fresh water flush

[eric 352]

don
thinking about fresh water flush for the engine. was thinking that if i put a 3 way valve in the feed line and ran a line from the fresh water tank with a check valve, i could just turn the valve and flush the engine with fresh water.

1.will this work ?
2. how long should i run the engine to flush it
3. how many gallons of water do you think it would take to flush the engine?

thanks
greg

[Don Moyer]

Greg,

1. Will this work? Yes. It will also have the added benefit of using up some of your fresh water throughout the season, so your tank should stay a bit fresher.

2 & 3. How long should I run the engine to flush it? About one and one half minutes. This should pull approximately 5 gallons of water through the engine.

Best regards,

Don Moyer

[HerbertFriedman]

Fresh water flushing

I recently put a tee in the sea water line to the input of the water pump. I now flush the engine after each use by closing the thru hull valve, opening a valve to the dock hose bib (with pressure reducing valve) and running the fresh water for a few minutes. But how do I ensure that the thermostat is open so that the fresh water truly goes through the engine block and not through the bypass circuit? By the way, there was a recent add in "This Old Boat" which sold a valve and fittings to do this for about $100. I put mine together for about $20.

[Blake Whitney]

F/w Autoflush

Posted a similar question to Don in the Guest Log last year. Not sure that I am sold on the pre-plumbed dockside flush as noted in the last thread. I am not set up for dockside water anyway. Can't seem to justify carrying enough hose for where I want to sail to. Dont' have cable TV on board either.

I plan to run a f/w line from the sink, through a 1/2" ball valve to a T in the r/w intake line. By simply opening the f/w valve and closing the r/w seacock an engine douche is performed. You must be mindfull of your valve positions so you don't motor away on your drinking water some day! I always close my through hulls when I shut down my boat anyway. The added benefit, because my tank is above water level, it can be drained by simply opening both valves and gravety does the rest! Again if you screw up you'll be brushing your teeth with beer. By the way, can't say enough about how important a r/w strainer is. Most older factory boats never had'em