2018 SX-210 TR-1 Engine anode pulled today. What do you think?

[watdog]

So I decided to pull the engine anodes in my Sx-210 today and pictured is what I found. The boat is almost 100% used in saltwater and flushed with salt away for at least 15 minutes after every use. I really didn't expect them to look as bad as they do. Does this look typical of a 4 year old boat always used in saltwater?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I don’t have a lot of experience with these things but from what I understand this is what they are supposed to do, be the sacrificial metal piece that gets eaten away so other stuff doesn’t. Put in a new set and call it good.

How do the external ones look?

 

[Neutron]

So I decided to pull the engine anodes in my Sx-210 today and pictured is what I found. The boat is almost 100% used in saltwater and flushed with salt away for at least 15 minutes after every use. I really didn't expect them to look as bad as they do. Does this look typical of a 4 year old boat always used in saltwater? View attachment 191482View attachment 191484

Yup pretty much normal. You replace when it is worn more than 50% so depending on how much is missing you replace

 

[Scottintexas]

What does your thermostat look like?

 

[watdog]

What does your thermostat look like?

Don't know, but I have never had an overheating problem.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Don't know, but I have never had an overheating problem.

How many hours are on your boat?
You may want to pull the thermostats out for inspection, might as well put in new ones since it’s apart. Thermostats can fail cold too, and since we don’t have gauges we wouldn’t be able to see that. At the very least pull them, check for corrosion and then test them per the manual.

 

[watdog]

How many hours are on your boat?
You may want to pull the thermostats out for inspection, might as well put in new ones since it’s apart. Thermostats can fail cold too, and since we don’t have gauges we wouldn’t be able to see that. At the very least pull them, check for corrosion and then test them per the manual.

It has around 140 hours on it all but about 6 in saltwater.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

It has around 140 hours on it all but about 6 in saltwater.

Then those look pretty darn good for that many hours in salt water!

 

[Frank Marshall]

May not need to remove the fuel intake to replace the anodes. I found this on youtube: Yamaha TR-1 engine anode replacement

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Clean it up a bit and put it back in the engine water jacket, it is doing it's job I would also add a ZINC to the outside of each jet pump housings as the factory one is magnesium , this way you will have both types and the shape does not matter as long as it is out of the way .

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The OP’s pics of his anode look similar to the YouTubers anode, must be the way the water swirls around it.

The port engine looks relatively easy to inspect / change them, the starboard engine would probably be exponentially harder. Break out the bottle of patience / perseverance pills!

 

[madtom]

May not need to remove the fuel intake to replace the anodes. I found this on youtube: Yamaha TR-1 engine anode replacement

My version

Watched the video multiple times..... then started work.
Port Engine= enough room to replace without removing intake out and in with replacement in like 45 minutes finished 3 days ago.


Starboard engine= almost enough room to replace if you wear small gloves....my hands wouldn't fit..... Cursed a lot, swore a lot, skinned my knuckles, bled on the engine. So I talked wife into getting it out after i was able to get the bolt out...... Getting it back in the screw started cross threading as there isn't a lot of room to maneuver on that side.... Pulled plug back out ran 8mmx1.25 tap in it to straighten threads out....... Then broke tap as I was taking it back out...... Now I had to take out intake.... which wasn't really that bad. I didn't remove throttle body or wiring just unclamped it from intake rubber tube with the hose clamp, disconnected all the connectors that were not part of intake (ended up cutting two zipties to get the sensor wires away from the intake) and only 4 screws and two nuts. Intake gasket is o rings against the machined surface of head and all of that was spotless.

For my Hail Mary(thank goodness it worked) I ended up tearing up 3 sets of precision pliers(HF precision so only $9 each) to be able to grab the tap part left in the hole. If this didn't work they have special broken tap removal tools but would have to order online and wait. Precision pliers don't do well with rotational forces and wasn't gonna use power tools as :
1. I didn't have any really hard bits to drill the tap with, need like cobalt bits to even put a dent in the taps as they are really hard....and brittle lol.
2. Not really enough room unless you have a 90 degree drill adapter + now had open fuel line from where I removed the intake.

So what should have taken 1 hour for this side has taken me 6 hours plus two trips to Harbor freight and two busted knuckles.

So moral to my FSH story...unless you have really small hands just remove the intake on the Starboard engine. Definitely needed it done. replaced the drive Anodes last year as they were looking a little worn.

I will post pictures of the engine anodes and thermostats I pulled tomorrow morning.
I flushed the engines on the hose without the thermostats before I install the new ones to make sure I get any loose sand/silt out. I used 3/4 clear line from Lowes to slip over the thermostat nipple on the back of each engine and run to a 5 gallon bucket on the aft platform. I closed off my bypass fitting on each engine(one at a time). I cut up one of the old thermostats so I still had something to seal the hose nipple fitting to the block. Gallon of vinegar for each for about an hour and then flushed with engines running.... first the normal way thru the flush ports and then reverse with a hose adapter attached running into thermostat housing. I got some sand/silt out...but not much. since my water pressure is only like 50psi once I opened the bypass valves observed water flowing back out thru the pump housing but no more pisser flow. When I installed new thermostats I replaced both hose connectors as the starboard one had bubbling of the plastic on the inside indicating a overheat which came close to melting plastic. hose was not damaged but the fitting was a little deformed and definitely made impact of how much water could flow thru.


From visual inspection of the thermostats look like the Starboard is the original and the Port looks like it has been replaced before. any deformities noted in the picture were the result of me prying the stuck T-Stat out of the engine head. As for the anodes they probably needed replacing 2 years ago lol. Since I'm in fresh water most of the time the new anodes should be good for a while.

I used a infrared heat gun to measure the water temps in all the hoses and exhaust. outside temp was like 90 water hose temp was 86( was in river water from edge of yard to this part of dock yeah it was that warm in the water today. All small hoses and exhaust /waterbox running 98-99 so everything seems to be running normal. This is a 2019 that I picked up in 2021 only has 140 hours now. PO spent all his time in Brackish /salt water and was religious about salt- away use. Me I just live where weeds are all around my dock ...no hard freeze this year so the weeds never really died in the Potomac.

 

[madtom]

My version

Watched the video multiple times..... then started work.
Port Engine= enough room to replace without removing intake out and in with replacement in like 45 minutes finished 3 days ago.


Starboard engine= almost enough room to replace if you wear small gloves....my hands wouldn't fit..... Cursed a lot, swore a lot, skinned my knuckles, bled on the engine. So I talked wife into getting it out after i was able to get the bolt out...... Getting it back in the screw started cross threading as there isn't a lot of room to maneuver on that side.... Pulled plug back out ran 8mmx1.25 tap in it to straighten threads out....... Then broke tap as I was taking it back out...... Now I had to take out intake.... which wasn't really that bad. I didn't remove throttle body or wiring just unclamped it from intake rubber tube with the hose clamp, disconnected all the connectors that were not part of intake (ended up cutting two zipties to get the sensor wires away from the intake) and only 4 screws and two nuts. Intake gasket is o rings against the machined surface of head and all of that was spotless.

For my Hail Mary(thank goodness it worked) I ended up tearing up 3 sets of precision pliers(HF precision so only $9 each) to be able to grab the tap part left in the hole. If this didn't work they have special broken tap removal tools but would have to order online and wait. Precision pliers don't do well with rotational forces and wasn't gonna use power tools as :
1. I didn't have any really hard bits to drill the tap with, need like cobalt bits to even put a dent in the taps as they are really hard....and brittle lol.
2. Not really enough room unless you have a 90 degree drill adapter + now had open fuel line from where I removed the intake.

So what should have taken 1 hour for this side has taken me 6 hours plus two trips to Harbor freight and two busted knuckles.

So moral to my FSH story...unless you have really small hands just remove the intake on the Starboard engine. Definitely needed it done. replaced the drive Anodes last year as they were looking a little worn.

I will post pictures of the engine anodes and thermostats I pulled tomorrow morning.View attachment 203986
I flushed the engines on the hose without the thermostats before I install the new ones to make sure I get any loose sand/silt out. I used 3/4 clear line from Lowes to slip over the thermostat nipple on the back of each engine and run to a 5 gallon bucket on the aft platform. I closed off my bypass fitting on each engine(one at a time). I cut up one of the old thermostats so I still had something to seal the hose nipple fitting to the block. Gallon of vinegar for each for about an hour and then flushed with engines running.... first the normal way thru the flush ports and then reverse with a hose adapter attached running into thermostat housing. I got some sand/silt out...but not much. since my water pressure is only like 50psi once I opened the bypass valves observed water flowing back out thru the pump housing but no more pisser flow. When I installed new thermostats I replaced both hose connectors as the starboard one had bubbling of the plastic on the inside indicating a overheat which came close to melting plastic. hose was not damaged but the fitting was a little deformed and definitely made impact of how much water could flow thru.


From visual inspection of the thermostats look like the Starboard is the original and the Port looks like it has been replaced before. any deformities noted in the picture were the result of me prying the stuck T-Stat out of the engine head. As for the anodes they probably needed replacing 2 years ago lol. Since I'm in fresh water most of the time the new anodes should be good for a while.

I used a infrared heat gun to measure the water temps in all the hoses and exhaust. outside temp was like 90 water hose temp was 86( was in river water from edge of yard to this part of dock yeah it was that warm in the water today. All small hoses and exhaust /waterbox running 98-99 so everything seems to be running normal. This is a 2019 that I picked up in 2021 only has 140 hours now. PO spent all his time in Brackish /salt water and was religious about salt- away use. Me I just live where weeds are all around my dock ...no hard freeze this year so the weeds never really died in the Potomac.

followup..... Whatever I did it seems like the pisser flow is greater out of both engines. Lots of family here this week so 6.5-7k rpm for about an hour running up and down the Potomac as the wind/waves was minimal and it was beautiful before the storms rolled in. I will now use my trolling motor religiously when in the weed line.