# Flushing Outboard After Saltwater Use.



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

What can happen if one doesn't flush a motor after it was used in saltwater? I've always heard to flush the motor. But honestly, I just realized that I never flushed my motor last time I took it out about a month ago. Is it doomed? My buddy also hasn't flushed his motor from last use on Sunday morning. Is it really a big deal? What about the people that leave their boats docked in saltwater, do they flush their motors?


EDIT:
I just realized that this should be moved to the Outboard Maintenance section. I'm sorry for my mistake.


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## marshman (Feb 9, 2007)

youre not doomed...your motor aint that fragile....salt is just harsh on an outboard, it is really wise to get in the habit of flushing...where i fish is barely saltwater, so i usually dont flush, but i try to always rinse off at the carwash on the way home.....there have been some late evening trips, that there wasnt time to stop, but it got tended to the next day....(mostly because, usually have black marsh mud on everything, and it dries like concrete--but salt, also)

ive always been a nutt for maintaining my stuff....i just believe if you keep the salt rinsed off, it will add life expectancy to your gear...

so...flushing is just one part..it doesnt take but 5-10 minutes of your trip home to rinse everything off....

if your launches are pure saltwater...i would always flush....salt corrodes...period...i would never buy anything from anyone that had overly rusty corroded looking pieces and parts...(sign of poor maintanence)


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I have always flushed after saltwater use, and on my 40, I even flushed after freshwater use.  But I couldn't find my earmuffs to flush a buddies motor, and then I realized that I used my motor in the Miami River. It's on the saltwater side of the gate, but it's most likely low salinity. I see Tilapia all over the river. And we used my buddies boat in the Keys and we didn't flush the motor. He wont be able to until the weekend. Would it harm the motor? Or can it just affect some of the parts as far as corroding goes.


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## marshman (Feb 9, 2007)

itll be fine...


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## cojo_69 (Jul 7, 2008)

Your ok. Hey what part of Hialeah are you from? Thats my town, maybe we can get together some time and go fishin.


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

We run out boats often and keep them on lifts at the dock. No fresh water flushing ever and some engines last 10 years. I do go to the trouble of spraying down the powerhead (with the cowl off) about once or twice a month. I use Boeing 9 spray. It has helped more than anything. I have used it about 12 years now. When we fished Homasassa it was the neatest thing. We pulled our boats often and noticed that everything looked better. We fished in saltwater but docked in an area that was freshwater. Good for the old trailers too.

Frank_S


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## Gator_Bob (Jun 26, 2007)

If you do flush your outboard be sure that the chlorine levels in the munnicple water supply are not to great (you can smell the chlorine) and if the water supply is treated with amonia then by all means don't use the water to flush. Use well water if at all possible.


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

I've been told to flush after every use fresh or salt water. Fresh water lakes/rivers still have contaminants (not to say tap water doesn't...just not as much). If it were me and I didn't have access to a fresh water supply where I keep my boat I would rig up a big bucket with a rope to hang from my transom or motor and hold the bucket to where the entire lower unit was submerged. Not sure if that would work but I'd try to figure something out.

I'm just big on taking the best care of my stuff possible...even overkill if I have the means...


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## marshman (Feb 9, 2007)

i believe in flushing, but once or twice aint gonna hurt it...like frank said, i know people that have motors that live in saltwater and have never been flushed....granted it shows, but they still work fine...


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## gnuraider (Nov 4, 2008)

flushing once is standard - flushing twice is considered the "courtesy flush"...oh wait, you guys are talking about something else...nevermind, couldn't resist injecting a little potty humor into this thread!

I run in freshwater, but try to flush my motor when I get home. Just hook up the earmuffs, unplug the fuel line and run it dry. I also do this b/c I only get out on my boat every 3-4 weeks...

Dave


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Your ok. Hey what part of Hialeah are you from? Thats my town, maybe we can get together some time and go fishin.


I'm in east Hialeah. Right off Hialeah Drive and Le Jeune Rd.


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## cojo_69 (Jul 7, 2008)

Live down the street from you. Just off Ocee and Le Jeune S.E.


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

*[movedhere] General Discussion [move by] Un-shore.*


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Live down the street from you. Just off Ocee and Le Jeune S.E.



Cool, maybe we can go fishing some time. My skiff is currently in the restoration process, but I also have a 12ft jon boat with a 5hp merc to get by until I finish my skiff.


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## cojo_69 (Jul 7, 2008)

Sent you a PM.


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

Missing a flush once in a while will not hurt as others have stated, but for salt and fresh the other reason for flushing everytime is to see if you picked up anything at the ramp that might foul your cooling passages. You got shallow water with mud or sand bottoms, grass, litter. Any of that stuff gets left up in there and left to dry you could be in trouble. 

Plus flushing reminds the neighbors that they live in the best part of the country. Nothing like the sounds of paradise to awaken the soul!


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## gnuraider (Nov 4, 2008)

> Plus flushing reminds the neighbors that they live in the best part of the country. Nothing like the sounds of paradise to awaken the soul!


Amen to that...plus I love the way my little 20HP 4 stroke sounds while she's getting flushed.  You would have thought my neighbor was out working on his Firebird


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

I always flush after salt .... 

Dave


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## Weedy (Dec 11, 2006)

I flush after every trip to saltwater, better to be safe thansorry in my book. We all miss it every now and then, but always try and do it after every trip.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Hoser... 

I'm part of the bucket brigade.


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## Weedy (Dec 11, 2006)

> Hoser...




[smiley=1-lmao.gif] [smiley=1-lmao.gif] [smiley=1-lmao.gif] [smiley=cool2.gif]


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## zerepener (Mar 12, 2009)

After many years of flushing or not flushing jetski engines, I have found that it doesn't make any real difference. If it makes you feel better, go ahead. I have opened up a lot of my jetski engines to find that all of the water passages look the same whether or not it was regularly flushed. It's way more important to keep the crud off of the components that are outside of the engine. As far as flushing anything that you may have sucked up, your water pump pushes more water when you are running than when you are on the hose and will therefore do a better job of flushing anyway. I know that I'm talking jetski vs outboard, but the only difference is the water pump.

Rene


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