Effects on motors in boats with long term saltwater moorage?

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browntdb

New member
I am looking to buy my first C-dory. I have a question about outboard motor long term exposure to salt water.

I have a 16 foot fishing boat that I use on the Kenai River in Alaska. I bought it in 2000 and it has a 35hp Honda 4-stroke. When I bought it, the previous owner had used the boat occasionally on Cook inlet, but always flushed the lower unit with fresh water (garden hose adapter with engine running) when finished. Even with that, I notice minor pitting in the aluminum when I remove the engine cover and look down the inside of the engine housing.

With this experience, and the desire to purchase a c-dory with a good engine, can someone tell me, who have moored their c-dory for months in a marina, what does the constant exposure to salt water do to your engines?

How do you minimize the exposure to salt water in these cases?

Thanks,

Terry
 
IMHO these 4 strokes are not made of aluminum we are used to from the older 2 stroke engines. That said, I rinse my engine for 5 min. when I return to the dock, with earmuffs and engine running. Change out the internal and external zincs religiously, check all bonding wires regularly and paint any part of the engine that is immersed with bottom paint designed for aluminum. Be careful if you use shore power, it can cause problems, I use small solar panels to keep the battery up, and do not plug into shore power.
Roger
 
browntdb":2pebvkxn said:
I am looking to buy my first C-dory. I have a question about outboard motor long term exposure to salt water.

I have a 16 foot fishing boat that I use on the Kenai River in Alaska. I bought it in 2000 and it has a 35hp Honda 4-stroke. When I bought it, the previous owner had used the boat occasionally on Cook inlet, but always flushed the lower unit with fresh water (garden hose adapter with engine running) when finished. Even with that, I notice minor pitting in the aluminum when I remove the engine cover and look down the inside of the engine housing.

With this experience, and the desire to purchase a c-dory with a good engine, can someone tell me, who have moored their c-dory for months in a marina, what does the constant exposure to salt water do to your engines?

How do you minimize the exposure to salt water in these cases?

Thanks,

Terry
Click to expand...

Mine sits in Homer from Oct. until the harbor freezes, then Feb. or Mar. until June. Change your Zinks & Flush as soon as possible when out of the Salt!! Honda, at least 2005 & older have the Worst corrosion protection of the big 3 (crappy paint system & non stainless fasteners) Yamaha is & has been Far Better in their corrosion protection! We will se how Suzuki holds up. :beer
 
Yamaha and Mercury seem to have the best corrosion protection .Yamaha actually borrowed from Brunswick corp their paint and corrosion proprietery systems and for that Yamaha let mercury use their 50hp 75-115hp and 225 hp blocks(I think it stopped in 2005 not sure )Mercury sued Yamaha for dumping engines in the USA now that marriage is finished Mercury is building their own verado and non verado 4 strokes

Here in florida where the water salinity is a lot worse then Seattle or anyplace in the USA the Yamaha's seem to hold up the best
 
browntdb":2vofqbv1 said:
I am looking to buy my first C-dory. I have a question about outboard motor long term exposure to salt water.

I have a 16 foot fishing boat that I use on the Kenai River in Alaska. I bought it in 2000 and it has a 35hp Honda 4-stroke. When I bought it, the previous owner had used the boat occasionally on Cook inlet, but always flushed the lower unit with fresh water (garden hose adapter with engine running) when finished. Even with that, I notice minor pitting in the aluminum when I remove the engine cover and look down the inside of the engine housing.

With this experience, and the desire to purchase a c-dory with a good engine, can someone tell me, who have moored their c-dory for months in a marina, what does the constant exposure to salt water do to your engines?

How do you minimize the exposure to salt water in these cases?

Thanks,

Terry
Click to expand...

Terry, from what I've been told from many people, Honda does not have corrosion issues -- at least that is true for more recent models. My wife's cousin has had a Honda BF150, purchased new, for over five years. There are no issues. One thing he does do is to flush his engine after every use. I have been doing the same thing religiously. It's so easy to do. Honda recommends doing it. And when I put up the engine for the year, I'll use a salt neutralizer internally to neutralize any salt residue and to provide a protective coating. In fact, I now use salt neutralizer on the entire exterior surface after each run to protect my investment and keep things looking nice.

Rich
 
We had twin 2004 model Honda 90s on our 25 and after sitting in the salt water for over 4 years we bought it and I had a locally respected Honda master tech go through them. He said they looked like new and did nothing but a normal maintenance on them. Keeping them tilted out of the water, bracket zincs fresh, rinsed after each use plus keeping them always in covered moorage made time stand still for those motors. They never had corrosion issues in the slightest during the time we had them. I would do it all again the same way without worry. Sounds like more trouble than it was.

I really do think keeping the sun off them is a big deal.

Tilt, rinse, cover, maintain, repeat and enjoy.

Greg
 
Even doing everything "by the book" and religiously, here's a shot of the water pump housing on my one year old Suzuki 90A with 120 hrs. on it. There was a gasket in contact with the corroded area, when I reassembled I coated it with nickel based anti-seize compound.
Roger



100hrhauloutfinal_001.jpg
 
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