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Raw Water Drains

Does anybody have any good ideas about draining raw water?  My 2009 Sundeck 2200 with a 350 Mag Mercruiser is a terrific PITA to drain.  The two drain plugs on the raw water pump are virtually impossible to access.  Hurricane cleverly wedged the engine between longerons, blocking access.  It is so difficult to remove and replace plugs that I only abuse myself once a year to do it, effectively eliminating use of my boat on mild winter days.

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  • ggibson2007
    ggibson2007 Member Posts: 8
    Not a bad idea.  I think it would work.  I have seen a suggestion to pour a bit of antifreeze in the top vent hole to freeze protect water inadvertently left in the block after draining.  My wish is for a quick, simple, draining method as I want to run the boat occasionally on the warm winter days we get on Lake Conroe, Texas.  Draining is just too difficult to justify more than once a year.  Our lake water is muddy, so I insist on thoroughly cleaning the bilge, but the real killer is pulling and replacing those four drain plugs.  The two adjacent to the raw water pump are near impossible.  I can only see them with a shop mirror and can grasp with severely twisted and extended fingers.  The engineers and marketing types at Mercruiser and Hurricane should be sentenced to draining engine blocks for a few months.  They would never let another boat out the door without a quick drain system.  I'm sure it contributes to frozen and ruined engine blocks.  If I can get to it, and make it fit, I'm going to try small, quarter turn drain cocks with a tailpipe to collect the drains.  Thanks for the anti-freeze idea.