Merc flushing port use and Salt-Away question

[T Race]

I have posted this before but here goes.

I have done a bunch of testing over the years.  I'm sure you have noticed that no matter how much and how hard you rinse your boat and motor that after it dries there are still salt crystals everywhere.

ZEP Citrus Degreaser works as good as Salt Away and is only $11/gallon.  I have only been able to find it at Home Depot.  Vinegar works just as well but does not do the foaming and is much cheaper.  You just need something slightly acidic.  Get the salt away dispenser or something similar.  A hose end fertilizer dispenser works, especially the ones that you can screw a hose on the nozzle.



http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... ogId=10053

A couple of years of plain water flushing


A couple of years of Citrus Degreaser flushing


Here is an email I got from a chemist acquaintance.  It makes my head hurt to read it but it makes sense.

Salts dissolved in water dissociate (split) into metallic ions (sodium, potassium, etc.) that are positively charged and halide ions (mostly chloride) that are negatively charged. The negative ions cling very tightly to surfaces that have a net positive charge (most metals, plastics). These negative ions hang on to some of the positive ions (sodium, potassium) and so you get salt crystals.

Detergents don't have much effect because they tend to be electrochemically neutral. They don't affect the attraction caused by different electrical charges.

Cleaners that include a mild acid (e.g. citric acid) release a lot of hydroxyl ions (H+) into solution (that's what it means to be acid). The hydroxyl ions are FAR more reactive than the positive charges on the steel of your trailer or the plastic cowling on your outboard and will bind to the halide ions. So...the citric acid cleaners will likely remove the salt much more effectively than water alone.

JJ,

Seeing is believing ... and I'm a'believing.  Holy Schniekies !!!  

Thanks for sharing, I'm buying stock in this outfit !!

[John Jones]

I have a question,
Do you let this sit in the motor then flush it or just run it through?
Do you flush it with just water after used?

I usually shut the motor and hose off and let it sit in the motor until next time.  Most of it drains out anyway.

[bondobill]

JJ

Thanks for posting this again, I remember reading your post a couple years ago about the Zep product. Tried to find your old post a while back on here but couldn't find it. Only problem is our local Home Depot does not carry it. I use Salt away after every time out great product but a little pricey. Got to say it does work tho. Have a cheap wrench I leave in the engine well that I use to pull the drain plug after putting boat on the trailer, it gets rinsed off with Saltaway when I rinse the boat, after 3 years very little rust on it

Bill

[alandry100]

Great tip - the chemist however misstated that the H+ ion is a hydroxyl. An H + ion is a hydrogen ion. A hydroxyl ion is OH-, a base. Otherwise on the money and very useful.

[icemanbryan]

Thanks much
Great information I will use.

Bryan

I have a question,
Do you let this sit in the motor then flush it or just run it through?
Do you flush it with just water after used?

I usually shut the motor and hose off and let it sit in the motor until next time.  Most of it drains out anyway.