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Author Topic:   Mercury OptiMax Winterization

grateful posted 11-11-2011 06:04 PM ET (US)
To winterize my Mercury 200-HP OptiMax I removed the spark plugs. I mixed Mercury Quickleen and two-cycle oil and put a capful into each chamber. Then I reinstalled the spark plugs and turned the engine over a few times.
I also changed the fuel filter. I poured a little [mixture of Mercury Quickleen and two-cycle oil] in the new [fuel filter]. I didn't prime fill [the new fuel filter] with gas.
Does anyone see a problem with this?
Phil T posted 11-11-2011 06:11 PM ET (US)
What does the owners manual say?
In my 7 years of membership here I have never heard anyone mixing the two.
Why not use the typical fogging oil for the cylinders? I think you are asking for trouble.
grateful posted 11-11-2011 07:40 PM ET (US)
Since [the Mercur OptiMax uses direct] fuel injection, I can't use fogging fluid because it clogs the injectors. I asked a mechanic. The mechanic said he puts cycle-two oil in each chamber and turns it over. Then, another mechanic said he makes that mixture (of Quickleen and [two-cycle oil]) and puts [the mixture] in the fuel filter, The he runs the motor for [a short period]. No one gives a great answer. So I figured between the two, [the new procedure that has been invented from combining parts of the other two procedures] shouldn't hurt. [The new procedure] should lubricate the piston walls so no rust forms and it will burn off in the spring. Both products [used in the mixture] are made to be burned off--right?
sosmerc posted 11-11-2011 10:29 PM ET (US)
When I routinely winterize Optimax engines I run them for a period of about 15-minutes on a 50:1 mix along with Startron fuel additive. I do this so that the [two] electric fuel pumps get parked with extra lubrication along with all of the injectors and the cylinder walls. I also reset the engine computer break-in mode so that the engine will automatically get some extra lubrication during the first few hours of operation next season. While this is not a factory prescribed procedure, it has worked well for me and my numerous Optimax customers for many years. I have no plans to change my routine.
grateful posted 11-11-2011 10:52 PM ET (US)
Do you think what I did would be OK? Then in the spring I can take it to the mechanic so he can set it to break-in mode.
Jeff posted 11-11-2011 11:21 PM ET (US)
Can not wait!
jimh posted 11-11-2011 11:24 PM ET (US)
There seems to be confusion about the purpose of various Mercury fuel additive products, and recently Mercury changed the names of their products to help clarify to the consumers what purpose each product was intended for. In addition to the name changes Mercury also gave the products single numbers, 1, 2, and 3, to further help identify and simply the products. See my article about this:
Mercury Fuel Treatments: A QUICK Look
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/007434.html
I don't think Mercury intends that their product QUICKLEEN is to be used for winterization. QUICKLEEN is a strong solvent, not a lubricant.
Typically in winterization the engine is give a treatment of extra dosage of lubricants. QUICKLEEN is not a lubricant.
Also, gasoline needs to be stabilized. QUICKLEEN is not a fuel stabilizer. This is explained in my article.
I would not recommend use of QUICKLEEN to sit in an engine for a long period of time.
Fuel additives are not meant to be "burned off." Fuel additives are intended to flow through the fuel system and produce beneficial effects. Since they are ultimately in the fuel, of course they end up in the combustion chamber, and they are ignited along with the gasoline fuel they are in solution with. But their purpose is to perform some useful work before they are burned in the combustion chamber with the gasoline.
L H G posted 11-12-2011 02:51 AM ET (US)
It sounds to me like Grateful got the right advice. Mercury recommends not using fogging oil for EFI or OptiMax engines because it clogs injectors, and instead use [QUICKLEEN] and [two-cycle] engine oil!
http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/ storage-and-maintenance/faqs/outboards/?category=winterstorage
jimh posted 11-12-2011 08:04 AM ET (US)
Got it right? Where does Mercury specifically recommend using QUICKLEEN in the cylinders mixed with oil to prepare for storage? Can we please have a pointer to that information? Thank you.
The fogging oil would only clog an injector if it were in the fuel. If fogging oil is instilled in a cylinder via the spark plug hole, it won't clog the injector. The best advice is to follow the owner's manual.
grateful posted 11-12-2011 12:17 PM ET (US)
it seems that i got the wwrong advise as far as the quickleen. ill start the motor. let it run for awhile then ill take the spark plugs out and just put the 2 cycle in alone
Peter posted 11-12-2011 04:21 PM ET (US)
Deja vu all over again, Optimax storage instructions ==> www.mercurymarine.com/media/mercury/pdfs/service-and-support/ storage-OptiMax.pdf
grateful posted 11-12-2011 04:34 PM ET (US)
WOW! Did you guys hear that explosion? Just Kidding, but it did start-up like a 110V motor on 220V. But all is well. I let it run, then i poured a capful of the 2 cycle like it says in the manual and turned it over with no spark.
grateful posted 11-12-2011 05:00 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the info
SEGrin posted 11-18-2011 05:41 PM ET (US)
I've been winterizing my 135 Opti for the last 12 years. I pull the plugs and squirt Opti oil in each cylinder with a pump oiler. I put the motor in gear, turn the prop over by hand six revolutions, and re-install the plugs.
Also R & R the prop and change the lower unit lube. I have had zero problems doing this.
BTW: if the lower left plug is a b**** to install, tilt the motor all the way up and let gravity help you reinstall the plug. It only took me three years to figure this out.
grateful posted 11-13-2012 11:58 AM ET (US)
Thanks SEGrin
jimh posted 11-13-2012 05:05 PM ET (US)
L H G wrote:

quote:
It sounds to me like Grateful got the right advice
Just to be clear L H G is wrong and so was Grateful. There is no recommendation that I can find that suggests pouring QUICKLEEN directly into the cylinder for a storage preparation for an OptiMax. Quickleen is suggested as an additive to the fuel system, but not to be poured into the cylinder via the spark plug hole. I suggest following the links to the actual advice from Mercury for how to prepare the OptiMax for storage.
It is also great to have first-hand advice from an OptiMax owner on recommendations. There does seem to be a special challenge in changing that one particular spark plug. To have information from someone who owns an OptiMax and works on it himself is terrific. Thanks to SEGrin for the tip.
Treypescatorie posted 11-14-2012 06:38 PM ET (US)
I have a 2000 200 hp optimax. This is what I've been doing for the last 11 years. Stabilize fuel, put some stabilizer in new fuel filter and install. Grease all fittings, grease prop shaft. Spray fogging oil in each cylinder(reinstall plugs) and turn over once or twice. Replace lower unit oil.
martyn1075 posted 11-15-2012 11:34 PM ET (US)
I do everything Treypescatorie does except for spray fogging oil in each cylinder and turn over once or twice. I don't do this because our temperatures are quite mild with exception of a few weeks a year where it dips down a little below freezing. I keep them covered start them once every month or two and just keep cycling regular maintenance intervals. Treating gas and oil are the two big ones.
Also batteries topped and charged all the time. They don't work well in cold temps and the Optimax needs solid power all the time. If its struggling to turn over they don't like that treatment.
Martyn

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Author	Topic: Mercury OptiMax Winterization
grateful	posted 11-11-2011 06:04 PM ET (US) To winterize my Mercury 200-HP OptiMax I removed the spark plugs. I mixed Mercury Quickleen and two-cycle oil and put a capful into each chamber. Then I reinstalled the spark plugs and turned the engine over a few times. I also changed the fuel filter. I poured a little [mixture of Mercury Quickleen and two-cycle oil] in the new [fuel filter]. I didn't prime fill [the new fuel filter] with gas. Does anyone see a problem with this?
Phil T	posted 11-11-2011 06:11 PM ET (US) What does the owners manual say? In my 7 years of membership here I have never heard anyone mixing the two. Why not use the typical fogging oil for the cylinders? I think you are asking for trouble.
grateful	posted 11-11-2011 07:40 PM ET (US) Since [the Mercur OptiMax uses direct] fuel injection, I can't use fogging fluid because it clogs the injectors. I asked a mechanic. The mechanic said he puts cycle-two oil in each chamber and turns it over. Then, another mechanic said he makes that mixture (of Quickleen and [two-cycle oil]) and puts [the mixture] in the fuel filter, The he runs the motor for [a short period]. No one gives a great answer. So I figured between the two, [the new procedure that has been invented from combining parts of the other two procedures] shouldn't hurt. [The new procedure] should lubricate the piston walls so no rust forms and it will burn off in the spring. Both products [used in the mixture] are made to be burned off--right?
sosmerc	posted 11-11-2011 10:29 PM ET (US) When I routinely winterize Optimax engines I run them for a period of about 15-minutes on a 50:1 mix along with Startron fuel additive. I do this so that the [two] electric fuel pumps get parked with extra lubrication along with all of the injectors and the cylinder walls. I also reset the engine computer break-in mode so that the engine will automatically get some extra lubrication during the first few hours of operation next season. While this is not a factory prescribed procedure, it has worked well for me and my numerous Optimax customers for many years. I have no plans to change my routine.
grateful	posted 11-11-2011 10:52 PM ET (US) Do you think what I did would be OK? Then in the spring I can take it to the mechanic so he can set it to break-in mode.
Jeff	posted 11-11-2011 11:21 PM ET (US) Can not wait!
jimh	posted 11-11-2011 11:24 PM ET (US) There seems to be confusion about the purpose of various Mercury fuel additive products, and recently Mercury changed the names of their products to help clarify to the consumers what purpose each product was intended for. In addition to the name changes Mercury also gave the products single numbers, 1, 2, and 3, to further help identify and simply the products. See my article about this: Mercury Fuel Treatments: A QUICK Look http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/007434.html I don't think Mercury intends that their product QUICKLEEN is to be used for winterization. QUICKLEEN is a strong solvent, not a lubricant. Typically in winterization the engine is give a treatment of extra dosage of lubricants. QUICKLEEN is not a lubricant. Also, gasoline needs to be stabilized. QUICKLEEN is not a fuel stabilizer. This is explained in my article. I would not recommend use of QUICKLEEN to sit in an engine for a long period of time. Fuel additives are not meant to be "burned off." Fuel additives are intended to flow through the fuel system and produce beneficial effects. Since they are ultimately in the fuel, of course they end up in the combustion chamber, and they are ignited along with the gasoline fuel they are in solution with. But their purpose is to perform some useful work before they are burned in the combustion chamber with the gasoline.
L H G	posted 11-12-2011 02:51 AM ET (US) It sounds to me like Grateful got the right advice. Mercury recommends not using fogging oil for EFI or OptiMax engines because it clogs injectors, and instead use [QUICKLEEN] and [two-cycle] engine oil! http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/ storage-and-maintenance/faqs/outboards/?category=winterstorage
jimh	posted 11-12-2011 08:04 AM ET (US) Got it right? Where does Mercury specifically recommend using QUICKLEEN in the cylinders mixed with oil to prepare for storage? Can we please have a pointer to that information? Thank you. The fogging oil would only clog an injector if it were in the fuel. If fogging oil is instilled in a cylinder via the spark plug hole, it won't clog the injector. The best advice is to follow the owner's manual.
grateful	posted 11-12-2011 12:17 PM ET (US) it seems that i got the wwrong advise as far as the quickleen. ill start the motor. let it run for awhile then ill take the spark plugs out and just put the 2 cycle in alone
Peter	posted 11-12-2011 04:21 PM ET (US) Deja vu all over again, Optimax storage instructions ==> www.mercurymarine.com/media/mercury/pdfs/service-and-support/ storage-OptiMax.pdf
grateful	posted 11-12-2011 04:34 PM ET (US) WOW! Did you guys hear that explosion? Just Kidding, but it did start-up like a 110V motor on 220V. But all is well. I let it run, then i poured a capful of the 2 cycle like it says in the manual and turned it over with no spark.
grateful	posted 11-12-2011 05:00 PM ET (US) Thanks for the info
SEGrin	posted 11-18-2011 05:41 PM ET (US) I've been winterizing my 135 Opti for the last 12 years. I pull the plugs and squirt Opti oil in each cylinder with a pump oiler. I put the motor in gear, turn the prop over by hand six revolutions, and re-install the plugs. Also R & R the prop and change the lower unit lube. I have had zero problems doing this. BTW: if the lower left plug is a b**** to install, tilt the motor all the way up and let gravity help you reinstall the plug. It only took me three years to figure this out.
grateful	posted 11-13-2012 11:58 AM ET (US) Thanks SEGrin
jimh	posted 11-13-2012 05:05 PM ET (US) L H G wrote: quote: It sounds to me like Grateful got the right advice Just to be clear L H G is wrong and so was Grateful. There is no recommendation that I can find that suggests pouring QUICKLEEN directly into the cylinder for a storage preparation for an OptiMax. Quickleen is suggested as an additive to the fuel system, but not to be poured into the cylinder via the spark plug hole. I suggest following the links to the actual advice from Mercury for how to prepare the OptiMax for storage. It is also great to have first-hand advice from an OptiMax owner on recommendations. There does seem to be a special challenge in changing that one particular spark plug. To have information from someone who owns an OptiMax and works on it himself is terrific. Thanks to SEGrin for the tip.
Treypescatorie	posted 11-14-2012 06:38 PM ET (US) I have a 2000 200 hp optimax. This is what I've been doing for the last 11 years. Stabilize fuel, put some stabilizer in new fuel filter and install. Grease all fittings, grease prop shaft. Spray fogging oil in each cylinder(reinstall plugs) and turn over once or twice. Replace lower unit oil.
martyn1075	posted 11-15-2012 11:34 PM ET (US) I do everything Treypescatorie does except for spray fogging oil in each cylinder and turn over once or twice. I don't do this because our temperatures are quite mild with exception of a few weeks a year where it dips down a little below freezing. I keep them covered start them once every month or two and just keep cycling regular maintenance intervals. Treating gas and oil are the two big ones. Also batteries topped and charged all the time. They don't work well in cold temps and the Optimax needs solid power all the time. If its struggling to turn over they don't like that treatment. Martyn