Question - flushing salt water on 5.0 mercruiser

[ocurtis]

Question Y'all - being in San Diego, I have no where to boat but the bay, so I've been living it up! I get home and run salt neutralizer through the motor via a mixer into the clam shells on the outdrive. However, I have a concern that it isn't getting through the motor as I would imagine the thermostat isn't opening - any input on this?

Greatly appreciated! Here are some pics from yesterday

[akorcovelos]

Nice boat, what powers it?

Just run on the muffs for 10min then treat it?

[ocurtis]

Nice boat, what powers it?

Just run on the muffs for 10min then treat it?

It is powered by the 5.0 merc - Fast as hell. A lot of motor for this small boat

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem!

[okielaker]

Nice boat, what powers it?

Just run on the muffs for 10min then treat it?

It is powered by the 5.0 merc - Fast as hell. A lot of motor for this small boat

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem!

Bought one of these for winterizing... don't know why it wouldn't work for your
application... allows you to dump 5 gallons of whatever into the system through
the muffs after engine is warmed up, without stopping/starting the engine.

https://smile.amazon.com/Camco-Winteriz ... 615&sr=8-5

[ocurtis]

Nice boat, what powers it?

Just run on the muffs for 10min then treat it?

It is powered by the 5.0 merc - Fast as hell. A lot of motor for this small boat

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem!

Bought one of these for winterizing... don't know why it wouldn't work for your
application... allows you to dump 5 gallons of whatever into the system through
the muffs after engine is warmed up, without stopping/starting the engine.

https://smile.amazon.com/Camco-Winteriz ... 615&sr=8-5

The concern here is the same - you would need to run the motor for 10 minutes to open th thermostat, and maybe that's the answer

Here is what I'm wondering. On the top of the water pump, there is a 3/4" plug. If I pulled that and ran a hose directly in there with salt off that would (I think) bypass the thermostat. Maybe that's what it's for?

[SAB220]

Look, or get, the owners manual...the manual should refer drain system for your engine (3-point, 4-point drain system, etc) What you circled appears to be a vent for the drain system. You use the drain system drain to drain the system of water, for example, if you were winterizing the engine but there no winterizing in San Diego. Drain the water from your engine by loosing the vent and the drain system.

However, were did you get this boat? Was this boat bought for FW and now using in SW? I would STRONGLY consider talking to a marine mechanic and getting a closed cooling system installed on this engine if its not already to late. A closed cooling system uses an anti-freeze mixture not SW to cool the block, heads and sometimes exhaust manifolds of the engine, not SW.

[ocurtis]

Look, or get, the owners manual...the manual should refer drain system for your engine (3-point, 4-point drain system, etc) What you circled appears to be a vent for the drain system. You use the drain system drain to drain the system of water, for example, if you were winterizing the engine but there no winterizing in San Diego. Drain the water from your engine by loosing the vent and the drain system.

However, were did you get this boat? Was this boat bought for FW and now using in SW? I would STRONGLY consider talking to a marine mechanic and getting a closed cooling system installed on this engine if its not already to late. A closed cooling system uses an anti-freeze mixture not SW to cool the block, heads and sometimes exhaust manifolds of the engine, not SW.

Hard time believing I'm the only one in the ocean that doesn't have a closed cooling system.

Today I just flushed it for 10 minutes at 1300 RPM and then added flush off after it was good and warm - could tell the difference on how long it took the mixture to come back out the exhaust

[Big Block Power]

Your not the first. Matt and some other salties can help you. What is it called salt away? I know there is a good product out there. You will just have to do more maint then us freshy guy's. Like manifolds and anodes. You need special anodes for salt water though. Don't for get to really clean everything in the boat as salt spray will go after everything in the boat to.

[ocurtis]

Your not the first. Matt and some other salties can help you. What is it called salt away? I know there is a good product out there. You will just have to do more maint then us freshy guy's. Like manifolds and anodes. You need special anodes for salt water though. Don't for get to really clean everything in the boat as salt spray will go after everything in the boat to.

I'll wait for the salty dogs to add comments! I think I got the flush down, it worked really well this time running it the whole time I cleaned.

And yeahs, the boat gets cleaned well! Hot sauce inside and outside, and vinegar/windex on the windows.

I wish I had local lakes but it is what it is! I plan to upgrade at the end of next season to an R3, Imso glad I'm learning the ropes of using this salt off mixture now!

[Big Block Power]

You should look for a sc23 OB really is what you want.
Yes learn on this one have fun and enjoy it!

[ocurtis]

You should look for a sc23 OB really is what you want.
Yes learn on this one have fun and enjoy it!

Yes, not a bad idea - I love inboards but worth looking at since I do take it in the salt the most

[dustinm]

I think the main thing here is that you are trying to do something which is better than nothing.

Ive never been on the ocean do you see a lot of other boats your size? It looks very calm there and plenty of space to boat unlike the 900 acre lakes close to me.

[ocurtis]

I think the main thing here is that you are trying to do something which is better than nothing.

Ive never been on the ocean do you see a lot of other boats your size? It looks very calm there and plenty of space to boat unlike the 900 acre lakes close to me.

Yeah, we're on the bay, the ocean is a different animal. Also, most parts are crazy because there are massive ships and such. But yeah, boats of all size!