FRESH WATER ENGINE FLUSH / WASH DOWN PUMP FOR 23 SE , IDEAS PLEASE YAMAHA 250 4.2 ENGINE

[Charles In Maine]

To avoid recreating wheel , has anyone mounted a fresh water tank in center console with pump for engine flush at salt water mooring? is 20 gallons enough water to flush Yamaha 250 4.2 engine w 12 volt 5 gal per minute pump? Ideas , opinions , success or failure stories appreciated. Thanks
Charles in Maine

 

[Antidote]

20 gallons through a 5 gallon/minute pump equals 4 minute flush. The manual calls for a 15 min flush.

 

[Brent]

Nope . To flush or not to flush is always a hot topic

 

[capt.nick]

Nope . To flush or not to flush is always a hot topic

Interesting...when I bought my '17 23SE with the F200 I4 the dealer service manager(Yamaha certified) told me quote "I know what the manual says but I recommend only using enough pressure to make it pee and only for a few minutes." I used to think longer was better but evidently not.

 

[afitzray]

I have a similar situation with a slip that does not have freshwater available. I use the ~15 gallon tank on the boat and bring a couple extra 5 gallon buckets of water in the truck to refill. I only get about 5 minutes per engine. I try to use saltaway mix at least every couple months.

It's not ideal but I figure the other option is to do nothing and just hope for the best. I'll never really know for sure if this is avoiding additional corrosion or other issues, but it gives me some piece of mind and when I eventually sell the boat I can be honest in saying I flushed the engines.

And even though it's not a full 15 minutes on each engine, I can attest that the water coming out initially is pretty salty and at the end it is not perfect but much less noticeable on the saltiness.

 

[capt.nick]

I have a similar situation with a slip that does not have freshwater available. I use the ~15 gallon tank on the boat and bring a couple extra 5 gallon buckets of water in the truck to refill. I only get about 5 minutes per engine. I try to use saltaway mix at least every couple months.

It's not ideal but I figure the other option is to do nothing and just hope for the best. I'll never really know for sure if this is avoiding additional corrosion or other issues, but it gives me some piece of mind and when I eventually sell the boat I can be honest in saying I flushed the engines.

And even though it's not a full 15 minutes on each engine, I can attest that the water coming out initially is pretty salty and at the end it is not perfect but much less noticeable on the saltiness.

I also use salt- a- way every few trips. I find it works well on the aluminum T-top, in fact I give the whole boat an occasional rinse with it and it really beads up/repels the salt water when I take spray. Hit the trim & bracket of the motor too. BTW, I always flushed my 2003 Yamaha F225 at least 15 minutes after every trip and it still rotted through upper part of block up by the head after just 1400 hours. A friend had to repower his this year because it rotted out in the same place. Of course I had 14 seasons on mine and he had 19 so I guess I can't complain.