salt/fresh water

[john56]

75 Evinrude 112 HP has only been in fresh water. Want to do some saltwater fishing this fall. Half the people say not a good idea others say just make sure engine is flushed good with fresh water and engine cleaned good. Is this just a bad idea or is it possible with no engine damage.

 

[JB]

Re: salt/fresh water

No worries, John. Lots of people, including me, do it all the time. After EVERY outing take her to a car wash and thoroughly wash down everything. Then put her on the "ears" and run fresh water through her for several minutes. <br /><br />This gets simplified if you can launch and load in fresh water (river, canal, etc.) but still go to the car wash.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . . . <br />JB

 

[krosemond]

Re: salt/fresh water

John,<br /><br />The biggest peril for outboards who are taken to the brine after always being on a lake is not the salt in the water, that can be rinsed off and out of the motor. It is the sand and muck from running aground. If you are not familiar with the waters, get a chart. Unlike lakes, coastal waters shoal far from the shoreline, and what looks like the middle of the sound can be 6' deep. Sand sucked into the engine can destroy your impeller. If you do run on to a sandbar, don't power through it, get out and push it back into the deeper water.<br /><br />Learned all this from the school of hard knocks.