So my water jacket seals failed again, and im leaving the state in a week for 9 or so monthes, so i wont be opening up the engine again for the better part of a year. What measures should i take to protect the engine while it sits for the winter? How can i purge all the coolant from the engine so that the rotors arent just sitting in water?

 

There are 2 drains you need to be concerned about - at the bottom of the radiator, and at the block just above the oil pan edge and in the center housing.

Drain all coolant from the system and don't forget to put your internal controls on 'Heat' so it opens the valve and releases any suction pressure to also drain the heater core inside. This should get enough of the coolant out of the system that it won't be leaking into the chambers and rusting your seals and rotors in place.

Be sure to remove the radiator cap before you start draining, too. Afterward, I'd clamp off your fuel source, remove the spark plugs, and spin the engine with the starter while you spray Marvel Mystery Oil or something similar down the carb throats or into the spark plug holes. This should help to purge any residual water in your chambers so they don't sit wet.

 

Thanks, that is pretty much what i was planning to do. I might pull it apart before i leave but for now im just too pissed to deal with it right away should i flush the radiator and water system too? Or would that be overkill?

 

Overkill. Get as much water out as possible and you should be fine.

I'll defer to anyone who lives in colder climates, though - because 'winter' here in the AZ desert is not the same as 'winter' where you are!

 

just drain the radiator, and put lots of oil in the engine.

 

Nick if you are in Alaska, then make sure there is no _pure_ water in the coolant system, including the block. If its a Mix with antifreeze as per-normal, then you are OK. But no pure water. That WILL freeze (presume car is left outdoors?) and there are cavities IN the block that water/coolant does pool in EVEN AFTER THE BLOCK IS DRAINED. I discovered this the hard way when I had run mine briefly on pure water then "drained" it… thru the winter it froze and blew a big hole in the bottom of my rear iron!
Stu
80GS
Alaska