Winterizing an outboard
 

can you fog a motor without starting it? If so, is that a good thing?

Winterizing an outboard
 

I don't think so. Even an E-Tec, which can automatically winterize itself by initiating a procedure that injects extra oil, has to be running when you do it.

The objective of winterizing is to get extra oil to the needle bearings on the crank, rods and wrist pins, so how are you gonna do that if it's not running? You could pull the plugs and spray oil into the cylinders to coat them, but that won't help the bearings, which are the most highly loaded and most critical parts.

You can but it's not going to protect the engine as well as if you started it. Still better than nothing . . . If you pull all the plugs and spray fogging directly into the cylinders. Turn the motor over and spray fogging oil into each cylinder . . . the idea is to coat the cylinder walls and oil will work it's way into the rings. Then pull intake cover off and open the throttle wide open and spray fogging oil down the throats of the carbs onto the reeds . . . Turn the engine over so the oil gets sucked into the motor and repeat for each cylinder . . . fogging oil will coats bearings and crank . . . start with top cylinders so oil trickles down the crank. That's the best you can do without starting the motor . . . much better just to start the engine and do it the right way.