Flushing engine

[noel32129]

Been sailing for 8 years and found many answers and knowledge that improve my sailing lifestyle and enjoy all the shared input from so many of you and would like to have some feedback if flashing my engine with fresh water after each cruise is a good idea. My engine is a yanmar 2gmf20. I installed a T with a ball value and after returning to my dock I open the T and run a few gallons of fresh water thought the engine to remove salt water. Thanks

[wingless]

Welcome to the forum.

Replacing salt water w/ fresh water within the engine is a good idea. An improvement would be to also properly use Salt Away.

Be aware that the ball valve tee inserted into the loop will decrease the normal water flow.

Ensure that the modification complies w/ ABYC and that the new parts are appropriate for marine usage.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by noel32129

... My engine is a yanmar 2gmf20...

If it's truly a 2GMF, it's already a fresh water (/w coolant) cooled engine, with heat exchanger..

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GordMay

If it's truly a 2GMF, it's already a fresh water (/w coolant) cooled engine, with heat exchanger..

I guessing the OP is really flushing his heat exchanger with his modification. Not sure if it helps but it can't hurt.

[stevec195]

I too engage in this obsessive compulsive disorder. For the past 5 years I've shut the engine down on fresh water and without opening up the heat exchanger to check , all I can say is that it makes me feel better. I live in some pretty gunky water and have never had any cooling problems while many around me have.

[double u]

...& the next step is to have the bilgepump piped to the waterlock to pump it out. ideally the waterlock would be completely dry so no water can evaporate & condense on the exhaust valves. used to evacuate at the beginning of a passage too, so no (or very little) water could get up to the valves in case of a severe knockdown.
compulsive...definitely, but cheap & easy!

[stevec195]

That's the spirit!

[double u]

Krauz, see! (well, nearly, southern krauz sort of...)

[DeepFrz]

noel, I think it's an excellent idea so long as you draw the fresh water from a container and don't connect a pressure hose directly to the pump inlet.