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Descaling outboard motor waterjackets
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:31 pm
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:31 pm
Anyone here have a technique besides pulling the engine apart to remove scale in the water jackets? Religiously flushing only does so much. Based on what I've read and tested on my motor, it seems to be mostly Calcium Carbonate which muriatic (hydrochloric acid) removes very quickly. I observed this first hand playing with a thermostat housing. I know the hydrochloric acid can also eat the aluminum quickly! What's your experience with getting rid of the gunk besides taking it apart and manually removing it?
6
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:34 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
Never even heard of this.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:38 pm to AlxTgr
I'm getting over heat alarm when running wide open (which I don't run often wide open) but my impeller is new and the thermostats are opening. Last motor that did this I took off the heads and removed the red crust in the water jackets by hand.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:44 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
I believe white vinegar will do the trick. It is an acid as well, but milder than HCL. "Salt-Away" also claims to remove it over time.
There is a boating forum called "The Hull Truth". That's is where is saw the procedure for cleaning water jacket with vinegar.
There is a boating forum called "The Hull Truth". That's is where is saw the procedure for cleaning water jacket with vinegar.
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 2:47 pm
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:51 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
why not just get a large bin, pour whatever chemicals in there you want, trim the motor down into the bin and run it?
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:57 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
The best product that I have found is a product called Rydelime (sp). To do it correctly the process is a little involved but still a lot less than taking the heads apart.
Remove thermostats, remove lower unit. Get you like a #3 wash tube to place under the engine. But rydelime in wash tube, Use a bilge pump or other pump and appropriate size tube to pump Rydelime through the engine at the water pickup tube where the water pump attaches. Product will flow through the engine and fall back into the wash tube giving you a constant flow.
You will be surprised the amount of gunk this process removes from your water jackets.
You want to keep any electrical connections (extension cords) well away from any splatter of this product, it promotes conductivity and will light you up.
Remove thermostats, remove lower unit. Get you like a #3 wash tube to place under the engine. But rydelime in wash tube, Use a bilge pump or other pump and appropriate size tube to pump Rydelime through the engine at the water pickup tube where the water pump attaches. Product will flow through the engine and fall back into the wash tube giving you a constant flow.
You will be surprised the amount of gunk this process removes from your water jackets.
You want to keep any electrical connections (extension cords) well away from any splatter of this product, it promotes conductivity and will light you up.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:58 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
Vinegar can help, but if you are getting alarms I would not chance it and get it professionally cleaned.
I blew a hole in a cylinder wall once and the mechanic that broke it down suspected the cause was scale build up in the spot it blew. The scale limited the heat transfer from cylinder to water that would typically happen and over time that spot got weak and failed.
I blew a hole in a cylinder wall once and the mechanic that broke it down suspected the cause was scale build up in the spot it blew. The scale limited the heat transfer from cylinder to water that would typically happen and over time that spot got weak and failed.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 2:58 pm to Bedhog
Yes, putting the motor in a container is part of the plan. The other part of the plan is figuring out a brew that will eat up the scale but not the motor. I plan on pulling the foot of the motor and attaching a sump pump to the water pickup tube to circulate the mix throughout the motor to break up the scale
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:00 pm to Reelscreamers
I have read up on the Rydlime and I believe it is a diluted muriatic acid. Good to hear you had a good first hand experience with it
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:30 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
the majority of descaling solutions are just simple vinegar solution.
all you need to do is set up a way to redirect all water back to the bucket and then fill the bucket with straight vinegar so its above the water intakes and then start engine and let it idle for a few hours like that.
the vinegar eats the corrosion and turns it into a milky sludge that gets flushed out. you dont need to take anything apart to do this.
this is something good to do at least every year but should only be needed every 3-5 years depending where and how you fish.
when its done, dump out the vinegar and fill the bucket with water and dish soap and run that through the engine for about 15 minutes to neutralize the acid in the vinegar and fully clean out the passages.
DO NOT USE MURATIC ACID, IT EATS ALUMINUM AND ENGINE GASKETS AND WILL EAT YOUR MOTOR AND RUIN IT.
all you need to do is set up a way to redirect all water back to the bucket and then fill the bucket with straight vinegar so its above the water intakes and then start engine and let it idle for a few hours like that.
the vinegar eats the corrosion and turns it into a milky sludge that gets flushed out. you dont need to take anything apart to do this.
this is something good to do at least every year but should only be needed every 3-5 years depending where and how you fish.
when its done, dump out the vinegar and fill the bucket with water and dish soap and run that through the engine for about 15 minutes to neutralize the acid in the vinegar and fully clean out the passages.
DO NOT USE MURATIC ACID, IT EATS ALUMINUM AND ENGINE GASKETS AND WILL EAT YOUR MOTOR AND RUIN IT.
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 3:33 pm
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:46 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
Rydlime which is the product that I used was a little cost prohibitive for me to purchase enough of it to us the garbage can method. Going the sump pump method, I got by with 2 gallons. It would be different if you gonna use it several times a year but for one and done, I didn't want to buy any more than I had to.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:47 pm to keakar
If I used muriatic acid it would be VERY diluted but I don't want to mess with that. Thinking of using citric acid as it's a weak acid and only slightly stronger than vinegar.
Posted on 11/12/19 at 3:59 pm to keakar
Ive descaled my 90 yamaha 2 stroke a few years ago.
Here is how i did it:
*Removed foot
*Remove thermostat
*have a 12v pump (cheap one from amazon $25) with the suction line in a bucket that is placed under where the foot would be
*Attached the discharge hose to the discharge line running up to the block.
*Pour Bright Bay Descaler in bucket. Turn on pump and circulate for and hr. repeat until the water stops changing colors.
*Then flush motor out thoroughly with water
*re-install thermostat and foot.
*drink a beer and stare at the motor while slowly nodding your head in satisfaction.
Here is how i did it:
*Removed foot
*Remove thermostat
*have a 12v pump (cheap one from amazon $25) with the suction line in a bucket that is placed under where the foot would be
*Attached the discharge hose to the discharge line running up to the block.
*Pour Bright Bay Descaler in bucket. Turn on pump and circulate for and hr. repeat until the water stops changing colors.
*Then flush motor out thoroughly with water
*re-install thermostat and foot.
*drink a beer and stare at the motor while slowly nodding your head in satisfaction.
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 4:04 pm
Posted on 11/12/19 at 4:44 pm to GoAwayImBaitn
quote:
Thinking of using citric acid as it's a weak acid and only slightly stronger than vinegar.
Why not coke?
Posted on 11/12/19 at 4:59 pm to fishfighter
Don't want to give my motor diabetes. Then it would be a 4 stroke 
This post was edited on 11/12/19 at 5:07 pm
Posted on 11/12/19 at 7:19 pm to Reelscreamers
I’ve done the same thing except i kept my old thermostat in there and just replaced it with a new one. I had a ton of sediment come out of the motor but it ran fine afterwards and didn’t overhear again.
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