Complaints from neighbours

[paintman]

Originally Posted by Scarf

Sometimes we end up quite late back at the house, but I need to use the engine rise muffs to get some fresh water through it or risk damage. This doesn't happen too often, but enough to annoy people.

Seems the OP doesn't agree with you.

[HDAV]

Once is enough to annoy people.... but to create a "nuisance" is something else...

[spartacus]

I think the crux of this dilemma is consideration for the neighbours. I can completely see it from the neighbour's point if view, and of course from the OP's need to get the boat washed down after a trip, engine flushed, etc.

I live a modern new-build housing estate. My neighbour's are nice enough but I know I'm the odd-ball in the street because there's a boat in the garage and I tend to work on cars on the drive most weekends.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not running Phil Mitchell's back street gaff, but I'm aware my neighbours roll their eyes when passing by. I remember working on the suspension on a car and it was a summer's evening. I was still outside at 10.00pm and it was still light enough to work. Up until this point I'd been hammering the hell out of a pinch bolt that wouldn't shift. To my credit, I drove out of the village to a layby to finish the job.

It's not essential to run the engine that night, it can wait, especially if your back late. Don't get me wrong, it's a complete pain in the butt, but accept that it can be seen as unreasonable. I'd also talk to your neighbours.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Trimix

That's an interesting point. I suppose you would need to flush with / hot water to shift any salt crystals then.

Do people flush inboards ? (is that a daft question)

Used to flush the Ford Dover engine in the Pacific but then I had a modified water intake and a long exhaust hose to silence it a bit. Just don't bother with the yacht engine which is raw water cooled and now 26 years old, its too difficult and risks flooding a cylinder or two. Had a look inside earlier this year when I replaced the thermostat for the first time in 7 or 8 years and it looked okay with no salt build up to see.

Pete

[HughN]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Used to flush the Ford Dover engine in the Pacific

That's quite a trip!

[GordyP]

I think it's all been said really. I wouldn't run an engine on muffs in the drive early morning or late at night, I don't want to piss other people off. As Poly said, give them a bottle of wine and be a bit more thoughtful in future.

[Trimix]

So reading about a couple of peoples experiences with not flushing - it seems not to be as necessary as some suggest.

[Ribtecer]

Originally Posted by Trimix

So reading about a couple of peoples experiences with not flushing - it seems not to be as necessary as some suggest.

I was given an old engine that was crusted right up with salt crystals, I spoke to a friend who owns a product line for descaling kettles, would it do any harm? - he said no it wouldn't and gave me a few bottles, as it was an old engine I tried it.

The amount of crap that came out was incredible, engine ran fine for years after, although I no longer have it.

[Jon Tallis]

Neighbourhood disputes are a nightmare and worth any effort to avoid. Sort an acceptable way of flushing it without p!$$ing them off (plenty of suggestions on here) then explain what you're doing and why and offer them a spin out on the water to say sorry!

[CJL]

Originally Posted by Scarf

We often go off exploring after a boring day in the office to blast out the cobwebs with the rib, chuck the kids and the wife in the rib and go off for a play. Sometimes we end up quite late back at the house, but I need to use the engine rise muffs to get some fresh water through it or risk damage. This doesn't happen too often, but enough to annoy people.

Now our neighbours have complained and reported us to environmental health for making too much noise late at night.

Any advice anyone?

For Environmental Health to progress it you would need to be making noise such that you affect your neighbours ability to enjoy their property.

If you've stopped doing it now you've been notified means it won't go any further further. Ask them for advice on what times they suggest is reasonable time and follow it.

Also go make peace with the neighbours if you can and ask them to speak to you first if they have any issues in future.

Chris

[9D280]

As said above plenty engines never see a flush & keep running.

I got round the problem of flushing in a housing estate by using a "J- cloth" (Other dishwashing flannels are available!)

- Take the cloth - stuff it up the inside of the prop.
- Take a square (or any offcut of sheet wood you have lying about, as long as it's bigger than the hub & not woosy thin) then a length of bungee round the front of the gearbox to hold it in place. (make sure the wood isn't touching the hub or it gets REALLY noisy! )

- switch on & flush, remembering of course not to engage gear!

Granted I do it in the first available afternoon, as I'm usually so gubbed by the time I get home flushing is about as far from the sofa & a malt than it could get, but the cloth (use 2 for a big prop) does muffle the noise to the point of similar to in the water.

I'm probably also helped by the Harley owning guy a few doors down who shares his exhaust nose with the whole town!

[BogMonster]

Not sure what sort of motor you are using but the E-TEC has a fitting on the back that simply accepts one of the standard screw-in garden hose fittings, so I made up a flushing attachment with a foot of hose and a Hozelock connector for less than a fiver (I'm sure Evinrude will also sell one for much more) and I never run when flushing.

Likewise the Merc 4hp aux - it has a screw in fitting that I got with the engine, again it's attached to a foot of hose and a standard Hozelock type fitting so I just plug it in to the end of the garden hose. I guess you can do the same with most engines.

[Trimix]

My engines have a hose attachment and don't need to run to be flushed.

[Hambleite]

Our 150hp Mariner Optimax has 863 hours and has probably been flushed 2 or 3 times over the past 10 years. Never had an issue. However, it is regularly serviced and the thermostats are replaced quite often. The engine is also used at least once a fortnight and this probably helps.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Just had a problem with my tell tail pressure not as powerful as it should be problem,salt cristals in the out let plug at the very end.engine has only done 160hours and is flushed for 20 min with the engine running every time giving time for the thermostat to open and flush through, impeller changed each year as part of the service.i am thinking of flushing through with salt away at the end of each season.was told by a guy on the Isle of man who supplied an engine for me to put veg oil through whilst flushing stops the salt sticking?

[Nos4r2]

Veg oil? Sounds half baked to me.

[Searider]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Veg oil? Sounds half baked to me.

I did hear of one customer who used to run engine oil through the cooling system of his seawater cooled single cylinder Volvo when laying up. I imagine it made a mess when he started it in the spring though!

[freespirit3]

I heard from a customer of mine who works at a Honda marine dealer that they run vinegar through from the thermostat housing and that reacts with the salt and cleans it out, they then flush it through with fresh water, refit the thermostat and flush all the engine through. Seems to work well and isn't aggressive to the softer metals.

Interesting jeff I had a similar problem with my df140 last summer in Scotland, typical fine all week then off on a planned trip to Iona and hardly any tell tale, this was in the marina, went back to the pontoon, messed around and then found the same as you, cleared the nozzle and all was fine again.

Will definitely have my thermostat out this year and give it a flush through.

[Trimix]

Vinegar will disolve the salt for sure. Or if you can I suppose hot water,

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Trimix

Vinegar will disolve the salt for sure. Or if you can I suppose hot water,

That depends what the salt is. What we all think of as salt (sodium chloride) and which is the bit that makes sea water saline, is no more soluble in vinegar than plain water. it is more soluble in hot water than cold. It will also dissolve in sea water (it is not saturated) and so long as you don't block the flow it should clean itself out, especially as the water warms up.

What we generally call scale (but chemists would still call a Salt) is calcium carbonate which reacts with vinegar (and other acids). BUT is less soluble in warm water (which is why, in hard water areas your kettle furs up).

So if it dissolves easily in vinegar hot water will not help, and in hard water areas could make it worse.