Flushing addatives

[Jon.esp]

Is there something I could use to ensure salt crystals don’t build up in my Opti 115 if I don’t flush it after every use?

My XS is kept in Spain and I use it for 3 – 10 days at a time when I am there. When in use I keep it afloat but do not have a water supply to hand to flush it at the end of each run. When I am away I have her craned out flushed with fresh water and stored in a shed.

I am sure that salt crystals will be developing so is there some additive that could be put in the flushing water to help remove any build up that an ordinary flush wont remove.

Jon

[Locozodiac]

Originally Posted by Jon.esp

Is there something I could use to ensure salt crystals don’t build up in my Opti 115 if I don’t flush it after every use?

My XS is kept in Spain and I use it for 3 – 10 days at a time when I am there. When in use I keep it afloat but do not have a water supply to hand to flush it at the end of each run. When I am away I have her craned out flushed with fresh water and stored in a shed.

I am sure that salt crystals will be developing so is there some additive that could be put in the flushing water to help remove any build up that an ordinary flush wont remove.

Jon

Vinegar is a excellent salt remover, will need to place tail inside big bucket and add vinegar to water, flush for 5 minutes, how much water/vinegar proportion ? that is the issue. Have cleaned cylinder heads & crank case salty water passages with pure vinegar, flood passages, let stand for some time untill salt formations can be easily removed scrubbing with proper tool.

This won't solve the problem, will lessen it, on the long run starting 3 years heavy use, will need to take cylinder head off and clean manually, including crak case all water passages as a maintenence rather than a repair issue. Engine will kool better as when it was brand new. Welcone boaters that are skilled and can perform this nice & fun work and not depend on mechanics that will surely blow your pocket.

Happy Boating

[Polwart]

Vinegar will make bugger all difference to what we all commonly mean by "salt". It will remove "scale" (calcium carbonate deposits like you will see on a kettle). If used regularly it will also remove the steel that your engine is made from! And I certainly wouldn't flush an engine with it and then leave that engine sitting with a vineger solution in it for 3 months...

Flushing your engine with water from the tap will remove salt (sodium chloride), but it will not remove scale (calcium carbonate) easily. Most materials dissolve better in warm watter than cold, calcium carbonate is different it actually will precipitate out when water gets hot. Flushing with hard water therefore has potential to cause more problems than in salt water areas. Salt deposits on the otherhand will actually disolve better in warm water, the problem there is if allowed to evaporate salty water will leave crystals behind and these can be hard to dissolve (relatively low surface area means it takes a long time), if they get bad enough to stop or significantly reduce the flow of water then you can't get fresh cooling water to them to dissolve the deposits that are there.

Lots of engines survive with only rare flushing (e.g. those kept on moorings) and so I would suggest that there is nothing wrong with putting your boat in for a week or two and then thorough flushing before it goes back into storage.

[Chris]

http://www.saltawayproducts.com/Products.htm

The yanks seem to rate this, can't say i've tried it and can't see a UK dealer on their site. However it may be worth ordering from the US.

I think you just install an inline mixer on your hose and then fill it with the liquid.

[m chappelow]

if you want to flush the engine whilst still afloat you could use a large waterproof sack to go over the leg and secure it around the cowling then lower the leg down into the water ,then fill it with it with fresh water ,you could get a kit many years ago ,but all it was was a pvc bag very much like a sail bag with a couple of loops to tie and hold it up and a flap that caught water from the tell tale ,,,,and you dont need to put much water or additive in as the outside water presure squeezes the bag close to the leg so less volume ,only run it in neutral and not in gear ,,lol,,i might have an advert for it when i look .

[Pete7]

Volvo do a kit and a magic potion for flushing petrol inboard engines. Might be worth having a chat with your local volvo dealer about using the cleaning agent.

Pete

[Jon.esp]

Thanks for the ideas

This saltaway seems the sort of stuff but you never really know if all you are buying is washing up liquid. There doesn’t seem to be a UK or Spanish distributor but I notice that the Kiwi’s have it and they are usually sensible, self reliant and wouldn’t waste money on something that is useless.

I like the idea of putting the leg in a heavy duty poly bag and then running it. The locals will definitely think the heat’s got to me if the watch be do that!

I will try a Volvo dealer when I have a moment and see what they have to say.

But maybe I am worrying about nothing. I have a 20yr old Yam 8hp 2 stroke and I used it for years before I ever flushed it. It still runs. But the Opti is a much more complicated bit of kit

Jon

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Jon.esp

Thanks for the ideas

This saltaway seems the sort of stuff but you never really know if all you are buying is washing up liquid. There doesn’t seem to be a UK or Spanish distributor but I notice that the Kiwi’s have it and they are usually sensible, self reliant and wouldn’t waste money on something that is useless.

Jon

I have/do use this which is the same (similar) > trouble is you don't actually know what it does to the internals. I have used it on my dive gear and 'frozen' salted zips and it does remove the crystals effectively

http://www.boatworld.co.uk/site1/pro...=1&pid=431&lv=

Jeff

[RibinSpain]

hi, I flush through my ob roughly monthly because it's too hot to stand around after boating. Anyway, I put a drop of antifreeze in the tub. No idea if it works but it makes me feel better for doing it! Sort of feels right the af lining the pipes.

I think I got the idea from here for winterising.