Severe engine room flooded with salt water rinsing procedure?

[victalbies]

Hi guys today a hose pipe leading to an intercooler was blown off. As a result my engine room was severly flooded . As the engine temperature alarm sounded I investigated and found out what happend guess moments before the boat got compromised. I pumped all salt water out .however engines were all covered in Salt water . However still started and functioned ( albeit at low speed as I suspect one intercooler is blocked ). What is the correct procedure to rinse the engine room ? Just rinse it engines and all with hot soapy water ? Or refill to the max salt water level reached in the accident with fresh water and rinse ? Thanks

[a64pilot]

I'd give it a thorough wash with warm soapy water and rinse really, really well, then maybe do it again. And do it ASAP.
After they dry well, I'd spray them with Corrosion-X, but I keep my motor sprayed with it and especially my outboard. It's oily of course and will over time attract dust, so once a year I wash it off, let engine dry and reapply
There is a product called salt away, don't know much about it though

[UNCIVILIZED]

In terms of the safety of various engine components, do a search under washing the engine & similar. As there are some items which getting them wet can be fatal to them or worse. And quite pricy to repair. So don't switch the engine(s) on again until you do an in depth check of said systems.

Otherwise I'd wash it from top to bottom, given that since it was running, some of the moving parts probably threw salt water everywhere. And various electrical components, & intakes are quite vulnerable.

Also, don't switch on your bilge pumps to remove the water as yet, since it could contain a fair amount of oil or diesel. Check it first, & take the appropriate measures.

[victalbies]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'd give it a thorough wash with warm soapy water and rinse really, really well, then maybe do it again. And do it ASAP.
After they dry well, I'd spray them with Corrosion-X, but I keep my motor sprayed with it and especially my outboard. It's oily of course and will over time attract dust, so once a year I wash it off, let engine dry and reapply
There is a product called salt away, don't know much about it though

Corrosion X does not exit here .I used wurth hss2000 but I found a distributor of saltaway !

[Kokanee]

If your starter motor was submerged make sure you pull it off and give it a thorough rinsing / drying / lubrication
Even if it started once already, you are not out of the water yet.
Don't ask me how I know.

[Captsteve53]

Use Salt Away Salt-Away Applications ...

Follow there application quide, I have used this product in several area's from flushing sea water engine systems/out boards/ and yes engine rooms,

Pays to really coat the starter motor with wd 40 or similar. if it was submerged do your self a favor and remove and have stripped/ cleaned other wise it will let you down

Cheers Steve

[victalbies]

Originally Posted by Captsteve53

Use Salt Away Salt-Away Applications ...

Follow there application quide, I have used this product in several area's from flushing sea water engine systems/out boards/ and yes engine rooms,

Pays to really coat the starter motor with wd 40 or similar. if it was submerged do your self a favor and remove and have stripped/ cleaned other wise it will let you down

Cheers Steve

Thanks ..rinsed all engines and gen set with hot soapy water , and sprayed from all angles starters and alternators with wd 40 ..am waiting for courier to get me saltaway as it's not available in my island ... It's the middle of the summer season and very hard to find a mechanic;( will take a chance with starters!

[Captsteve53]

The starters if had water inside will work for a while, but sooner than later they let you down and the damage is normally so bad, new starters are required,if the water level did not reach them and only sprayed then you have a good 50/50 chance of getting away with it,

Even if not a mechanic they are not to hard to disassemble clean and replace

Cheers Steve

[Arthur Garfield]

Sorry to hear about flooding.
Alternators ,wiring,starters will be affected over time.
Components,such as relays,sensors... probably compromised much sooner.
Check trans,engine oils-flush change,run flush change again.Seals will be adversely affected also.


All the Best.

[victalbies]

Originally Posted by Arthur Garfield

Sorry to hear about flooding.
Alternators ,wiring,starters will be affected over time.
Components,such as relays,sensors... probably compromised much sooner.
Check trans,engine oils-flush change,run flush change again.Seals will be adversely affected also.


All the Best.

Yes will check .all this happend as yanmar dealer never came to service engines after a lot of promises! As he won't come to my island will have to cruise 30 miles to have the engines serviced at the nearest marina

[Maka]

If you are not going to remove and clean submerged starters, I recommend you order new ones now so you will have them on hand when the existing ones die.

[Cadence]

However you decide to do it, insure you don't neglect the bottom of your oil pan. Often hare the get to.

[a64pilot]

Not an inboard engine, but I dropped my electronically controlled fuel injected Suzuki outboard in salt water, fully submerged for about 5 min in 6' of salt water.
I washed everything, took loose all plugs and Corrosion -X'd them.

That was a year ago, only point is if you get to it quickly enough and wash and rinse all the salt out, salt water immersion is not necessarily a death sentence for electrical components.

[michaelratinter]

When that happened to me my alternator was fried. I console myself with the thought that it was time for a new one anyway.

[Christian W.]

Probably a bit far away from you, but for future reference: DeSalt Marine Engine Flush and Cleaner made by Hutchwilco in New Zealand <hutchwilco.co.nz>

Excellent product.