Would flushing raw water side w/fresh H20 reduce corrossion?

[quandary]

I always flush with fresh water when leaving the boat for more than a few days.
In winter I flush with engine antifreeze (volvo in this case) as it supposedly contains corrosion inhibitors.
Some thing that hasn't been mentioned is that salt water conducts electricity much more than fresh water so leaving the engine with salt water in it may also allow electrolysis to take place inside it, especially in a marina with stray currents if engine water is connected to the sea via a metal thru hull fitting.
On the hard it is always left with anti freeze in the cooling system. (also in my generator cooling)

[hpeer]

Reviving an old thread with a question. Last year we put the boat up for the summer in Grenada. The yard offered to flush the engine for storage but wanted nearly $300 to do it. I’ve never done it before but it is probably good practice.

My sea strainer is not readily accessible tomoutna hose in, it would make a royal mess. Likewise the hose from the sea dock is pretty cramped, trying to avoid standing on my head more than needed.

Is ther some “gizmo”, perhaps a plug with a hole in it, perhaps one of the toilet plunger things with a hose bib, whereby I can draw water from a 5 gallon bucket, suspended near the water line, to flush the engine?

I did a google search but didn’t see any likely candidates. Maybe I’m just using bad searches.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Reviving an old thread with a question. Last year we put the boat up for the summer in Grenada. The yard offered to flush the engine for storage but wanted nearly $300 to do it. I’ve never done it before but it is probably good practice.

My sea strainer is not readily accessible tomoutna hose in, it would make a royal mess. Likewise the hose from the sea dock is pretty cramped, trying to avoid standing on my head more than needed.

Is ther some “gizmo”, perhaps a plug with a hole in it, perhaps one of the toilet plunger things with a hose bib, whereby I can draw water from a 5 gallon bucket, suspended near the water line, to flush the engine?

I did a google search but didn’t see any likely candidates. Maybe I’m just using bad searches.

https://www.google.com/search?q=stra...&client=safari

Some irrelevant results.....but is was my first attempt with google to find these.

[hpeer]

Thanks Sailmonkey.

I think this is what I was looking for.

Pro Motor Flusher – Fits Inboard Thru Hull Water Pickups |

Anyone use one of these, do they work?

[michaelratinter]

We sell a similar device at West Marine. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...26?recordNum=3

[oldcal46skipper]

I set up a system when I installed my new Perkins 4.236 in 1987. After the thru hull valve, I installed a Tee with a valve and about 3' of heavy duty hose with a female garden hose fitting. It is easy to flush. I connect the garden hose that has a valve on the male end, open the thru hull valve, open the fresh water valve and start the engine. Then I close the thru hull and run on fresh water until she warms up.


After a long trip or annually, I put about 3 gallons of fresh water in a 5 gal. bucket and CAREFULLY add one gallon of muriatic acid. I place the short hose from the tee into the bucket. I start the engine with sea water valve open and after she warms up, I close the thru hull while opening the flush valve. I watch carefully until the bucket is empty and shut off the engine. I let it set long enough to have a cold beer. I add fresh water and a box of bicarbonate of soda to the bucket, then repeat the procedure so any residual acid is neutralized. About one more cold beer, then give it another good fresh water flush.


After changing the raw water pump, I run the engine at 1,000 RPM's. Have her hold a stopwatch and I put a 5gallon buck, with a dive weight in it under the exhaust and measure how long it takes to fill the bucket. I do this annually or after a long trip.


I have been doing this 31 years now. Works for me.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by oldcal46skipper

I set up a system when I installed my new Perkins 4.236 in 1987. After the thru hull valve, I installed a Tee with a valve and about 3' of heavy duty hose with a female garden hose fitting. It is easy to flush. I connect the garden hose that has a valve on the male end, open the thru hull valve, open the fresh water valve and start the engine. Then I close the thru hull and run on fresh water until she warms up.


After a long trip or annually, I put about 3 gallons of fresh water in a 5 gal. bucket and CAREFULLY add one gallon of muriatic acid. I place the short hose from the tee into the bucket. I start the engine with sea water valve open and after she warms up, I close the thru hull while opening the flush valve. I watch carefully until the bucket is empty and shut off the engine. I let it set long enough to have a cold beer. I add fresh water and a box of bicarbonate of soda to the bucket, then repeat the procedure so any residual acid is neutralized. About one more cold beer, then give it another good fresh water flush.


After changing the raw water pump, I run the engine at 1,000 RPM's. Have her hold a stopwatch and I put a 5gallon buck, with a dive weight in it under the exhaust and measure how long it takes to fill the bucket. I do this annually or after a long trip.


I have been doing this 31 years now. Works for me.

My buddy with a Volvo MD7A has the same set-up and he treats it with CLR which seems to work too.
He usually shares his cold beers with me too.

[mikeod]

My previous boat had a tee and valve off the thru hull to one of the fresh water tanks. Close thru hull open other valve with engine running for a minute and your done. Also made winterizing easy, just put antifreeze in that tank and could do fresh water system and engine without opening any connections.