Raw Water flush?

[rfrye1]

ive owned my H375 for 20 years with no major problems with the Yanmar engine. My boat sits in San Diego during the winter for weeks at a time (I live in Phoenix). Would it be prudent to rig a fresh water flush when I leave for several weeks?
Thanks Bob.

 

[SG]

If you have nay overheating issues (usually when at higher RPMs for a bit of time) then I'd suggest having the heat exchanger ultrasonically cleaned and check the mixing elbow.

Otherwise, I,don't think much of a raw water flush. With fresh water.

If you are not careful, you cand back flush the Engine and ruin it.

 

[Tom J]

If you rig a hose to reach the bilge from the raw water strainer, you can just dump some fresh water in the bilge and run the engine to flush it out. Works great for winterizing the engine, too, or as an emergency bilge pump.
No danger of back flushing the engine. And, yes, I think it is prudent to flush the engine when it is going to sit for a while. That's what I do.

 

[Skipper]

5 min to modify. Just put a capped T in the raw water line (pic). One that can have the "in" (female) side of a garden hose attached.
Then cut an old garden hose down to maybe 5 feet, or whatever short size fits your needs, and use a 5 gal bucket full of fresh water or mix with Salt Away etc. Make sure bottom of bucket is higher than the motor ie in the cockpit. Close the raw water seacock. Start the motor. The raw pump can auto siphon / self-prime. Never use a pressurized hose.
I used this method to winterize with anti-freeze, back when the boat and I were in the cold (Annapolis). In So Cal now so don't need.
All said, I've never flushed the raw side, except for winterizing which I haven't done in 4 years, and have had the HX out recently and it's clean. Very minor calcification. No corrosion. Motor has 1,400 hours on it. I've put over 300 on it.
Just keep the HX zinc maintained.

 

[Gunni]

Perhaps more important to regularly flush and change your freshwater side. It is iron.