Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

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minuteman62-64

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Looking at increasingly stringent regulations w/regard to dry weather water runoff from property. I'm thinking about the discharge from flushing the salt from my outboard, and wondering if there is a way to capture the water.

My biggest source of water from flushing is the leakage around the muffs. I tried the flush port, but all that does is push water out through the water intakes (didn't try cranking the flow up to the point where water came out the discharge ports).

So, I'm wondering, if I pull the thermostat (piece of cake with my motor) and squirt water/Salt Away through the thermostat housing till it comes out the tell tale and the exhaust discharge point, will that do an adequate flushing job? The volume resulting from even 5-10 minutes of flushing will be easy to control.

If that won't work, any other ideas?
 
Bondo

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Looking at increasingly stringent regulations w/regard to dry weather water runoff from property. I'm thinking about the discharge from flushing the salt from my outboard, and wondering if there is a way to capture the water.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... I donno where you live, but I Do know, I don't wanta Live there,.....
 
O

Outsider

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Looking at increasingly stringent regulations w/regard to dry weather water runoff from property.

OK, ya gotta 'splain that a little ... :faint2:
 
greenbush future

greenbush future

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

I dont think salt water is bad or regulated here in the states, we salt our driveways every winter and no one calls the cops. Not sure where you live, but maybe it's different in other countries.
 
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minuteman62-64

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Bond-o said:
Ayuh,.... I donno where you live, but I Do know, I don't wanta Live there,.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, every December and January, when we get those 80 degree days w/flat seas, I curse my fate :)
 
RogersJetboat454

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Is there a fresh water river, pond, or lake near by that you could back your boat into for a few minutes, and allow the motor to idle?
Or will the water run-off brown shirts come after you? :rolleyes: :D
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

minuteman62-64 said:
Looking at increasingly stringent regulations w/regard to dry weather water runoff from property. I'm thinking about the discharge from flushing the salt from my outboard, and wondering if there is a way to capture the water.

My biggest source of water from flushing is the leakage around the muffs. I tried the flush port, but all that does is push water out through the water intakes (didn't try cranking the flow up to the point where water came out the discharge ports).

So, I'm wondering, if I pull the thermostat (piece of cake with my motor) and squirt water/Salt Away through the thermostat housing till it comes out the tell tale and the exhaust discharge point, will that do an adequate flushing job? The volume resulting from even 5-10 minutes of flushing will be easy to control.

If that won't work, any other ideas?
Click to expand...

put a big bucket under the LU, or a kiddie pool

flush port? If you have a place to hook up the hose to flush the upper motor, that's all you need, you don't have to run it.

5-10 minutes? Why? Now that's a waste of time and water. Since you don't really need to flush in the first place, a few minutes is all you need (a motor runnnig on muffs seems like 5-10 when it's 2-3 minutes)

Don't over-engineer it. And skip the salt-away; it just flushes paper out of your wallet.
 
MH Hawker

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

A kiddie pool will take care of it. Or back it down into a fresh water river of lake.
 
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minuteman62-64

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Outsider said:
Looking at increasingly stringent regulations w/regard to dry weather water runoff from property.

OK, ya gotta 'splain that a little ... :faint2:
Click to expand...

Its a program to eliminate pollutant discharges to stormwater conveyance systems, which include curbside gutters. The basic requirement is that only rainfall can go into those conveyance systems. Since it doesn't rain here in SoCal for about 9 months of the year, that means the gutters should be dry during those periods. The rules are being developed now, and will almost certainly restrict or prohibit flows from things such as car washing and over irrigation of landscape. I'm thinking that water from flushing my 2-stroke outboard, with salt, some petroleum and the Salt Away (I use it and like it :) ) will also be a likely target. Just trying to get ahead of the curve.

Not sure about it, since I've never put a stopwatch to it, but it seems like when I flush my motor on the muffs it takes about 5 minutes just to get the thermostat to open. With the leakage around the muffs, that's a lot of water that doesn't even go through the cooling passages. The kiddy pool seems like a possibility.

I was looking at squirting the water through the thermostat openings as a way to cut down the volume of water that I'd have to pick up. I did contact the Salt Away folks and they said it works fine without the engine heat. So, that is also a possibility as long as I'd get a good flush of the cooling passages.
 
GA_Boater

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

OK - So after you catch the flush, then what? Pour it down the toilet?
 
spdracr39

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

don't do it in the driveway do it in the yard and let the arid dry ground absorb it ?
 
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UncleWillie

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

GA_Boater said:
OK - So after you catch the flush, then what? Pour it down the toilet?
Click to expand...

I am just guessing that that would be fine.
As long as it doesn't go down a storm sewer, your good.

Ocean water contains 1 pound of salt per 3 gallons of water.
After the OB drains coming up the ramp, how much water is still in it? Way less than a gallon?
So we are talking about a handful of salt at the most.
A 50# bag of salt will be good to clear my driveway twice.
I use about 200# every year and most all of it ends up in the grass sooner or later.
The grass survives just fine!

Salt Away is a solution of a mild Biodegradable Acid, (Sulfonic Acid?) that gets diluted 1oz to 4 gallons of water.
It is safe enough to spray directly on plants.

Back the boat over the lawn and just flush away, the plants will thank you for the watering.
 
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minuteman62-64

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

UncleWillie said:
I am just guessing that that would be fine.
As long as it doesn't go down a storm sewer, your good.

Ocean water contains 1 pound of salt per 3 gallons of water.
After the OB drains coming up the ramp, how much water is still in it? Way less than a gallon?
So we are talking about a handful of salt at the most.
A 50# bag of salt will be good to clear my driveway twice.
I use about 200# every year and most all of it ends up in the grass sooner or later.
The grass survives just fine!

Salt Away is a solution of a mild Biodegradable Acid, (Sulfonic Acid?) that gets diluted 1oz to 4 gallons of water.
It is safe enough to spray directly on plants.

Back the boat over the lawn and just flush away, the plants will thank you for the watering.
Click to expand...

Lawn? What lawn? Not with the price of water here in San Diego. My boat is on a slab that drains to the street.

I have a small submersible pump, that will pump down to about 1/8" water level. The plan would be to collect the water, then use the pump to either spread the water on planter areas (I think even the light traces of petro product would biodegrade nicely) or, if it caused problems, to the sewer cleanout where I discharge my pool filter backwash.
 
spoilsofwar

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

How do you wash your car? Or anything else for that matter?

If the answer is "you don't at home" what a great way to stimulate the local car wash economy :facepalm:
 
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Chris1956

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

crap, San Diego is going to the dogs. Wait, can you hose the dog doo off the driveway, probably not....

Seriously, who is coming up with those laws? They need to find another ocupation.

In your case, skip the flushing. It is not all that important. They will outlaw your outboard pretty soon anyway.
 
RogersJetboat454

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Chris1956 said:
crap, San Diego is going to the dogs. Wait, can you hose the dog doo off the driveway, probably not....

Seriously, who is coming up with those laws? They need to find another ocupation.
Click to expand...

Completely agree...

Do these people realize the amount of nasties that wash off the road (gas, oil, grease, antifreeze, brake fluid, diesel, etc) during a rain storm?
They're worried about a little salt water going down the storm drain? :facepalm:
 
J

joed

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

spdracr39 said:
don't do it in the driveway do it in the yard and let the arid dry ground absorb it ?
Click to expand...
That was my first thought.
 
H

Home Cookin'

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

I am certain that the restrictions have nothing to do with the "salt" in your motor, especially since there isn't any. Your motor is drained when you lower it. By the time you get home, the salt residue has already dried--all 1/2 teaspoon of it. When you flush, you probably don't remove half, if any of it. The bigger environmental issue is the oil from the exhaust, so better to flush with the motor off if you have a port--that's what it's there for.

The issue for cities is the run-off that the water takes along with it, as well as water conservation, prohibiting city water from going down the drain. Even the sand/silt/dust on the driveway is a problem in the water systems and final outfall, as well as the oil, fertilizer and whatever else may be along the way. You may keep the driveway clean but others don't; we have laws for people who don't know better.

The conservationist's term is "non-source point pollution." The salt is not the issue.
 
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minuteman62-64

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Re: Is There a "Green" Way to Flush Outboard Cooling System?

Chris1956 said:
crap, San Diego is going to the dogs. Wait, can you hose the dog doo off the driveway, probably not....

Seriously, who is coming up with those laws? They need to find another ocupation.
Click to expand...

Ammm, actually, that's what I did before I retired. I pretty much support the effort (although I may disagree with some of the details, when they come out), just looking for a way to "walk the walk."
 
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