Outboard question.

[gary]

So I just spent a small fortune getting my outboard repaired. The salt water had corroded the water tube and it needed to be replaced. I have been asking what I should do to prevent this from happening again. There are many opinions. I know about flushing the motor with fresh water - etc., etc., but my big question is do you leave the outboard "down" so the lower unit is in the water all the time or do you tilt it up when on the mooring?
Thanx in advance.

 

[Picflight]

I would think that tilt up is the preferred position on a mooring. However, not sure how you can flush the salt prior to tilt up on a mooring.

The concept seems pretty straight forward to me, get rid of salt deposits as often as possible but how to flush an outboard in a mooring or slip is unexplored by me.

 

[Chief RA]

I put a muffs motor flusher on the outboard and then lower foot into sea. I then turn on fresh water until it shoots out around the muffs and start the motor. Flush thoroughly and then kill motor and raise it. Now go turn off water, remove muffs. Your done as soon as you flush saltwater off outboard and cover it. Chief

 

[gary]

Hmmmmm..

Thanx for the advice. Not sure how I would get the hose out to the mooring. About 100 yards out. Then have to hook up to fresh water supply which is probably 5 miles away. The boat is in a cove on the coast of Maine. You guys must all be parked in a marina. Well -- have a beer for me, and I will keep looking for answers...

 

[Kings Gambit]

You don't mention the size (weight) of the outboard or its type (2-stroke or 4-stroke). Different sizes, different solutions. If it's heavy and you don't want to pull it off to mount on a stern rail mount, just tilt it up and leave it be. If you use it a lot you'll have less trouble with salt encrusting; in any event, it's just the cost of "doing business." If you can pull it off and put on a stern rail mount you can get a bucket or "flush bag" to position around the intake and fill & replace with fresh water from an on-board source as the engine sucks it through. I probably would not do this, however, unless the thing is going to sit unused for a long period of time where it would get good and dried out internally (=deposits).

 

[Chief RA]

5 gallon jug of fresh water and a 12v water pump and that should work with the muffs as I suggested as source for water hose. Chief

 

[Kings Gambit]

Yeah! Or, get a submersible type to throw into the bucket of water. Now, just need a place somewhere at the stern to "plug it in."

 

[carboman]

Take it off and put it in your john boat, take it home, mount it and stick it in a garbage can every 2 months.