much fog. It comes out as a result of the engine burning up the oil. The reason behind the process name to be fogging is this same fog that comes out of the engine when you spray the fogging oil.
Turn Off The Engine
Check your boat if it has completely drained off the water.
Go with the remaining process of winterizing the boat’s plumbing parts and other compartments.
Your boat is ready.
You can store it only to take it out after the winter break.
Conclusion
The fogging process of a boat engine is a part of another process that is known as ‘winterization’.It is a practice carried out before storing a boat so that it doesn’t get corrosion or the engine doesn’t freeze due to any residual water inside.
It is a must-do process for those who love their boats and want them to own them for the long-term.
