Spring Prep - Lube and Salt

[MADYAK23]

I'm still new to jet boating and this is my second season with it, everything was done previously by the dealer as it was a new purchase last year. So I'm working on spring prep after the winter and I noticed that there is some salt buildup on the net nozzle and on the engine block after keeping the boat on land at the marina during the winter. I attached a picture of what it looks like. My question here is, what do I do to safely clean it off and what can I do to prevent it from coming back?

I was thinking of using a mixture of water and some salt away (https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--salt-off-salt-remover-with-mixer--15358591) and gently cleaning the engine block and nozzle. As far as keeping it from coming back, I was thinking about spraying the nozzle and jet housing with some silicon spray (https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/...nt-lubricant?b=Search&nw=yamaha-motor-company) but I'm not sure about what to use on the engine block.

Additionally there are several components on the exterior that require lubrication, such as the steering cables, and shift cables. What kind of lube should be used and should something like a grease gun (https://www.harborfreight.com/grease-gun-with-pistol-grip-66664.html) be used?

The manual also indicates to lube the throttle body valves but I haven't come across any instructions or information on that either.


Any help on these items would be greatly appreciated, and thank you in advance!

 

[seadude]

Hey Mike welcome aboard - I live near Caldwell where do you boat?
Some surface corrosion is pretty much unavoidable in the salt. Keeping things coated with a protectant slows the process - bottom line is these boats were really not designed for saltwater use. The new coating used on the FSH model outdrives is much better and you would think Yamaha would share this improvement with all the models but I guess not! Definitely a good idea to lube those outdrive components with any grease but there are "marine" rated products out there, use a latex glove and work it into all the moving fittings. I sometimes flush with a salt-away type product, but the more I read about these overpriced soap solutions, the more I doubt they do squat. It's also important to seal the shaft bearing with grease properly, if you attempt it yourself. Researching on this site will provide you with all the info you need.

 

[MADYAK23]

Hey Seadude, thanks for getting back to me!

We boat out of Forked River and usually head out to Tice's. Going to make it up to Fcove this year.

Been doing some more research and found that there a few products that various members here use on the jet housing and the engines:
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Marine-6-56-Multi-Purpose-Lubricant/dp/B0000AXY9P (on engines)
https://www.amazon.com/BOESHIELD-Corrosion-Protection-Waterproof-Lubrication/dp/B001447PEK (on clamps under swim platform)
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-6008-6-56-Multi-Purpose-Lubricant/product-reviews/B0000AY2HN (engine and nozzles)

For lubing the steering and shift cables, the owner's manual says this is correct lube:
https://shopyamaha.com/product/deta...ch&d=31&ls=yamaha-motor-company&dealernumber=

Is there a set amount of time that needs to elapse to have the grease 'set' before I put the boat in the water?

The same is used for the bearing housing but I would need a grease gun for that like the one above, right? I'm still a noob and I would rather ask a basic questions and be sure than assume something wrong and end up damaging the boat.

 

[haknslash]

Salt-Away is not a "soap solution" and it works very well. If anything it is more like vinegar. It is a blend but the main active ingredient in Salt-Away is sulfamic acid. Some people flush and clean their boats with vinegar, some with Dawn (say goodbye to your wax job), some with Salt-Away or Salt Terminator or some other company X flushing and cleaning solution. You can choose what you want to use on your boat but IMO these types of products do very well for breaking down or removing salt crystals that simply cannot be removed by water alone.

I live in a county that has a lot of limestone so we have to deal with in our water systems, homes, everything that is touched by local water. Most of the lime cleaners will have sulfamic acid as it does a great job removing the stubborn scale while still being safe to use around the home unlike something like hydrochloric acid.