Engine Flushing

[Bigboat]

Hi. I have a 2006 115 Yamaha 4 stroke which I have owned for almost 10 years. A couple of years ago after consulting the manual I decided to flush it using the inline attachment on the motor. Did this for about 12 months.

 

About 12 months ago I started using saltaway and returned to using the ear muffs to flush.

Today I had the motor serviced. Two of the three water jacket anodes were so badly corroded and salted up it took an hour to remove them. Luckily no apparent damage to the head at this time. 

My mechanic who I have been using for a long time said the 6-12 months I used the flush attachment was enough to salt up and seize the anodes. You could see the saltaway residue where it had started to clear the salt but it had a big job to do.

Morale 1 of the story: The flush port on the motor is designed to ensure planned obselecense and should not be used.

Moral 2 to the story: Only ever flush your engine in a drum or with ear muffs

Mechanic said he had seen motors at 100hrs so badly corroded due to owners only using the flushing port that they had to be written off.

Now I have had a boat for most of the last 45 years and except for that short period I referred to above, have always flushed in a drum or with ears. No more using the flush port for me as today I dodged a very expensive bullet.

[ellicat]

Hey @Bigboat, welcome to the forum and thanks for an interesting first post. Close call.

[Angry51]

Welcome to the forum BigBoat.

Good post, thanks.

Sometimes the old way is the best way.

[GregOug]

Thanks @Bigboat. I always use the muffs but only because I am old school. Thanks for the warning. 

[Kat]

Thanks @Bigboat I too always use muffs but not because I am old School but because all my boat owning fisho mates are old school - lol.  I would be interested to know how long you all flush the motor for?

Cheers Kat

[Bigboat]

Mechanic reckons a good 10 min flush on the muffs followed by a dose of saltaway

 

[Old Scaley]

I was also told 10 minutes minimum.

[tugger]

I normally start flushing motor then crack a beer once beer is finished turn off motor and tap job finished.

[Old Scaley]

4 minutes ago, tugger said:

I normally start flushing motor then crack a beer once beer is finished turn off motor and tap job finished.

30 seconds is nowhere near enough, Mark. Oh wait, that is how long my first beer lasts when I get home from fishing.

[Kat]

Okay great thanks guys.  I have probably been doing about five minutes or so.  What do you do with the Saltaway?  And is it expensive and if so necessary?

[Bigboat]

Yeah saltaway is not cheap but neither is a new motor. My mechanic could show me how the saltaway had formed a film on the head and waterjacket and swears buy it.  

 

I have heard of blokes who run their motor for 10 min, then add some washing up detergent to the mix for 5 min then a fresh water flush for another 5.  I guess the theory is that the detergent helps dissolve the salt then the fresh flushes it away. Not tried it myself.

Quote

 

ja

[mangajack]

When flushing my motor I start at full hose pressure then back the flow back about 1/2 so there is still a good amount of water going through but you feel the thermostat opening and closing regulating the temperature in the powerhead. The cycling of the thermostat is easily felt in the tell tale water stream. I let the motor cycle the thermostat for a good 5 minutes then feed through the saltaway, shutting down the motor just before the last of the saltaway leaves the canister. This leaves a residue of saltaway inside the motor on shut down.

I set the revs to about 1000rpm for the flush.