Use Fresh Water System To Flush Outboard

[NCFreedom]

I just wanted to share what I did to flush my outboard as soon as I pull the boat out of salt water while the engine is still hot. I sometimes fish 45 minutes away from the house, so I wanted a way to immediately flush the outboard with fresh water and Salt Away. I have used this setup several times already and it works great. I installed a fresh water wash down hose male thread port in the engine well, then I plumbed it into the fresh water system. I made a short hose to go from that port to the engine flushing port with a Salt Away flushing attachment. I fill up the little cup with Salt Away then hook up both ends before I pull it out of the water. As soon as the boat is out of the water I turn on the fresh water pump, and the engine starts getting flushed with fresh water and salt away. I flush longer when I get home, but this allows me to get the immediate flush while the engine is still warm. I have attached pictures. It works for me, so it may not be for you, but it accomplishes what I wanted.

 

[everwhom]

Genius.

 

[Fishtales]

The new boats come with this now. I like it. Just not sure of the benefit long term of flushing really is.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I like that you use the fresh water tank and have to refill it throughout the season. Mine gets filled in the spring and stinky brown water gets flushed in November

Someday when I get new motors maybe I'll try that saltaway thing and go crazy flushing. Now I give them a 2 minute half hearted flush.
There is a guy at my dock with a brand new Evinrude. He hooks up that saltaway thing and gets in his car and leaves for 2 hours.
The first time I saw that I turned off the water thinking he forgot it was on.
Nope, he came back and said "who turned off my water?".

 

[NCFreedom]

I like that you use the fresh water tank and have to refill it throughout the season. Mine gets filled in the spring and stinky brown water gets flushed in November

Someday when I get new motors maybe I'll try that saltaway thing and go crazy flushing. Now I give them a 2 minute half hearted flush.
There is a guy at my dock with a brand new Evinrude. He hooks up that saltaway thing and gets in his car and leaves for 2 hours.
The first time I saw that I turned off the water thinking he forgot it was on.
Nope, he came back and said "who turned off my water?".

I always add Camco Taste Pure RV water treatment to my fresh water tank, and you won’t have that issue with the fresh water.

The guy with the Evinrude is wasting time and money flushing with Salt Away for two hours. You are supposed to flush the engine with fresh water for a few minutes then turn on the Salt Away additive some it mixes with the water, but you want to stop flushing after the Salt Away is in the engine good. The goal is to leave it inside the engine to dissolve any salt residue. He is just flushing it through the engine, so he is really defeating the purpose of the Salt Away. When I flush mine at the ramp I just watch the little container that has the additive in it, and when it starts to get to a light blue, I turn it off. About a minute or two, and the Salt Away stays inside the engine. I still flush the engine with it running in a flush tank when I put the boat away. I just want to make sure the thermostats open when I am flushing with fresh water. If my boat where on a lift I would flush with fresh water first, then end with a Salt Away treatment and leave it in the engine. Just my opinion, and everyone has their own.

 

[imjus4u2nv]

I am no expert, and there is a lot of debate, but in an emergency I have heard you can also run at low rpms using the washdown if your impeller gives out on you.

 

[Lt.Mike]

I am no expert, and there is a lot of debate, but in an emergency I have heard you can also run at low rpms using the washdown if your impeller gives out on you.

That’s an idea, and I suppose if your overheat alarm is silenced at least the power head is good. Don’t know about the rest of the OB.
I also really like the idea of using the freshwater tank to flush the motor.
As for salt away how much better than running fresh water thru can it be? I’ve got/had outboards for 20 years and just flush them on the muffs at idle for 10 minutes after every outing. My Suzuki is newer (‘03) and has the fresh water port I hook a hose to and let it run while I unload the gear. Then I run it in the muffs for again 10 minutes. It seems like a lot of hype when all you need is fresh water. I’ll add that I keep the powerhead and exposed metal surfaces sprayed down with WD40.
Beyond word of mouth is there any real proof that salt doesn’t rinse away and this product actually does something?

 

[Lt.Mike]

The new boats come with this now. I like it. Just not sure of the benefit long term of flushing really is.

Flushing after every use yes absolutely, but 10 minutes worth is plenty.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Beyond word of mouth is there any real proof that salt doesn’t rinse away and this product actually does something?

I'm surprised Yamaha doesn't have a branded product.

 

[Fishtales]

yea, $100 an ounce

 

[Halfhitch]

Yamaha hasn't come out with a product like that because they know it is snake oil. That's my opinion, not a provable fact. I don't have any proof but I'll bet if there was a way to find out how much saltaway is sold in the whole world outside the USA, I'll bet it is very little.

 

[seasick]

I have a 'funny' story about the salt away dispenser. I found out the hard way, that if you turn off the valve, that doesn't just stop the flow of the saltaway, it stops all the water flow. Gee, is that an alarm I hear???

Also, you should never ever walk away from a running motor, not 10 minutes not two hours.

 

[seasick]

I do flush after every run but I don't use saltaway or equivalent unless the motor looks like is has salt accumulation. That I check by pulling the t-stats and taking a look inside. Although I haven't tried it, I hear that vinegar works as well as saltaway. If so, it is a lot cheaper.

 

[Halfhitch]

Vinegar...$2 per gal...….saltaway….$45 per gal. Put a corroded bolt in a dish of each and see who wins. There is a reason the older generations used vinegar. Only thing, if it runs off into your grass in too strong of a mixture it will kill it. I don't know if Saltaway harms grass or not.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Hate to dredge up an old thread, but I am planning a fresh water tank flushing system for dual Yami 225s. Planning a single tap from the fresh water system, into a Y valve so that it is only flushing one motor at a time. Do y'all think the stock fresh water pump puts out enough pressure to properly flush the motors, or should I upgrade to higher capacity pump?

Reason for project is boat is boatel kept, and water tank has to be pumped out before the forklift. Now we do this in the last 3 miles. Why not use that water to flush motors instead of climbing out over transom 4 times to flush before the lift?

 

[seasick]

A typical fresh water pump will produce a lower pressure than most municipal or well water supplies. In addition the volume and the 'lift' will be lower ( the lift is how high a pump can push a fluid until the weight of the water column equals the pump pressure. The length and resistance of the 'plumbing' will also decrease the actual lift and pressure. The water may not be able to reach the top of the powerhead.
Is any flow better than no flow? I guess so but also probably not nearly as effective as using a normal water supply.

 

[Fishtales]

It likely doesn't hurt using a product, but I'm not sold that there is benefit. I'd freshwater rinse as Yamaha recommends but that's about it for me.

 

[jimever]

Do you have an easy way how we can flush with fresh water and salt way, 2 stroke motor at the marina? Just with the classic way?

 

[jimever]

Do you have an easy way how we can flush with fresh water and salt away, 2 stroke motor at the marina? Just with the classic way?

...maybe it is easy to put the muffs when you stand to the swim platform...and the motor is up...

 

[PNW_Drifter]

I put in a Y connector and an extra outlet. This gives me the choice to use my wash down hose to spray fresh or salt water and also I can connect a garden hose to flush the motors if I choose to.
Easy mod.

Btw I coated the wood I am exposed by drilling a hole with Epoxy.