Lift-Kept Parkers

[Badfish]

You guys who store your boats on lifts: How often do you flush the engines? I know most (if not all) modern outboards have flush attachments so you don't have to use the muffs, but are they accessible from the boat so you can flush while on the lift? Reason I ask is that if I'm looking to buy a boat that was lift-kept, what are the odds that the owner flushed regularly? I know it depends on the individual owner, but just wondering...

 

[Megabyte]

My boat is not on a lift, it is wet slipped, and I flush the motor at least after every weekend.
I use the fresh water at my dock, and connect to the flush port.
Fresh water after almost every use, and a SaltAway treatment a couple times a season.
Easy to do, even with the boat in the water.

Whether a motor gets flushed or not is generally up to the individual owner, and is not dependent on how the boat is stored.

 

[DaleH]

Years ago there was a high-pressure on-board flushing device sold to the military. While it is no longer made, the results seemed to prove that unless you flush an OB for 20-minutes on a hose of suitable high-pressure ... you were only wasting your time.

Flushing periodically w/ Salt Away or similar product does appear to work.

I, on the other hand, have YET to have flushed an OB as part of daily/periodic use and my bros and I have been running almost a dozen OBs between us for the last 20-years, with 3 or more for the previous 20!

That said, I have far more faith in full waterpump/impeller/thermostat/poppitt service every 2 seasons (3 if lower hours use & not in sandy environments), than I do in flushing on marina hoses w/ low pressure that would be of marginal pressure 'at best' ...

So I guess I'm saying ... Fugheddaboutit ...

 

[Badfish]

Thanks for the input.

Dale, what does "full waterpump/impeller/thermostat/poppitt service" comprise? I've replaced impellers regularly on my inboard boat, and I assume maybe you're talking about replacing the thermostat too (?), but what do you do for the waterpump and poppitt (what is a poppitt?)?

Please excuse my ignorance.

 

[Brent]

This year we installed a lift and flush most of time after we back on it. I can't determine how effective it is bc I don't know which passages are being flushed when thermostats are closed after connecting the hose I would like . see a water passage diagram... it seems worthwhile but I don't fret over it . Second I don't believe all of the ads promoting benefits of fuel additives and flushing chemicals. A lot of hype but where is the steak?

 

[Megabyte]

Brent... When I bought my boat back in 2003 I had my Parker dealer go through the motor and give her everything she needed.
That first spring I began on having overheat alarms while trolling, so back to the dealer she went... twice.
The third time back they popped the top off of the motor and discovered that she was all salted up, with many cooling passages blocked.
Shop manager told me they had to "dig the salt out" of many of the passages.

Since that time, I have flushed her religiously with fresh water and used SaltAway several times each season.
Lesson learned, and no more issues ever since.

 

[Brent]

Mb

That is great and thanks for sharing.

m2cw
Locate 100 OBs with blocked passages
Open them up and record % blockage compared a new OB
Treat per instructions
open up and take images and perform another flow test
Will one treatment resolve the buildup or multiple treatments? (effectiveness)
I am saying the process should be documented with measurements (data generation) based on stated testing parameters
This could be done internally or have reputable third party reference lab perform the testing
Maybe there is a standardized test

How do we know it is not attacking metal, gaskets, etc?

 

[Brent]

This maybe easier.

Take several "salted up" old thermostats and treat with Product A, vinegar and plain water and check over time

I dont know if the "salt buildup" is pure salt or compound made from salt reacting with minerals in the water.
I expect this could be tested

 

[DaleH]

I don't know if the "salt buildup" is pure salt or compound made from salt reacting with minerals in the water.

I'd expect there's also some element of reaction with a poor grade of aluminum in the Yamaha-brand parts, as based upon their recent exhaust housing corrosion fiasco.

 

[DaleH]

Dale, what does "full waterpump/impeller/thermostat/poppitt service" comprise?

OBs are different from inboard motors as typically the impeller housing is a super thermoplastic that gets replaced along with the SS wear plate (below the impeller ), the key, and the impeller itself, along w/ any driveshaft seals.

On Yams, as part of their design, which I can't say is an improvement in practice, although it is in theory, the poppitt is behind the thermostat, akin to a collar if you will, that gets "pushed" out of the way at RPMs usually above 2,000 or so, in order to allow for the easier flow of cooling water through the powerhead. The problem is that these get crudded up and don't move ...

One should also ALWAYS replace t-stats on an OB whenever the waterpump is serviced. Andy at SIM (Shipyard Island Marine) has many excellent on-line tutorials for Yumster motors.

 

[Brent]

What effect does storing the OB in the full up position have on buildup bc water cant drain out?

 

[Bryan 2530]

...

So I guess I'm saying ... Fugheddaboutit ...

How could a fresh water flush not help........... :roll:

 

[DaleH]

How could a fresh water flush not help........... :roll:

Because military testing showed most FW rinses didn't remove built-up deposits ... but I hear what you're saying.

 

[Brent]

After flushing, how long does it take for most of water to drain out with the motor down? 5 min?

I wonder the amount of water that is trapped then you tilt the motor up?

 

[DaleH]

Here's a test by the US Rangers of the MST Guardian system I found cached on-line. Looks like SuperFlush company may have bought out the rights to the MST Guardian device. If it is still available and if I boated in an area where salt build-up is a concern, I sure would look into one versus depending on anemic municipal water pressure via the OB flushport.

See: http://www.superflushsales.com/sf-200.html

SuperFlush Is Superior to Outboard Factory Flushports

SF-200s vs. Factory Flushport

The SUPERFLUSH SF-200’S advanced technology is able to do what no other outboard engine flushing system can! Its’ multi-point injection and hydra pulsing technology blasts salt and build up out of difficult to reach engine components that other systems just can’t reach.

FACTORY FLUSHPORTS are simply a connection into the mid-section adapter housing on an outboard. Specifically that is the union between the power head and the lower unit. Water follows the path of least resistance so most of it immediately runs out the bottom. None of it gets past the thermostats!

The SUPERFLUSH SF-200 uses two injection points connected to the top of the power head’s water jackets. Using a reverse flush scenario, it fills from both sides of the thermostat (The water jacket side and the central drain side). Because of this, 100% of the water is available before it reaches the engine drain points.

When it is filled, the dramatic shock pulses (around 7000 per minute) blast salt out of blind cavities, gasket interfaces (highest failure point), irregular casting, and high angle transitions areas no other technology can even reach.

The result? Corrosion is greatly reduced, engine maintenance is much less, and the service life of the engine is improved significantly. Not to mention fewer breakdowns, and much improved reliability.

The photo on the top is a special warfare outboard test motor flushed with the FLUSHPORT after 2 1/2 years of test and evaluation with the U.S. Army Rangers. The salt creep is prolific and failure is imminent.

The photo on the bottom is an identical test engine with a BIG difference. It was equipped with a SUPERFLUSH Hydra Pulse System, it’s whistle clean!!