How often do you flush?

[dngharvey]

Have a '98 Saltwater Series 115 two stroke whose home port is upper Delaware river fresh water but spends several months in the really warm and very salty Florida Keys where I try to flush after each use.
My question is, is this overkill? I'm getting conflicting opinions.

[DennisG01]

Well, I've tried to instill, in my kids, a sense of saving water. So they generally adhere to the old adage of "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down". Oh wait... Is that not what you were asking in the thread title?

There's no such thing as "overkill" when it comes to flushing. Would I do it if I was going back out soon? No. But it absolutely can't hurt to do it.

[FL_Marine]

I am a new boat owner so take this with a grain of salt. I flush after every use even in "fresh" water just because you never know what you might have sucked in the cooling system. I don't think there's a such thing as too much.

Also mine is used in North Florida waters.

[Jason2tpa]

Have a '98 Saltwater Series 115 two stroke whose home port is upper Delaware river fresh water but spends several months in the really warm and very salty Florida Keys where I try to flush after each use.
My question is, is this overkill? I'm getting conflicting opinions.

Per Yamaha:

Q: "What’s so important about flushing my outboard? I boat exclusively in freshwater, do I still need to?

A: "Your Yamaha outboard is raw-water cooled, meaning it uses the water it’s operating on as cooling water. All water, fresh or salt, contains contaminants that will eventually build up in the cooling passages over time. Additionally, saltwater is naturally corrosive and any remaining in those cooling water passages after use is left there to do its worst, unabated. Saltwater can also experience crystallization when exposed to heat above 170 degrees, which causes deposits to form and potentially restrict cooling water passages. For these reasons, it’s a must that you flush your engine thoroughly with fresh, clean water after every use."

Yamaha's answer is crystal clear....Flush after each use, no matter how long the engine was operating. Flush after each use, no matter the time interval between its use.

[boscoe99]

I generally flush every time.

Now during the night when I am going so often I wait until the last good pee of the night before flushing. Saving lots of water.

[HMBJack]

I have religiously flushed my 2006 F250's every time after use (I only use my boat in the ocean).

My procedure has been to do the following within minutes of tying up at the dock:
1. Raise engines to the UP position, 2. Attach the dock's FW hose to the garden hose flush fitting at the base of the power head, 3. Flush for 5-10 minutes, repeat on engine #2.

Well, I did this every single time I used my boat for 3 years (500 hours) and guess what. My Thermostat housings had a good amount of dried salt crystals (see photos below). My belief is, with the engine OFF, the T-Stats close within seconds when hit by the cold FW from my dockside hose. So - at least for me and my engines - what I did to flush as described above seemed pretty much meaningless!

So, this year, I plan to flush with the garden hose fitting + a set of muffs for 10 minutes with engine running (to get the T-stats to open). Hopefully, this will do a better job to flush the salt OUT.

http://www.yamahaoutboardparts.com/f...+thermostat%22

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Agreed, no such thing as overkill flushing...

The canal water here is sometimes "fresh" other time very salty (like the Gulf of Mexico), depending on if their draining lake Okeechobee during rainy season (summer).

When I come home and the boat is on the lift, the hose is on the power head flusher for at least ten minutes. After that comes the muffs with Salt Away. It runs for about 15 minutes (1,000RPM), the last minute with the Salt Away pumping thru. **If you watch (or have a temp gauge) the YDS, it takes a bit of time for the thermostat to open which is CRITICAL to cleaning out the salt in the area of the thermostat.

There's been many posts here of corrosion around the thermostat, which I suspect is from NOT running it till it actually warms up and the thermostat opens(or not flushing at all)...I'm still on my original thermostat (11 years old)

I also pull the black access plug in the top of the LU and fill that with fresh water....

I flush the pitot tube opening for the speedometer (LU). This keeps that tiny little hole open and the Yamaha speedometer still working like new.
Video for my set up:
http://www.yamahaoutboardparts.com/f...g-th23159.html

*Just to add, where I'm at, we have "dual water". It's NOT drinkable but treated water from fresh water canals for lawn watering, washing cars, etc. 99% of the time, you cannot tell the difference from "REAL" water.. There's a set fee for the month.

Yes, I'm very anal about my machines, especially this expensive one.