honda 130 when to flush engine

[legends]

Hello my question to you all is if i run a honda 130,135,150 hp engines on my boats and they are ran consistantly averageing 12-18 hours a day at idle how often should i fresh water flush the engines and any other precautions i should take i am located in viginia in a salt water inlet?<br /><br /><br />i know this may seem like a stupid question but i have been told several different answers that have a large range in the number in hours and generally most peoples boats are not ran for the long consistant hours that mine are

 

[BF130]

Re: honda 130 when to flush engine

I flush my BF 130 after each use in the salt with fresh water, then once a month with 'Salt Away'. Number of hours used in the salt doesn't matter. Flushing gets the salt water out of the water jacket around the block, hoses/lines and leg. Flushing protects against corrosion.

 

[vikingham]

Re: honda 130 when to flush engine

I am not a metallurgist (or even a mechanic!), but wouldn't the fact that legends is planning to run his engines so much make flushing less effective/necessary?<br /><br />If the engine doesn't get used for days or weeks, as is the case with pleasure boats, flushing means that all those days or weeks are NOT spent with salt water residue in the system.<br /><br />But in legends's case, which sounds like a commercial-type situation, flushing would only eliminate 6-12 hours of sitting with salt water residue, and the cooling systems will be full of salt water for 12-18 hours/day anyway. <br /><br />Legends, you might try asking someone who maintains a lot of 4-stroke outboards in commercial service - maybe your local CG station, or a yard used by working fishermen. Does your dealer have any advice?<br /><br />In any case, I'd think being aggressive about oil changes, both engine and lower unit, would make sense.

 

[OBMD]

Re: honda 130 when to flush engine

Flush after every salt-water use.