Effects on motors in boats with long term saltwater moorage?

browntdb

I am looking to buy my first C-dory. I have a question about outboard motor long term exposure to salt water.

I have a 16 foot fishing boat that I use on the Kenai River in Alaska. I bought it in 2000 and it has a 35hp Honda 4-stroke. When I bought it, the previous owner had used the boat occasionally on Cook inlet, but always flushed the lower unit with fresh water (garden hose adapter with engine running) when finished. Even with that, I notice minor pitting in the aluminum when I remove the engine cover and look down the inside of the engine housing.

With this experience, and the desire to purchase a c-dory with a good engine, can someone tell me, who have moored their c-dory for months in a marina, what does the constant exposure to salt water do to your engines?

How do you minimize the exposure to salt water in these cases?

Thanks,

Terry

rogerar · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:25 am Post subject:

IMHO these 4 strokes are not made of aluminum we are used to from the older 2 stroke engines. That said, I rinse my engine for 5 min. when I return to the dock, with earmuffs and engine running. Change out the internal and external zincs religiously, check all bonding wires regularly and paint any part of the engine that is immersed with bottom paint designed for aluminum. Be careful if you use shore power, it can cause problems, I use small solar panels to keep the battery up, and do not plug into shore power.
Roger

tsturm

jennykatz · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:09 pm Post subject: salt water

Yamaha and Mercury seem to have the best corrosion protection .Yamaha actually borrowed from Brunswick corp their paint and corrosion proprietery systems and for that Yamaha let mercury use their 50hp 75-115hp and 225 hp blocks(I think it stopped in 2005 not sure )Mercury sued Yamaha for dumping engines in the USA now that marriage is finished Mercury is building their own verado and non verado 4 strokes

Here in florida where the water salinity is a lot worse then Seattle or anyplace in the USA the Yamaha's seem to hold up the best

C-Nile

Aurelia · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 4:08 pm Post subject:

We had twin 2004 model Honda 90s on our 25 and after sitting in the salt water for over 4 years we bought it and I had a locally respected Honda master tech go through them. He said they looked like new and did nothing but a normal maintenance on them. Keeping them tilted out of the water, bracket zincs fresh, rinsed after each use plus keeping them always in covered moorage made time stand still for those motors. They never had corrosion issues in the slightest during the time we had them. I would do it all again the same way without worry. Sounds like more trouble than it was.

I really do think keeping the sun off them is a big deal.

Tilt, rinse, cover, maintain, repeat and enjoy.

Greg

rogerar · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 4:19 pm Post subject:

Even doing everything "by the book" and religiously, here's a shot of the water pump housing on my one year old Suzuki 90A with 120 hrs. on it. There was a gasket in contact with the corroded area, when I reassembled I coated it with nickel based anti-seize compound.
Roger

rogerar · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:10 pm Post subject: