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How to Flush a Boat Engine the Right Way
Like many other non-boaters, I imagined that the turn-key experience I had with my car would extend to my boat.
Admittedly, I was naive when I bought my boat. I didn't grow up around vessels or the water, so I didn't know that there would be a lot of work to do on a regular basis.
I learned quickly that Mother Nature would be slowly, insidiously and continually trying to destroy my boat engine with her various elements and creatures. It was up to me to take care of her if I wanted to enjoy the time I could carve out to spend on the water.
However, I also learned that being proactive about caring for a boat means fewer headaches and repair bills.
Taking the time to do my homework paid off as I did the jobs more efficiently. Flushing my boat engine with a de-salt concentrate went faster than I initially thought possible, and I saw great results.
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Better Boat's de-salt concentrate breaks down and removes salt deposits from inboard, outboard and jet engines. It can be used on boats, jet skis, dive equipment, outdoor furniture and fishing gear.
Oh, I couldn't completely stop salt corrosion from eating away at the engine any more than I could prevent that mouse from storing sunflower seeds in my car's starter. But I could move the supply of seeds out of my garage and I could wash away the salt regularly. Both actions, taken frequently, made a huge difference.
Really, my initial dismay at the amount of work that a boat owner assumes was tempered by the realization that I would get a lot out of it, too.
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Why Are You Flushing Your Boat Engine?
There are two main reasons to flush a boat engine, and both have to do with avoiding problems. Here they are.
1. Reduce the corrosive effect of salt water during the boating season.
2. Keep the engine block from freezing and cracking during winter storage.
Saltwater corrosion
Removing salt with a de-salt flush after a day on the water will improve performance and extend the life of the engine.
Since the Long Island Sound is my playground, that means fishing for saltwater treasures like stripers. It also means sucking in a lot of corrosive liquid as we troll.
Getting rid of that stuff and replacing it with fresh water helps the engine perform reliably, minimizes the repair bills and just makes me sleep better at night.
Boat manufacturers are actually pretty helpful at this. Many new engines let you hook up a hose right to the intake so the task is as simple as watering the garden with a hose. If that's not the case with your boat, there are inexpensive specialized tools you can use. I'll introduce you to some of these later on.
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Surviving the winter
As for surviving the winter, well, anyone who has ever stored a bottle of anything in the freezer knows that liquids expand when converting to solids.
Physics was never so well illustrated as the day I cleaned red wine from a bottle that my brother had left to chill (and forgotten). Like that wine bottle that broke under the pressure of expanding wine, a boat engine will crack.
A broken bottle of wine is sad, but so much easier to replace than a dead engine (and less expensive).
The trick to avoiding this very unpleasant problem is to run something through the cooling system that won't freeze—that's kind of why they call it antifreeze.
Of course, you'll want to flush that fluid out of the system in the spring when you prep for long, hot days of water fun.
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Better Boat's outboard motor muffs rotate to fit different intake locations and work on inboard, outboard and jet engines. They connect to a standard garden hose and include an optional quick-connect attachment.
How to Flush a Boat Engine the Right Way
Get the Right Supplies to Flush Your Engine
The tools you'll need depend on your engine type.
Your car engine uses a fan and a self-contained system of liquid coolant (that antifreeze again) to wick excess heat away from the engine and keep it at an optimal running temperature. Air is in plentiful supply around a car, just as water is all around a boat.
Boats can suck in cold water and pump out hot.
There's such a thing as a closed system for inboard boat engines, but that kind of system is overly complicated for an outboard. So, flushing one of these engines is as simple as running water from a hose into the engine.
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For an outboard engine
An outboard engine will have either a direct hose hook-up at the intake (where water is drawn into the engine) or a port that you can cover with something that looks like earmuffs (hence the common term for these).
The (ear)muffs cover the holes so that water from a hose makes it into the boat's engine without sucking in air.
The whole process of flushing an outboard engine is easy and takes just a few minutes.
Basically, hook up the freshwater supply, whether it's screwing the hose into the engine or hooking the hose to the muffs and laying those over the engine. Then, turn on the water.
Read the manufacturer's manual for your engine. You may or may not need to run the motor as you flush.
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For an inboard engine
Inboard motors can't easily be flushed on a regular basis, but honestly, there's a trick that's more fun than using a hose. Consider where you moor your boat for the summer.
A quiet marina set back from the coast can be safer not only because you'll be further from the salt but also because coastal storms like hurricanes will have to spend more energy to reach you in a protected harbor. And, if you can moor close to one, a quick ride up a river and away from salt water will flush out your engine with fresh water.
In wintertime, you'll basically substitute antifreeze for water during the flushing process. A hose will push water to the engine and ensure that there will be coolant available.
You'll need to ensure the same kind of pressure is available behind the antifreeze, so consider elevating that bucket of environmentally friendly antifreeze to let gravity do the work for you.
There are some cool adapters that will convert a simple five-gallon bucket into a great dispensing system, or you can buy a complete setup.
You may also want to invest in a good fogging oil to protect your engine in the winter. This will coat engine components and protect them from the elements.
I found it was worth paying a few dollars to the marina's mechanic to teach me where to apply the oil so that I wasn't wasting any or missing important parts that needed protection.
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Tips for Flushing Your Boat Engine
Flushing your boat engine isn't really difficult but there's one thing you must remember.
Never ever run an engine without coolant.
If your muffs slip and water isn't being pushed into the engine, or if you walk away from a bucket of antifreeze and it empties before you return, you'll do bad things to your engine.
I remember when the impeller on my inboard engine got stuck and we weren't taking in fresh cooling water. Luckily, we noticed the smoke and stopped the engine before there was serious damage but, really, you wouldn't run a marathon without water so why ask your engine to do it?
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Also, check out all supplies before you use them. Water from a garden hose can flush an outboard whether it's in a slip or on a trailer because it won't hurt the environment when it spills onto the ground. Be sure the antifreeze you use will be just as safe as plain water.
A lot of boat maintenance is based on the idea that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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Better Boat's marine polish leaves a long-lasting shine as it polishes to withstand saltwater, UV rays, algae, rust and more.
Waxing the boat with a marine wax product will extend her life and beauty for years, even decades. In the same way, flushing the engine will keep engine components free from corrosion and running in top condition far longer than if you get lazy and skip this step.
In other words, a few minutes of flushing will be a lot easier than the hours of work you'll have to do to buy a new engine (not to mention the buckets of money).
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