ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

[bldgengineer]

I have had a 14' aluminum boat with a 1962 10hp evinrude motor on it for a few years now and have only put it in the freshwater rivers and lakes I used to live near. Well, I moved recently and I now live on Kent Island on the Chesapeake Bay and have saltwater shallows all around me that I'm dying to get into! What should I do after I leave the water to help preserve my motor which runs great right now? or should I just not do it?

 

[ezeke]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

Pick up two teardrop zinc anodes at the local dealer and bolt them to the top of the a/v plate with stainless steel nuts and bolts. Take your ohmmeter and make sure that you have continuity. Go fishing.

When the zincs turn white, they are useless. Grind them down or replace them. Check continuity often.

T-9, Boeshield. Spray it on everything. Wash the boat and motor down whenever you can with fresh water. Flush after use with fresh water whenever possible. Lots of guys like WD-40. We used to keep a oily rag around to wipe down the motors when we could. Use Triple Guard Grease on your fittings. Cut your preventative maintenance time in half.

Coat exposed electric connection with liquid electric tape.

 

[iwombat]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

The key is to not let it sit. I like to stop off at the lake on the way home and run the motor with the boat on the trailer. Rinses off boat, motor, and trailer in one swoop. Then I go home and do proper motor flush in the next day or so to kick out any grit I sucked up from the boat ramp.

 

[bldgengineer]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

By motor flush, can I run the motor in a bucket of freshwater and spray everything down with wd-40 or the like?

 

[ezeke]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

exactly

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

get a big garbage can that motor leg has to be half way submerged to flush. run it in the can, with the hose running. a good liberal washdown of the boat.

 

[F_R]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

Flushing and washing and oiling helps, but the truth is that nothing will prevent salt water corrosion. Slow it down yes, prevent it no. It would be a shame to put that fine old classic in salt water, but do whatever you want, I guess. You will see what I'm talking about the first time you try to do any work on it and all the screws are hopelessly frozen.

 

[ezeke]

Re: ok to put my older boat/motor in saltwater?

Preventing or slowing corrosion of metals because of galvanic corrosion is fairly well understood by most mariners today, since metal boats, engines, and lower units have been around for a few years. The big problem is getting owners to follow some fairly simple guidelines to help protect the motors. For example; zinc anodes will sacrifice before steel bolts, and salt water is an electrolyte so tilting the motor out of it is a good idea whenever practical.​