engine flushing

[pontz71]

New owner here. Is flushing with Salt Off safe? I have a 2022 Yamaha 255 FSH Sport E center console.
Also, when I flush the engines I get water coming out of only 2 ports on the port side BUT when I am running the boat on the water I get water coming out of all three. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[Acard7]

Flushing with salt off or salt away is fine. When you flush off your hose it’s normal to only get a couple pissers actually showing water. The pressure from your hose is far less than when the pumps are forcing it when in the water!!

 

[pontz71]

Thank you. If I may ask one more question. Do you flush with Saltaway every time or everyother? How often do you recommend?

 

[tdonoughue]

(fresh water boater here, so take this with a grain of salt, every pun intended)

I would do it every time. Engines are expensive...

 

[pontz71]

Thank you, that is great advice. Love the pun!!!

 

[fireflymedic]

I would flush with water for 5 minutes than turn on the salt away and flush till bubbles came out every were than shut every thing off so salt away solution was still coating every thing while boat was in storage.

 

[Judge]

So I'll jump into this fray.............

In the process of purchasing a 275SD and will be docking it in brackish water and running in salt water. I'm having a lift installed so she'll be out the water when not in use.

I was planning to flush it after every use but.... would it be ok to just flush with regular water if I'm using it two days in a row and then use Salt Off if it is going to sit longer than a day? Or should I just flush with Salt Off after ever use?

TIA

 

[fireflymedic]

So I'll jump into this fray.............

In the process of purchasing a 275SD and will be docking it in brackish water and running in salt water. I'm having a lift installed so she'll be out the water when not in use.

I was planning to flush it after every use but.... would it be ok to just flush with regular water if I'm using it two days in a row and then use Salt Off if it is going to sit longer than a day? Or should I just flush with Salt Off after ever use?

TIA

On the old boats I would be more concerned about the exposed metal parts at the back jets and reverse gates but I believe the newerboats are supposed to have a better coating. I'm sure if you hosed everything off good and flushed with plain water you'd be OK. But honestly flushing for a few minutes and than salt away is quicker than the 15 minutes I think Yamaha recommends . But I'll let somebody with newer boat chime in.

 

[Judge]

On the old boats I would be more concerned about the exposed metal parts at the back jets and reverse gates but I believe the newerboats are supposed to have a better coating. I'm sure if you hosed everything off good and flushed with plain water you'd be OK. But honestly flushing for a few minutes and than salt away is quicker than the 15 minutes I think Yamaha recommends . But I'll let somebody with newer boat chime in.

I know on the 275's say "Saltwater Corrosion Resistant Driveline."

I've been reading some guys have them in saltwater all weekend and then flush them out when they get the out of the water. I'll probably error on the side of caution and just use the Salt Away because as you said it may be quicker in the end.

 

[MikeDinOC]

I have a 212ss yamaha . I tried salt away to flush the engines...only thing is water never comes out of the pissers....is it supposed to?

 

[DiggerPA]

Sorry I don't want to hijack this thread, but for all of you in Fresh water, do you flush as well and how often? Thinking it would be good to get any "dirty" water out of the engine as well?

 

[sunbyrned]

I have a 212ss yamaha . I tried salt away to flush the engines...only thing is water never comes out of the pissers....is it supposed to?

Yes, it should be coming out. You had the engines running, right?

 

[1WetBoat]

Yes, it should be coming out. You had the engines running, right?

The pissers aren't the only way for water to leave the engines when flushing. Your water pressure has a lot to do with it also.
The pissers are coming off the oil coolers (intercooler if supercharged) but there is also another exit when the thermostat opens. This is the one on the "transom Plate" area where most of the water leaves your engine. You also have the water that goes into the waterbox and comes out your exhaust.

 

[sunbyrned]

The pissers aren't the only way for water to leave the engines when flushing. Your water pressure has a lot to do with it also.
The pissers are coming off the oil coolers (intercooler if supercharged) but there is also another exit when the thermostat opens. This is the one on the "transom Plate" area where most of the water leaves your engine. You also have the water that goes into the waterbox and comes out your exhaust.

Interesting. Good to know. It always come out the pissers for me. Still though, did he have the engines running when flushing? Just double checking.

 

[Judge]

I have a question about the Yamaha 275 when it comes to flushing........

The flush port hoses don't come into the engine bay like they did on my previous Yamaha. I assume they are in the transom somewhere since that is where the flush ports are located.

Clamping off the hose exiting the pump used to ensure all of the flow went into the engine and not out the jet as well. I'm assuming I can't clamp off the hose in the engine bay now or I would prevent any water from getting to the block and exhaust.

Am I correct in my thinking? Is there still a way to force all the water from the hose into the engines and not some of it out the jet?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The pissers aren't the only way for water to leave the engines when flushing. Your water pressure has a lot to do with it also.
The pissers are coming off the oil coolers (intercooler if supercharged) but there is also another exit when the thermostat opens. This is the one on the "transom Plate" area where most of the water leaves your engine. You also have the water that goes into the waterbox and comes out your exhaust.

A LOT of the water flows back out the intake screen as well.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I have a question about the Yamaha 275 when it comes to flushing........

The flush port hoses don't come into the engine bay like they did on my previous Yamaha. I assume they are in the transom somewhere since that is where the flush ports are located.

Clamping off the hose exiting the pump used to ensure all of the flow went into the engine and not out the jet as well. I'm assuming I can't clamp off the hose in the engine bay now or I would prevent any water from getting to the block and exhaust.

Am I correct in my thinking? Is there still a way to force all the water from the hose into the engines and not some of it out the jet?

Id think as long as the clamp was placed before the Y connector you’d be fine. There was at least one post I read where the guy put a loop of hose in before the Y connector so he could put the valves he installed up where they were easily reachable. I also think it is a function of how much water pressure / volume you have on your flushing hose, if you’ve got enough then I wouldn’t think there is a need to pinch off the inlet line coming from the jet pump.

Another poster, @lazergeek reconfigured his live well to be a fresh water storage tank and added a series of electrically operated valves and an electric pump so he could shut off the water inlets from the jet pump and then use the fresh water in the live well to flush his engines while it was slipped, brilliant! His thread is here…https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-210-livewell-access.31133/

Seems like you could do something similar since your boat has a fresh water shower?

 

[Judge]

Id think as long as the clamp was placed before the Y connector you’d be fine. There was at least one post I read where the guy put a loop of hose in before the Y connector so he could put the valves he installed up where they were easily reachable. I also think it is a function of how much water pressure / volume you have on your flushing hose, if you’ve got enough then I wouldn’t think there is a need to pinch off the inlet line coming from the jet pump.

Another poster, @lazergeek reconfigured his live well to be a fresh water storage tank and added a series of electrically operated valves and an electric pump so he could shut off the water inlets from the jet pump and then use the fresh water in the live well to flush his engines while it was slipped, brilliant! His thread is here…https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-210-livewell-access.31133/

Seems like you could do something similar since your boat has a fresh water shower?

That is a brilliant idea! And I hadn't thought about using my onboard fresh water tank... but.....

I hadn't open the access cover where the clean-out ports are located till just now. I can just see where the red flush port hose connects but I have a X adapter and not a Y because I have the intercoolers for the Super Chargers. The problem is that the short hose coming from the pump to the X connector is almost impossible to reach. I'm not sure I will be able to reach it with my plastic clamps. I'll probably just have to hope there is enough pressure at the marina waster supply that I get a good flush so I get water out of all three pissers.

It i so hard to reach I'd be worried about trying to take out the X connector for another option.... but I have used 12V ball valves before with remote control On / Off switches on my motorhome... so that would be a cool idea.

My other option would be to get a high-flown pump and a 5-gallon I could have the pump pulling the water out of the bucket while the garden hose keeps filling the bucket.

I tried to get my clamp down there but it's just about impossible. The good news is that while it's not a slam dunk, I can get to the hoses coming into the engine bay to clamp them off if I need a tow or need to run on only one engine above idle speed.

The only way I could get at them would be to remove the large rubber hose that seals the clean-out ports. Not sure I want to go through that trouble so I just might have to improvise with the pump if necessary.

 

[WREKS]

After flushing, whether using a salt remover or not, the cooling water passages are still wet. A wet environment in a open cooling system can facilitate bio-fouling. Bio-fouling can lead to overheating. Drying out the engines prevents bio-fouling>overheating. Without overheating, an engine can be run for a short period of time to dry it out. I use 60 seconds as a very safe duration to accomplish the drying process.

 

[Judge]

After flushing, whether using a salt remover or not, the cooling water passages are still wet. A wet environment in a open cooling system can facilitate bio-fouling. Bio-fouling can lead to overheating. Drying out the engines prevents bio-fouling>overheating. Without overheating, an engine can be run for a short period of time to dry it out. I use 60 seconds as a very safe duration to accomplish the drying process.

While I agree...... I'm not sure you can get all the water out. Since I'm storing my boat up north after Ian damaged our marina, I have run the boat several times after flushing, I pushed the RPM's to 2000 - 2500. I ran it for short bursts of time up to 30 seconds and the exhaust manifold was very warm to touch. Every time I start the boat, there is still a small amount of water under the boat.

I do think that using a chemical like Salt-Away may help prevent stuff from growing inside the engine.