Procedure for acid flushing and pressure flushing

[edwardc]

Aren't acids reducers, not oxidizers?

[roadnsky]

where do you buy all those fancy fittings?

Uhhh, actually... right here on this site.

Product No. - CSOT_02_71

http://www.moyermarine.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?search=action&category=CSOT&keywords=all&template=Templates/B000_storebuilder.html

[toddster]

Aren't acids reducers, not oxidizers?

Sorry for sliding off topic. It depends on what you're reacting. Most mineral acids are strong oxidizers. HCl is kind of in the middle. It probably won't react directly with gasoline. It's more likely to react with something to make hydrogen gas which is explosive. Just a knee-jerk rule of thumb they teach to freshmen... store acids, bases, and organics in separate lockers.

[sastanley]

Roger...thanks..I figured outside was better than inside!

[surfjat]

my first acid flush today...piece a cake

i did my first acid flush today..heres a novice's take on the procedure...easy and nothing negative ....cept for the crap comin out the exhaust...and a noticeable increase in water exiting the exhaust(which is why we're doin this in the first place). i performed this because my engine was runnin hot under load..about 180 or just short of 180..granted the air temp here in r.i. has been around 90 and the bay temp is about 75 now...im motorin around tonite to c if it made a difference.
the procedure itself is a piece of cake..all i did is remove the raw water intake hose from the seacock(after making sure the seacock was closed), insert a 3/4" hose barb into the raw water hose, insert the other end of the barb into a piece of hose extension, stick the free end of the hose barb into a bucket of 5gal of water to 1/3gal (appox. 42.6 oz) of muriatic acid which i bought a gallon of it in a hardware store for 8 bucks),clamp off the bypass hose before the thermostat, turn the engine on and when the 5gal mix was gone i shut the engine off, had a beer, and 15 min later, reattach the raw water intake to the seacock, turn the engine on and flush the solution out of the engine ...you shoulda seen the brown gunk comin out..once the effluent was clear..i was good to go....with a noticeable increase in the volume of water comin out the exhaust....tonite ill c if it made a difference in a lowering the temp....took all of 30 minutes including cleanup...

[Sabre28#9]

First time flushing, im running up to 200 degrees under load. (Sabre 28). of course we all want the easy way out. Id like to not take the starter or aluternator out to flush. I dont have a lot of room on that side of the engine (sailboat designers). I can easly tap into my raw water strainer and run off a 5 gallon bucket on deck. If I acid wash let it sit for a beer or two what are my chances of sucess without power flushing? Will the acid kick up any sand in the jacket and help flush it out? Also my exaust is low on the stern, I dont think I can get a 5 gallon bucket under the exaust. with at least partly sinking the bucket behind the stern. if i spill and im killing fish and getting fined? how long should i run the engine after to insure flushed out?

[Trés 30]

Acid Capture & Disposal question

I've read a couple of different opinions re: used acid exiting the boat & the environment. I'd don't want to dump the stuff into the canal, at any rate.

I like Dave's method of circulating the stuff w/ the engine off, keeping it sort of a closed system. Also thinking of catching it in a bucket, but have a very low exhaust port so maybe need a fitting, a large ID hose and a 5gal bucket on a line.

Where's the best place to dispose of used neutralized solution? Take it home & (when the wife's not lookin) dump it down the sink?

Leads on this appreciated

[Antibes]

The byproduct of the wash should be salt water, and mineral deposits. No environmental catastrophe

[romantic comedy]

I used to freak out the students, by drinking neutralized acid.

Take some hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, mix together. You get salt water, that I would drink.

Point is that neutralized acid is harmless.

[Trés 30]

Well alright, if you can drink it everyone's happy.

Thanks for the chem 101 lesson

[Booniac]

Flush Help Please

Hello everyone.
I have been reading and enjoying all the posts and information posted.
I am looking for some help if anyone has any advice.
I read through the whole Flushing thread a couple times but I am still a bit timid. Im a sailor not a mechanic.
Anyway;

I want to do a flush of my engine. I run it in the Sf Bay and have not flushed it once in the past year.
I thought a flushing meant connecting a fresh water hose, forward of the raw water intake and behind the water pump. I have a Tee connection with two ball joints.
I would turn on the engine with the raw water open and then open the valve for the fresh water. I would want to close the raw water valve after a few minutes and have only the fresh water pumping through. I would keep this configuration for a few minutes and then open the raw water again, close the fresh water and then shut off the engine.
This is what I thought a flush was. Was I incorrect?
It sounds like a good way to help prevent corrosion if i can do it after every couple of sailing trips.
But after reading all the threads I have not seen one mention about my concept of flushing my engine.
The threads all mention an Acid flush with Muriatic acid. I am not against this idea at all and it sounds good. The pressure flush, I'm not to keen on. Again im not a mechanic and I don't want to do the wrong thing or strip something.


Here are my actual questions for anyone with knowledge or experience.

1.Can I do the Acid flush and then the Fresh water flush that I mentioned earlier?

2.Is the Freshwater flush I mentioned even a thing? if so; Is the process i mentioned earlier acceptable?


3. For the acid flush; if I put a hose from the Tee to the mixture bucket, forward the Raw water inlet, with the raw water valve shut. Can I just turn the engine on? Will that draw the Acid mix from the bucket? Or will the mixture need to be forced in to the block? or the raw water open the whole time? Im worried that any running of the engine without water could be detrimental.

The Fresh water flushing I mentioned seems like a good concept and it can be done as often as desired because it seems so simple (hook up a hose, close one ball valve and open another). As opposed to a Forced Flush or Acid flush which take tools and a better confidence than I have.

Sorry for this being so long and my lack of experience (im sure ive used the wrong terms somewhere).
But thank you to everyone that was able to read all the way through and contribute.
I really appreciate it.
looking forward to your feedback

Fair winds!