Flushing a motor that doesn't run?

[GatorMike]

I don't have this problem right now but it has happend a number of times in the past. You go out for a day on the salt water and the motor breaks down. You come home and want to flush the water ports but the motor isn't running. My question is does the garden hose force enough water up the tube to properly flush the motor? I have noticed when I have had this problem that no water comes out the pee hole up top and I always wondered if water was getting all the way up there. Is there a proceedure for flushing a broke down motor?

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: Flushing a motor that doesn't run?

Well if it's an old motor without a backflusher on it (older than 98), then using the muffs without running it isn't gonna flush much more than the water pump.

Most hoses don't have enough pressure to get the water all the way up to the head and then circulate it through, that's why you don't see anything coming out of the tell tale (pee hole).

If it breaks down, it will be fine sitting with saltwater in it until you get it running again, then just flush it once you get it running.

I have seen guys who keep their boats in the water, never flush their outboard once, and they are still going with no problems 15-20 years later.

I would never do this, and don't reccomend it, but leaving saltwater in it for a week or so one time isn't gonna kill it, until you get it running, especially if you flush it regularly.

I keep my '97 Johnson in the water, it doesn't have a backflusher, so I put ear muffs on it and lower it back into the water to flush it. It's not a complete fresh water flush, as some saltwater inevitably seeps in around the muffs, but it's way more fresh than just leaving saltwater in it all the time.

Godd Luck.