Salt

M

matt_unique

New member
Things corrode faster near the salt. Beyond that it's the issue of engine cooling. Your outboards are trimmed out of the water when not in use, but it's salt water running through all the internal components to cool the engine while running. If you slip you can connect the muffs and flush out the salt. If used on a mooring, as will be the case for my boats, you would need an awfully long hose ;) My plan was to flush one engine at the loading dock (I will get twins) then use the other to power back to my mooring. I will switch and flush the next engine on the next trip, and use the other to power back to the mooring.

Is there a way these days to flush your engines on muffs without a shore supplied hose?
 
You could use a container and siphon water with "salt away" into the flush port when you pull the boat out of the water. I always wash down the trailer, brakes etc after the trailer splashes, using a pressurized container, like insectiside spray. I have a larger one, which came with an engine freshwater wrinse kit for and I/O. This is about 5 gallons, and is used for antifreeze in winterization.

Most new engines have a flush port in the block--it may not wash out the impeller and immediate passages.
 
There was some odd corrosion on Shelly-IV, a salt water boat when purchased. 99% was cosmetic and removable with a little work. There was
some rusting on the metal that connects the steering cable to the motor
that is slightly more of a problem. I painted it; we'll see how well that
holds up.

The inline fuse holders had what appeared to be salt corrosion in them.
They seemed like pretty good holders, too.

Salt or not would be way down on my list of priorities for a next
purchase.

Mike
 
Those of us who have sailed in salt water most of our lives have learned to cope with it. There are some wonderful corrosion blocking sprays currently. Before these we used cosmoline type of grease and wrapped the fittings with plastic and tape--before then Lanolin or other grease, parcelled and seved with tar over steel.

I still pack my in line fuses with grease, thus no salt water can get into the holder.

I spent today looking at a 61 foot sport fisher which had run over the Perdido Pass Jetties at some speed over 30 knots at 9PM, with a captain who blew 0.19 at the local jail. She was cold molded and only sustained two holes in the bottom, about 6 sq feet total max--pretty much trashed one of the 36" props, and scored the 2 1/2" monel shaft on the other. Her power plants were 2900 HP EACH! The boat had sat in salt water up to the mid level of the deck house for about 36 hours. Now talk about a salt problem! They had already pickled the engines, hosed every inch below down with moderate pressure fresh water and had dehumidifier/aircondioners going to try and dry her out....
 
Does anyone know whether Honda 40's can be flushed with the boat in the water and the motors up at an angle? I have the means to do so but am concerned about the engines not being oiled at such an angle. Advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Mike.
 
The Honda 150's and some Yamaha's are flushed without the engine running. Running the engine while flushing can ruin the engine on this setup.

You could plumb your deck washdown pump outlet to an onboard water tank - the existing one or a 2nd one - and that hose has a standard 3/4 " hose thread outlet on it. Then, just hook that up to the engines for a flush.

While I can see the benefit of tilting the motors up in freezing weather, I wonder if tipping the engines up without flushing would allow more salt to accumulate inside the engine channels from repeated evaporation.

Most of the ramps we've used on the ocean or gulf do not have fresh water available for flushing on the ramp area.

So, would tipping the leg out of the salt water, without flushing, cause more salt build up than leaving the leg down?

Westward, you can go to Honda's internet site and, using your serial numbers, look up the owner's manual for your engines. These manuals specify the recommended flushing procedure for each engine.

John
 
Another reason to tilt up is to prevent stray currents from attacking the motor from nearby boats connected to shore power that might be wired incorrectly.
 
drjohn71a":9dyqfl2c said:
The Honda 150's and some Yamaha's are flushed without the engine running. Running the engine while flushing can ruin the engine on this setup.

You could plumb your deck washdown pump outlet to an onboard water tank - the existing one or a 2nd one - and that hose has a standard 3/4 " hose thread outlet on it. Then, just hook that up to the engines for a flush.

......

John
Click to expand...

Great idea! I have read about damage caused by people running the engines while using the flush port (as opposed to muffs). I prefer the idea of drawing fresh water into the same channels as the salt water via muffs but some flush would certainly be better then none.

For those who have used the flush, where does the water "exit" the engine?
 
Water exits thru the normal channels - the bottom of the leg.

You just screw a hose on the fittings which are right at the outboard cover's edge.

John
 
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