This post is as much for me as it is for anyone who might stumble across it in a web search. I’m using this list as an annual “shopping list” for part that I’ll need to winterize both of my 2006 Sea Doo RXPs.

Reference Documents

The starting point for this list is some official Sea Doo / BRP Watercraft Service Bulletins, the 2006 Sea Doo 4-TEC Shop manual, and the 2009 Sea Doo Technical Update Book. I’ve included PDF versions of those documents here:

• Service Bulletin 2010-7: 2010 Model Year Storage Procedure
  
• Service Bulletin 2006-15: 2006 Model Year Storage Procedure
• 2006 Seadoo-4-TEC Shop Manual
• 2009 Seadoo Technical Update Book

This parts list will likely be identical (or close to it) for anyone else with a 4-TEC Sea Doo, and was built based on the above documents, my own experiences, plus suggestions from other online sources (especially the GreenHulk.net PWC forums), as well as and anyone else who’s kind enough to offer friendly suggestions in the comments below. 🙂 I’ll update this post as needed, and as I learn more.

This list is split into two parts: stuff to buy once (and use for future winterizations) and stuff to buy every year.

Stuff to Buy Once

• OEM Flush Adapter and OEM Couple Hose Flush Kit (#295500473 & #295500258). Alternatively, you could just get a plastic quick-connect from your local hardware store and use a length of garden hose.
• An oil extractor to remove the engine oil through the dipstick tube. I bought this one from Amazon (and also use it on my cars), but you can go the ultra-cheap route and get something like this one from Harbor Freight.
• E10 Torx socket to remove the oil filter cover.
• Metric socket set & ratchet, for removing various stuff.
• OEM Impeller Tool (#529035956) or Solas WR012 impeller tool for removing the impeller if you need to replace the wear ring (use the appropriate tool for your boat if not an RXP/RXT).
• 5/8″ spark plug socket & spark plug gapping tool.
• A funnel for pouring in the oil without making a mess.
• A 5 gallon bucket for catching anti-freeze. Particularly useful if you’re winterizing more than one boat, because you can catch the stuff pouring out of the first boat and use it on the second.
• An oil recycling jug that will hold at least 8 quarts. After changing your oil, you can drop it off to be recycled. Most auto parts stores accept it, and give you back the empty container
• A grease gun (like this one on Amazon for around $35) to lube your trailer’s wheel bearings. You really should own one of these, and you can use it on lots of other stuff, too.
• Optional: a Simer M40P mini-vac pump (same one I use for flushing my hot water heaters as explained in this post) or any type of sump pump to simplify the anti-freeze flushing.
• Optional: A compression tester. They’re not that expensive (only $40 on Amazon for a cheap one, and $60 for an awesome one), and it can quickly and easily alert you to a potential problem with a cylinder. You can also use it on anything else you own that has spark plugs.
• Optional: An antifreeze hydrometer. For only $9 on Amazon, it’s cheaper to use one of these to test your antifreeze instead of replacing it on a schedule.

Stuff to Buy Every Year

If you buy items in bulk, you may not have to buy everything on this list every year, but this list is all the “consumables” for an annual oil change and winterization. Most of these parts can be found on Amazon, or eBay, or 4-TECPerformance.com

FYI – the first 5 items on this list can actually be purchased as a kit with Sea Doo part #295501075, but you’ll probably save a bit of money by buying the parts individually.

• OEM Oil Filter (#420956741) or K&N Powersports “High Performance” Oil Filter (KN-556). Both work great, and are about the same price.
• Three NGK 4339 DCPR8E  spark plugs. This post explains how to change them.
• Oil Filter O-Ring (#420850500). This is the large thicker o-ring that fits in the groove inside the oil filter housing’s lid. I find it’s cheapest to buy a Parts Unlimited brand 5-pack (especially if you’re doing multiple boats), then you’re good for at least a couple years.
• Oil Filter O-Ring (#420230920). This is the large thinner o-ring that fits under the canister lid lip. Also cheapest to buy a Parts Unlimited brand 5 pack.
• 3 litres of Sea Doo XP-S 4 stroke synthethic blend oil (probably have to buy the gallon: #293600122). Alternatively, you could use a 10W-40 synthetic oil that contains no friction modifiers, such as AMSOIL Formula 4-Stroke Marine Oil. Here’s an interesting service bulletin from AMSOIL regarding oil for supercharged Sea Doos.
• Oil Filter Retaining Bolt O-Ring (#420950860). This is the small o-ring that fits under the head of bolt that holds the lid on the oil filter canister. Also cheapest in a 5 pack.
• Optional: If you have a pre-2005 Sea Doo, it’s possible that your boat has a plastic oil filter cap. If that’s the case, I recommend upgrading to the metal OEM oil filter cap (#420610329). You’ll probably break your old plastic one trying to remove it anyway, but even if yours is intact, it’s worth replacing since the plastic ones are prone to leaking. At $29.99 MSRP, it’s cheap insurance.
  
• OEM VTS Boot Hose Protector (#271000459 – MSRP $10.99)
• OEM VTS Boot Clamp – White (#293650083 – MSRP $6.99)
• OEM VTS Boot Clamp – Black (#293650082 – MSRP $2.99)
• If needed: OEM Impeller Wear Ring (#267000372), that is… unless you’ve swapped in a stainless steel one!
• OEM XP-S Fuel Stabilizer (#413408601) or Sta-bil 22240 Marine Fuel Stabilizer, or some other quality fuel stabilizer.
• OEM XP-S Storage Oil (#413711900) or Sta-bil 22001 Fogging Oil, or some other quality fogging oil.
  
• Dielectric grease for electrical fittings (especially spark plug coils).
• Anti-seize lubricant for the spark plugs.
• Some anti-corrosive spray lubricant, such as OEM XP-S Anti-Corrosive Lubricant (#293600016), or Fluid Film, or classic WD-40. This is not to be used for fogging, but for spraying down the engine bay and other parts to displace water and prevent corrosion during storage.
• 3-4 gallons of non-toxic RV/marine anti-freeze. It’s normally pink, but check the label to make sure it’s propylene glycol (and not alcohol or ethylene glycol).
• LocTite blue (for putting bolts back in).
• OEM XP-S Synthetic Grease (#293550010) or generic white lithium grease (for drive shaft and VTS motor lubrication).
• A can of marine grease for your grease gun, to lube your trailer’s wheel bearings.
• Some steel wool to plug the exhaust outlet and prevent rodents from crawling inside.

How to Winterize

As for what to do with all the stuff on this list, the above-referenced storage procedure bulletins are a great start… and plenty more useful winterizing tips and tricks are just a web search away. But I’ve decided to include the best YouTube video I’ve found on 4-TEC oil changes and winterizing. The technician’s choice of motor oil isn’t accurate for a supercharged boat (because the boat in the video isn’t supercharged) and a few other things on my RXP are slightly different than the boat he’s using, but this guy runs through these procedures like a boss. I plan on watching as a refresher before I do this annual service.

My Tips and Tricks

Beyond the stuff in the above video, here are a few suggestions based on my oil change and winterizing experiences:

• Before winterizing, pour your fuel stabilizer into a partially full tank, tow your ski(s) to a nearby gas station and fill your tank to the very top with premium (91+), then go home to winterize. This will allow the stabilizer to slosh around and mix on the drive before running the treated fuel through the engine during the oil warm-up step.
• Make sure the boats are level when checking the oil level. If you don’t have a level handy, use one of the free level apps on your iPhone.
• Have a few rags handy before you start. They’re good for wiping the dipstick, setting down spark plugs on your deck, etc.
• Use a pair of gloves (I like the Mechanix Fast Fits) when removing the oil filter cover. If you did things right and warmed up the engine before removing the oil, the cap will be a bit warm, and so will things around it that are easy to bump with your hand.
• If the oil cover won’t come off easily after removing the retaining bolt, don’t try to pry it up with anything, as you may cause damage to the cover. Use your (gloved) hand and be persistent to wiggle it free. As a last ditch effort, try using some sort of “hooked” tool to gently reach down into the hole where the retaining bolt was removed, hook the lid from the bottom and gently pull upward.
• Have a plastic or Zip-lock bag handy to put your old oil filter in. Don’t just throw it in the trash. Many auto parts stores will now accept them for recycling, along with the oil you removed from your boats.
• Make sure you gently press the new oil filter down into place in the bottom of the canister before re-installing the cap.
• While you’re spraying water-displacing lube everywhere, don’t forget to open your VTS housing and spray in there, too. I leave the VTS housing cover OFF over the winter and leave the cover on the rear deck where I won’t forget it.
• If you do a compression test, tighten the adapter onto your testing tool very tightly, and then only screw it into the spark plug hole barely hand tight. Otherwise, you may get the adapter stuck in the spark plug hole (ask me how I know).
• Since I’m flushing RV anti-freeze through more than one boat, I dumped four gallons of it into a 5 gallon bucket, and then positioned the bucket under the pump assembly. Using a small pump with garden hoses attached to each side, I put the “from” hose in the bucket and the “to” hose into the inlet on the boat. I then ran the pump until a little less than half the anti-freeze was left in the bucket, then shut the pump off. Most of the anti-freeze drained back into the bucket, and then I repeated the process on the other boat. I could saved most of the anti-freeze for next year, but it’s so cheap that I just dumped it rather than have it take up space in the garage.
• Don’t forget about your trailer! This is a good time to check and re-pack your wheel bearings if needed, or at least pump some grease into your Bearing Buddies. Check and repair any trailer light wiring problems. Checking your tire pressure is never a dumb idea, either. Be sure to re-check pressure before moving your trailer in the spring.

And, that’s it! If you’ve got suggestions, comments, or other feedback, please leave them in the comments below. And I invite you to check out my other Sea Doo related posts while you’re here!

Happy Winterizing!