Flushing your outboard?

[lapworth]

I have 6hp merc outboard and after a day or weakened of sailing I just pull it up and go home. Sometimes I have to un clog it and this time it was clogged pretty good. My engine specs tell me to run fresh water after every time out in muddy or salt water. Does anyone here flush there motor every time they go out?

[AdamLein]

Used to, after the last time the cooling system clogged. Haven't this season, because I'm a bad bad person. Should really start again.

[jrd22]

I flush it whenever I have access to fresh water but while we are cruising for the summer it may only get flushed once or twice. I always flush them if they are not going to be run for a long time (winter, etc).

[lapworth]

Originally Posted by jrd22

I I always flush them if they are not going to be run for a long time (winter, etc).

Yep! I didn't flush out after Dec.

[sailjunkie]

We have a 4hp Yamaha that lives on a commercially built mounting bracket, in our carport shed, when we're not out sailing. I flush whenever we bring the engine home, using a screw-in attachment that fits to our garden hose.

I have to admit that I get a kick out of watching the reaction of our neighbours when I do this.

[Gecko36i]

You should flush if you are not using everyday it will only increase life of engine. If leaving for a long period drain fuel from bowl and carby. Spray protective oil into cylinders by removing spark plugs. I did this to a 90hp Yamaha and stored for 7 years and she started first atempt.

[Silvio]

Flush when fresh water is readily available, otherwise it waits. No real problems yet, who knows what the future holds though.

[14432]

Originally Posted by Gecko36i

You should flush if you are not using everyday it will only increase life of engine. If leaving for a long period drain fuel from bowl and carby. Spray protective oil into cylinders by removing spark plugs. I did this to a 90hp Yamaha and stored for 7 years and she started first atempt.

Love those Yamahas

[donlofland]

I'd like to flush my late 80's Merc 9.9, but there's really no way to do it while it's mounted on the boat-if I tip it out of the water to hook up the hose, I can't get to the starter cord.

Last winter I had the boat on the hard, so brought the motor home to do some service, and left it in the garage with the intent to run it every couple of weeks-but snow on the ground and the hose coiled up in the garage instead of on the spigot made that inconvenient, so it went a month or more without getting run, and then I had to dissassemble and clean the carbeurator to get it going again.

This winter it's been on the boat, run every 2-3 weeks, and so far doing fine.