Salt Water

kfa4303

kfa4303

Banned
Joined
Sep 17, 2010
Messages
6,094
Re: Salt Water

Hi Mark. Any boat can be run in saltwater, if proper precautions are taken. You'll need sacrificial zinc anodes on both the hull (if it's a tinny) and on the out drive to prevent corrosion. You'll also need to thoroughly rinse out the motor using muffs after every saltwater run. Any non-stainless steel fasteners will also rust much more quickly in a salt air environment, so be prepared to address that issue as well when the time comes. For these reasons and others, I/O are generally going out of favor down here in favor of large hp outboards which are purpose built for saltwater, are easier to maintain, and weigh less. Removing the I/O would also free up quite a bit of space in the boat as well. Of course, you would need to rebuild the transom and mount the OB, but that's not too bad and would still cost less than a new/another boat.
 
elkhunter338

elkhunter338

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
818
Re: Salt Water

I run mine in the salt, only been in fresh water 4 or 5 times in last 8 yrs, 1986 Cheiftain, 140hp merc. I/O. I put fresh water cooling kit on mine so antifreeze runs through the engine block. The manifold and riser still gets the salt. Flush out the motor with fresh water when you are done. The salt will corrode the engine and manifold at a much greater rate than fresh. What is the life in salt ???
 
GA_Boater

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Re: Salt Water

A closed cooling system is a good idea for an I/O run in water. If you are adding a closed system go with a full system, then only the risers are cooled with the salty H2O, manifolds are cooled with the anti-freeze engine coolant. A full system only adds a few $s to the cost over a half system.
 
RogersJetboat454

RogersJetboat454

Commander
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
2,964
Re: Salt Water

Another vote for converting to closed cooling.

Effective, cheaper, keep the boat original. ;)
 
GA_Boater

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Re: Salt Water

I haven't used any kits but Seakamp and San Juan Engineering seem to be the primary choices. Many vendors sell them. I said to use a full system earlier, but that may not be an option for a M/C 120.

Some of the other guys might add their experience.

I have nothing on the remotes.
 
elkhunter338

elkhunter338

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
818
Re: Salt Water

I looked for a full closed system and could only find the engine block system. The manifold appears to have plugs in it that you might be able to modify so you get the manifold also, but then I was not sure if the inner cooler could handle the extra heat.
So I connected as called for and just run antifreeze in the engine block.
By all means keep good zincs on the boat, I run 5 zincs. and depending on if you dock at a hot dock, they may see alot of use or very little. Mine get chewed up good, plus don't for get the zincs in the inner cooler.
 
elkhunter338

elkhunter338

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
818
Re: Salt Water

The innercooler, basically the radiator has antifreeze from the engine pumped through it from the water pump off the engine.
The salt water goes through another chamber in the innercooler, to the manifold, elbow and out.
Since the inner cooler has raw water in it you get galvantic corrosion since the inner cooler is made of metal.
So on mine it has two zincs on the end of plugs that screw into the innercooler. It eats the zincs and not the innercooler.
Just make sure you check them to show quickly they get eaten up. Mine need changed about every 30 days, but the dock I am at is hot and zincs get chewed up fast. A hot dock is were the power returns through the salt water back to land, poor neutral connections on the shore power can be the problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top