To be honest I really don't know. I forget to winterize mine one time and it still runs ok. I mean I didn't put the fogging oil in the spark plug holes until well into the winter months.
If it gets cold the moisture in the air can condense on the inside metal of the engine and start to form rust. We have a lot of acid in our air due to the burning of coal and the fuel that we burn in our cars. Nitrogen Dioxide and Nitrogen Monoxide can form Nitric Acid in the Air and Sulfuric Acid is formed when coal with high sulfur is burned and SO2 is released into the air.
So the quicker you protect the engine the better I guess.
When you are using the engine you keep the cylinders oil with the oil in the fuel or the oil injection if you have that type of engine. But the worst thing you can do with an engine is not run it for a long time. When it sits it will rust eventually. The fogging oil just slows this rusting process down.
Also it depends on what the water quality is on the lake you fish. I fish strip pits which have a higher pH than some other lakes. pH of around 8 something. That's ten times more basic than water with a pH of 7.0
Also the waters that I fish have a lot of iron in them that's dissolved in the water.
If you leave any water in the engine it can freeze if it gets cold enough and water expands when it freezed and can do damage to the lower unit if it expands and breaks metal. So it's very important to drain all the water out of the engine before it gets cold enough to freeze.
I just would not leave the engine unprotected for 4 months during the winter. Remember that we are talking about something that can take years to happen. It's not like it's going to rust and fail next year or anything. But the rust can accumulate over time and pit the engine inner pistons and cylinder walls over time.
I believe in the old saying: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Originally Posted by fishassasin
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