How should I winterise the engine on a Hallberg-Rassy 40?

Winterise your Hallberg-Rassy 40 by changing the warm engine oil and filter, checking the closed-circuit coolant, and flushing and frost-protecting the seawater circuit. Do this before any period of more than two months without use; occasional short runs at the berth do not replace proper lay-up.

Identify the engine first

Many HR 40s have a Volvo Penta D2-55, but check the engine designation and serial number on the plate before ordering parts. Equipment varies between build years, the Mk II and boats with replacement engines. Use the matching engine and gearbox manuals for fluid specifications, capacities and tightening torques.

Before warming the engine, check the oil level, coolant level when cold, seawater strainer, drive belt and hoses. Look beneath the engine for oil, diesel or coolant, and inspect the exhaust elbow and hose connections for salt deposits. Investigate overheating or weak exhaust-water flow now: antifreeze will not clear a blocked cooling circuit.

Keep hands, clothing and loose equipment clear of belts and pulleys whenever the engine is running.

Change the warm oil

Make the final trip long enough to bring the engine fully up to temperature under load. Once securely berthed, stop the engine and extract the warm oil through the designated extraction tube or dipstick tube, following the engine manual.

1. Replace the oil filter, making sure its old rubber sealing ring comes away with it.
2. Lubricate the new filter seal and tighten according to the filter instructions.
3. Refill with the specified diesel-engine oil. Check the dipstick rather than adding the nominal capacity without checking the level.
4. Run briefly with the cooling supply operating and inspect for leaks. Stop, allow the oil to settle and recheck the level.

Change the oil before the final raw-water antifreeze treatment. An oil change removes soot and combustion contamination that would otherwise remain inside throughout winter. Check gearbox oil separately and change it when the service schedule requires; the gearbox may need a different lubricant.

Protect both cooling circuits

The closed coolant circuit and the seawater circuit need separate attention. Test the coolant in the header tank with a tester suitable for its antifreeze chemistry. Protection must cover the lowest expected storage temperature. Replace overdue coolant with the specified product; do not choose or mix coolant by colour alone. Include any connected calorifier heating loop when refilling and bleeding.

Follow the engine's preservation procedure for the seawater circuit. A typical bucket-feed method is:

1. Stop the engine, close the seawater inlet seacock and connect a temporary suction hose at the pump supply. Keep the supply airtight.
2. Feed clean fresh water from an open container and run briefly to flush out salt. Keep the hose submerged and stop before the container empties.
3. Switch to a prepared supply of marine engine winterising antifreeze approved for the circuit's metals and rubber components.
4. Run until the mixture has displaced the flushing water throughout the circuit, then stop before the supply runs out.