C115 Water Jacket

[Ken]

I am currently performing late winter maintenance on my 2000 model C115, trying to get ready for sping fishing. Water pump repair kit is next on my list; but before I tackle that, I have a question about the water jacket.
I removed the two plugs/bolts that sit on top of the cylinder banks just to inspect the water jacket and I found what looks like salt/sand/mineral deposits clinging to the walls of the water jacket on both sides. I religiously and thoroughly flush out the motor after every fishing trip (salt water). I fish shallow very often, but am very careful not to run the outboard in sand or mud - I use my *****ing motor more than my outboard. I do not understand what these deposits are, nor why they are there. I do understand that they probably are restricting water flow, and therefore, I want to get them out of there. My motor is apparantly cooling ok - no alarms going off, and my temp gauge is reading normal. But if these deposits continue to build up, then I'm probably going to have trouble.
I have removed some of the deposits with tweezers and will run a test on them in a jar. First with vinegar and water; and then with baking soda and water - trying to see what might desolve them.
Any thoughts or experiences with these deposits would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken K.
fishingkat@aol.com

[TMD]

I would imagine most of the debris found in your engine is sand or a derivitive of sand.

Flushing the engine helps to remove some of the debris but not all of it. It swirls around in the water channels and gets caught up. I would be more concerned about remove the Salt from the engine. Even with the blockage you are getting, the engine has adequate water to cool.

If you start to notice over heat problems, then there is room for concern. I don't really think it will be an issue.

TMD