I keep my 26X at a slip in saltwater. I would like to flush after every use. I currently put on the earsmuffs and lower the motor back in the water with garden hose attached and then after few minutes raise it out of the water to let it finish rinsing. I turn off the water and let the hose run a little longer. This can not be helping much. Is there a better way? I know there is a screw on kit from honda that will work, but you have to lean over and take the screw and possibly drop it in the water. Plus I am not sure that the salt water just comes in with the fresh from the hose. Any ideas?
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Chuck, I had a cape dory 25 once in a slip. It had a 15 HP jonson long shaft mounted in a well. The motor could not be kicked up. What I did was to keep a plasic garbage can, big one, submerged and tied to the dock. When I came in and got tied up, I would move the garbage can over to the stern of my boat and work it under the foot of the motor and tie it off to the boat's stern cleats via the 2 handles on the can. I would then stick a water hose into the can, turn it on for awhile and crank the motor while letting the hose still run fresh water into the can. Fresh water would replace the salt water and I could clean out my motor this way. Afterwards I would just leave the trashcan full of fresh water tied up tight under the stern. My motor stayed in good shape for years this way.
I'm probably missing something here, and as a 26s owner with a 9.9 motor that lives out of the water, I probabaly shoudn't be saying anything, but why wouldn't an earmuff serve to flush out the salt water? Then just raise it up.
I got the Honda "flush nozzle" because I couldn't get earmuffs to fit my Honda 50. (My boat lives on its trailer, so I flush it out on dry land.) Most of the flush water runs out of the cooling-water inlets, unless you duct-tape them closed before you turn on the hose.
I think Beamreach may have the best answer - some sort of container that's big enough to hold the bottom of the drive, filled with fresh water so the engine can run in place. Then, we have the advantage of kicking the motor up for dry storage.
(Another item - I was advised to unhook the fuel line and run the carburetors dry, to keep them clean and un-gunked between uses.)
Hope this helps -
I think Beamreach may have the best answer - some sort of container that's big enough to hold the bottom of the drive, filled with fresh water so the engine can run in place. Then, we have the advantage of kicking the motor up for dry storage.
(Another item - I was advised to unhook the fuel line and run the carburetors dry, to keep them clean and un-gunked between uses.)
Hope this helps -
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