Running an Inboard Engine While on the Hard

[emeraldsea]

Originally Posted by endoftheroad

I have 80 gals water in stainless tanks under my cabin sole but I put 1/2 cup bleach in each 40 gal tank the other day.
I thought my motor might not like the bleach though but am not sure.
Too bad because the garden hose fits right inside the water tanks.

Run it, no problem.

[mikefossl]

Originally Posted by roverhi

If you are just trying to see if the engine will start, you don't need raw water cooling. You can run the engine for quite awhile without any cooling water on the salt side. Wouldn't try and run it at max rpm but at idle you'd be surprized how long before the coolant temp gets really hot.

Quick way to destroy the salt water impeller...

[delmarrey]

I have a flush kit I keep on board. As well, I've T'd in fittings to adapt.
Basically, I run a garden hose into the bucket using the short green hose and attach the white hose from the bucket to the T in the thru-hull fittings. The raw water pump draws from the bucket.
And if I want to winterize I pour in antifreeze and run it until the water's to the bottom of the bucket.
Also, If i'm going to leave the boat for a while I'll flush it with fresh water for storage. It gets the rotting sea water out of the wet-lift and hoses as well as slowdown erosion.

.

[Mike OReilly]

Bucket & pump flow is the best method (in one form or another), but as some have said, you can run an engine a short while without fresh water cooling. However, if you do this I would remove the impeller. You risk destroying this little rubber thing if you run it dry since it uses the water as a lubricant.

And I really would take a look at the impeller before starting up any boat that's sat for two years. At very least, wiggle it to make sure it's not adhering to the pump wall. Probably best just to replace it.

[Gelfling]

My guess...the bleach is going to be a better chem on the muffler than the salt that will cover it. I wouldn't think the half cup of bleach (diluted in 40gal) would do anything but help clean some of the salt off. If the water system hasn't been flushed...you would 'kill two birds with one stone'.

[S/V Alchemy]

Has anyone mentioned to remain in neutral...really neutral, not the "barely spinning" some guys call neutral?

Because your cutlass bearing will thank you.

I use the same jugs I use for antifreeze and a specially cut piece of hose. Others will put in a Y or a T fitting at the top of the loop (above the WL for safety) and just fill the tube to make a siphon and then let that go from a bucket on the bridgedeck, with or without a hose filling it.

If I had to run it (in neutral!) for some time to warm it up on the hard, I would use this last method.

[bazzer]

I have a saltwater cooled Volvo and I have installed a tee and gate valve in the intake to a hose connector. I can flush the motor and the strainer, run the motor on the hard, suck up a gallon of vinegar to clean out salt etc. it takes a little effort to fit, but now I can do all of the above.
Bazzer

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by roverhi

If you are just trying to see if the engine will start, you don't need raw water cooling. You can run the engine for quite awhile without any cooling water on the salt side. Wouldn't try and run it at max rpm but at idle you'd be surprized how long before the coolant temp gets really hot. If you feel you need to have cooling water on the salt side, buckets will do the job.

Be VERY CAREFUL doing this!!!! I watched one guy do this during a launch. Yes, his boat was in the water but he had the coolant intake valve shut off preventing water to get to the pump. It took no more than about 2 minutes for the guy to scream out to "shut the engine down!" that he could smell something burning. His coolant pump's impeller cooked itself.

Foggy

[bazzer]

Originally Posted by foggysail

Be VERY CAREFUL doing this!!!! I watched one guy do this during a launch. Yes, his boat was in the water but he had the coolant intake valve shut off preventing water to get to the pump. It took no more than about 2 minutes for the guy to scream out to "shut the engine down!" that he could smell something burning. His coolant pump's impeller cooked itself.

Foggy

I agree, not a good idea, can easily lead to local hot spots. Whenever I start my motor I ALWAYS check to see if water is coming from the exhaust

[SabreKai]

Back when I had Espina, I made up a 6" x 6" x 24" wood box that fit the contour of her hull at the raw water inlet. The box was open at the top end, and had 1 inch foam pipe insulation around the edges. In the spring, I would put the box against the hull, wedge a long 2x4 against the outside so that the foam would compress, and then put the garden hose into the box. Let the garden hose run at a fairly slow rate and you can run your engine to your hearts content without taking any of the hoses apart and humping buckets up n down the ladder. One advantage of this is that once you have finished running, you can shut the seacock, trapping water in the cooling system and know that it is primed and ready.

I included the "water box" when I sold Espie, and will be making up a new one to fit Sabre Dance for when I need to run the new engine this spring.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by bazzer

I agree, not a good idea, can easily lead to local hot spots. Whenever I start my motor I ALWAYS check to see if water is coming from the exhaust

Much confusion here. People with direct seawater cooled engines are arguing with others who have coolant and heat exchangers...

cheers,
Nick.

[cfarrar]

I have the seacock closed and the lid removed from the sea strainer. I then use a hose to keep the sea strainer filled.

We do the same. No need for extra hoses, fittings, or buckets. The impeller draws what it needs from the sea strainer full of fresh water. Same trick when winterizing - after a fresh water flush just keep the strainer full of anti-freeze until it spits out the exhaust.

[Hudson Force]

Back to the impeller and the suggestion to remove and lubricate it,- I would recommend replacing it with new once you go to the trouble of taking out the one that has been sitting for two years.