Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 31-07-2010, 03:47   #1
Registered User
 
mpc7002's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Boat: ISO
Posts: 25
Outboard Engine Maintenance

I have a new o/b motor. The manual says to flush the engine with fresh water after use, but my boat is moored, and not in a slip, where I would have access to fresh water. The boat is in salt water. What am I suppose to do for proper maintenance?
mpc7002 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-07-2010, 04:20   #2
Registered User
 
Laidback's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 853
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpc7002 View Post
I have a new o/b motor. The manual says to flush the engine with fresh water after use, but my boat is moored, and not in a slip, where I would have access to fresh water. The boat is in salt water. What am I suppose to do for proper maintenance?
What size motor, can you lift so as to connect fresh water supply to flush the salt out???
Laidback is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-07-2010, 08:53   #3
Registered User
 
mpc7002's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Boat: ISO
Posts: 25
It's a Tohatsu 6hp. The boat is moored is salt water, with no fresh water services near.
mpc7002 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-07-2010, 09:19   #4
Registered User
 
Troubadour52993's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Grenada
Boat: Beneteau Idylle 15.5m
Posts: 160
I don't know anyone who flushes their engine every time they use it. I grew up running a whaler with a 40 hp outboard daily; it got flushed at the end of the season. Most dinghy outboards run for years only getting flushed during major maintenance, assuming it's run regularly. I expect the worst would be to use it in salt water, pull it for extended storage, and not flush it.
Troubadour52993 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-07-2010, 11:48   #5
Registered User
 
Reckless's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Windsor, Ontario Canada
Boat: Edel 665 23' - Reckless
Posts: 84
Flushing helps keep the water cooling system, impeller and pump from getting clogged up with salt deposits. These don't build up right away, but over time can build up and clog the cooling system which in turn can cause damage to the motor. If the motor is run often the chance of this build up is much less then say you run it once a week, let it dry out. Weekend boaters come to mind. We always flushed the motor when we got home, but the boat would sit for a week or more before we went out again.

As long as you see water being pumped through the tell tail then you are fine, if this stops or starts to sputter you could have a blockage.

Flushing is much easier to do then clean up salt build up, but as you said you don't have access to fresh water. Your motor is small, I would pull it every 6 months or so and have it flushed.

You can also rig a 5 gallon bucket with a hose attachment and value in the bottom running to a set of muffs on the outboard, fill the bucket with fresh water, hook the hose up open the value, start the motor out of the water, it doesn't need to run long to flush out the lines.
Reckless is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-07-2010, 15:09   #6
Eternal Member
 
capt_douglas's Avatar

Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Boat: Vancouver 36 cutter????
Posts: 620
Send a message via Skype™ to capt_douglas
You can buy salt buster chemicals that you mix with water. The combination is run through the cooling system to dissolve and remove the salt accumulation. If you have the flushing ears (? that's what I call them) you can rig up a 5gal bucket to flush the system.

I'd flush depending on how often you use the motor. I'd recommend it at least at the end of the season. Other than that, I tend to take the top off once a month, look things over, and give the contents a good spraying with WD-40 or some spray that'll protect the innards as well. An external wash is also a good thing to do on a regular basis.
__________________
Capt. Douglas Abbott
USCG/MCA IV/M.I./C.I. 500-ton Oceans
capt_douglas is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
engine, outboard

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Engine Well for Outboard ? sailingpeanut Multihull Sailboats 2 24-04-2010 08:34
New Outboard Engine and Dinghy! Big Moe Monohull Sailboats 4 15-09-2009 23:49
Outboard Engine Starting Battery Cadence10m Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 1 27-07-2009 15:07
Outboard Engine Links GordMay Engines and Propulsion Systems 1 16-04-2009 06:15
Outboard engine and solar power charging THamel Construction, Maintenance & Refit 2 19-05-2003 22:28

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 18:25.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.