Outboard Corrosion Prevention Tips
As a proud boat owner, you must be aware of the importance of proper outboard maintenance. There are many different things you need to do to maintain your craft’s engine. For beginners, you’ll need to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to prevent the outboard from corroding. Rust can affect just about any part of the engine, which includes the fuel system and internal cooling water passage. Fortunately, you can avoid all of this with proper outboard corrosion prevention practices.
Why Is It Essential?
If you’re new to boating, you might be wondering why outboard corrosion prevention is so important. Corrosion occurs in stages, and in the initial stage, you’ll have the chance to take corrective steps. Pay close attention to the paint surface, which is where the first signs of corrosion tend to appear. If you notice blisters or bubbles on the surface of the paint, you must fix them before it becomes problematic.
Of course, the chances of corrosion are quite high because of the basic use of an outboard in a marine environment. A sacrificial anode can be used, which is a small chip made from highly active metal that is implanted into your outboard motor, which helps prevent less active metals from rusting.
How to Flush an Outboard Motor?
There are two simple ways that you can flush your engine to help with outboard corrosion prevention. Your first option is to use the built-in flush attachment by connecting the garden hose to the inlet side of your attachment, turning it on full blast, and let the water pressure do the rest of the work. Allow the water to run for at least 15 minutes so it can completely circulate through the entire cooling system. If your craft is out of the water, then the freshwater should trickle down, which will clean the water pump and the lower unit’s cooling water passages.
The flush muff method is your second option. Connect your garden hose to clean fresh water on one end and a flush muff attachment to the other. Slide the attachment around the lower unit to run water across both ends of the raw water inlet. Turn on the water until you see it coming out of the flush muff sides. Next, start your outboard motor in neutral and set it to no more than a fast idle and run it for at least 15 minutes. Increase the water pressure enough to release the water from under the flush muffs the whole time that your motor is running.
We hope that this outboard corrosion prevention guide has been useful. You’ll be able to keep your outboard motor in excellent shape for several years to come. If you need any assistance with parts or services, give us a call. You can also stop by and see us at L&M Marine LLC in Stapleton, AL, where we serve all those in Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL.