Washing a 4 Stroke Motor after a Salt Water Dip

[PeterInSA]

Most of SA boat ramps have Boat/Motor washing facilities included in your $10 to $15 launching fee, looking at launching in a small country ramp, no fee, no water available and I will not be towing our 1/2 cab home for a wash down.

Thinking of a 20Lt container of fresh water on the rear of our boat with a tube to the earmuffs and run the motor until the container is nearly empty...
or not bother about a motor clean out for the 3 or 4 dips in sea water until I get home in a weeks time.

Comments appreciated.

[disorderly]

mate there are plenty of boats that spend thousands of hours in the water and others that are in and out with minimal flushing..

I'd be more worried about overheating the motor by trying to be so stingy with your measly water supply...

Launching fee huh...I never heard of that..!..How do you pay that and who gets it..?

[PeterInSA]

Re Water Supply....only what I can carry in a Sprinter, Long Wheel Base Campervan

Launching Fees....,Meters at the Ramp similar to Parking meters in cities that provide a Docket, or local shops or Kiosk at The Boat Ramp

[Dignity]

Re Water Supply....only what I can carry in a Sprinter, Long Wheel Base Campervan

Launching Fees....,Meters at the Ramp similar to Parking meters in cities that provide a Docket, or local shops or Kiosk at The Boat Ramp

I recall a ramp I visited in NZ which had something similar. You could leave it till you get home then use some of that Salt wash products like Captain Salty or Salt Away (can't remember the exact naming) and flush your motors with that when you get home. Basically run your motor till it warms up (on muffs or in a bucket), run your salt flushing compound through and let it sit for about 10 to 15 mins then flush with fresh water. That would get most of the salt out.

[upstart]

I often spend a week or more where I'm using the boat every day without a flush out. Never had a problem.

[tunaticer]

The corrosion starts from crystalised salts when the water has dried out and left the salt deposit on a surface. depending on water flow at that spot it may never disolve again in water and work it's way through the paint and into the alloy. Run the motor each day when away to stop that crystal forming then flush out when you get home or to a suitable fresh water supply.
Even backing the trailer into a fresh water creek or lagoon is good for a flush in the scrub.

[Corry]

Ours would do 4 weeks or more on some of our remote trips without being washed, never done any harm. It would get a thorough wash down when returning home, my favourite is to go for a run in a dam for a few hours.

[Volvo]

Dont know if im the only one but run mine on a flush for near twenty minutes every time i get back home, first wash Boat n Trailer then flush motor.
Use Salt away or whatever ya call it every second trip ??..Habit ive gotten into with washing/ flushing motor.
Seen motors that have been near eaten away with slat so have a fear lol..

[tunaticer]

Dont know if im the only one but run mine on a flush for near twenty minutes every time i get back home, first wash Boat n Trailer then flush motor.
Use Salt away or whatever ya call it every second trip ??..Habit ive gotten into with washing/ flushing motor.
Seen motors that have been near eaten away with slat so have a fear lol..

I run my outboard until i feel the thermostat open 3 times to flush the powerhead, then run the 100ml of Salty Captain through and shut the engine down just before the salty captain is flushed from the engine. Total of about 6-7 minutes.
Holding your hand in the telltale water stream will quickly tell you when the thermostat opens and closes, a quite dramatic change in temp as it opens and closes.