2 replies to this topic

[bscriver]

The lake that i have boat access property on has now melted, and I would like to use my 06 sportster 4 tec to get to it, how ever it is still getting to -1 or 2 C at night even as low as -5. I don't have a heated garage to keep it in. Would I need to winterize and put antifreeze in intercooler and exhaust every time I use it? Has anyone come up with an easy way to safely push the beginning of the season with a 4 tec. Thanks Brad

[kseroski70]

All of the people I know with prop's told me to follow the 24/24 rule. If the temperature (outside or in the garage) gets below 24F (-4C) for more than 24 hours continuously, then you should winterize. Based on this, I would think you would be safe. You could always get a space heater for the garage to keep the temperature up if you are really worried.

[gmt]

This may sound like a crazy idea but I have used it in 2 situations. I use to own a MGB-GT in a cold weather environment and to help it start better on cold winter mornings I used to plug in a drop lamp with a 60 watt bulb and keep it under the carburetors at night. In the MGB's the dual SU carburetors use to hang off the side of the engine.

Regarding boating, one year I was late winterizing my inboard ski boat at my lake house and a cold spell came. So one night afterwork, during the week, I drove out there and I put a drop lamp in the engine compartment to keep things above freezing in the engine compartment until I could get there on the weekend to do the winterizing. I am not sure if there is a fire risk or not(with gas fumes), but I was in an emergency situation that time. You could use one of the small plug in heating pads to do the same thing so there would not be an exposed hot bulb. It doesn't take much heat to keep a closed engine compartment above freezing. If I had to do it again in an emergency I would use a heating pad.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.