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Author Topic:   Motor in Salt Water

dennisarner posted 06-28-2007 03:46 PM ET (US)
Are the newer motors made to run and be docked in salt water? Should they be flushed after every use? Specifically a Mercury 40 two-stroke from 2001.
Buckda posted 06-28-2007 07:14 PM ET (US)
Dennis -
Read your owner's manual. I'm sure Mercury has an official opinion on the subject.
Most folks here will give you similar advice to this: Flush your motor after every use with freshwater.
Some will give you the following advice:
use an additive like "salt away".
Here's what is important:
Your motor is made of metal. Saltwater corrodes metal, and leaves salt residue when it evaporates. Your motor uses seawater as a cooling agent INSIDE the engine where there is no paint protection for the metal. That water may evaporate during periods of inactivity. Those cooling water passages are fundamental to the health of your engine. Salt crystals don't always dissolve quickly enough in new saltwater to open up blocked passages.
Yep...my advice is to flush her. I believe Mercury even installed a handy flushing port that makes it easy.
Dave
dennisarner posted 06-28-2007 07:45 PM ET (US)
Thanks for your reply. There are a few 130 Sports at the Jersey shore I am going to look at soon. Whenever I had my outboard in salt water I flushed it immediately after use. Boats docked in salt - I wonder if they get flushed as regularly as they should. Replacing a water pump as a preventative measure is not as good as flushing the salt from the cooling system everytime in my eyes. .
Buckda posted 06-29-2007 07:18 AM ET (US)
Well, there's no cure from a mfgrs standpoint for lazy owners. The flushing port on most new engines certainly makes it easier for more of todays ownere to flush after each use right in the slip. But if the boat is on a mooring, that may be impossible.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy a newer outboard that had been used in salt. If you have thje chance to speak to the previous owner, so much the better.
Dave
Alex K posted 06-29-2007 10:10 AM ET (US)
Dennis,
I think it very much depends on how often you use your engine. There are many outboards used by commercial fishermen or divers for example who use their outboards every day that will never see a drop of freshwater and run for many years. I just recently saw a 40HP Suzuki outboard used on a diveboat in Sri Lanka, dive instructor told me it was about ten years old, the tilt tube was almost completely corroded away, but it ran fine. For typical recreational use every now and then it's sure better to flush the engine but if a had my boat on a mooring for a 2 week holiday I wouldn't be concerned about flushing it during that time.
Alex

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Author	Topic: Motor in Salt Water
dennisarner	posted 06-28-2007 03:46 PM ET (US) Are the newer motors made to run and be docked in salt water? Should they be flushed after every use? Specifically a Mercury 40 two-stroke from 2001.
Buckda	posted 06-28-2007 07:14 PM ET (US) Dennis - Read your owner's manual. I'm sure Mercury has an official opinion on the subject. Most folks here will give you similar advice to this: Flush your motor after every use with freshwater. Some will give you the following advice: use an additive like "salt away". Here's what is important: Your motor is made of metal. Saltwater corrodes metal, and leaves salt residue when it evaporates. Your motor uses seawater as a cooling agent INSIDE the engine where there is no paint protection for the metal. That water may evaporate during periods of inactivity. Those cooling water passages are fundamental to the health of your engine. Salt crystals don't always dissolve quickly enough in new saltwater to open up blocked passages. Yep...my advice is to flush her. I believe Mercury even installed a handy flushing port that makes it easy. Dave
dennisarner	posted 06-28-2007 07:45 PM ET (US) Thanks for your reply. There are a few 130 Sports at the Jersey shore I am going to look at soon. Whenever I had my outboard in salt water I flushed it immediately after use. Boats docked in salt - I wonder if they get flushed as regularly as they should. Replacing a water pump as a preventative measure is not as good as flushing the salt from the cooling system everytime in my eyes. .
Buckda	posted 06-29-2007 07:18 AM ET (US) Well, there's no cure from a mfgrs standpoint for lazy owners. The flushing port on most new engines certainly makes it easier for more of todays ownere to flush after each use right in the slip. But if the boat is on a mooring, that may be impossible. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a newer outboard that had been used in salt. If you have thje chance to speak to the previous owner, so much the better. Dave
Alex K	posted 06-29-2007 10:10 AM ET (US) Dennis, I think it very much depends on how often you use your engine. There are many outboards used by commercial fishermen or divers for example who use their outboards every day that will never see a drop of freshwater and run for many years. I just recently saw a 40HP Suzuki outboard used on a diveboat in Sri Lanka, dive instructor told me it was about ten years old, the tilt tube was almost completely corroded away, but it ran fine. For typical recreational use every now and then it's sure better to flush the engine but if a had my boat on a mooring for a 2 week holiday I wouldn't be concerned about flushing it during that time. Alex