Brackish Water-1994 Boat

[Boating]

Question about salt...

A 1994 Echelon I am considering buying has been used in brackish water in the Houston area. The trailer is almost unusable (rust) due to the salt, and is going to be replaced before (if) I buy it, with a used boatmate, single axle. This makes me wonder if the boat was rinsed/flushed properly after each use, and cared for like it should be in this type of water. Compression tests good, so what should I be worried about on the boat?

Thanks

[JDubya]

Question about salt...

A 1994 Echelon I am considering buying has been used in brackish water in the Houston area. The trailer is almost unusable (rust) due to the salt, and is going to be replaced before (if) I buy it, with a used boatmate, single axle. This makes me wonder if the boat was rinsed/flushed properly after each use, and cared for like it should be in this type of water. Compression tests good, so what should I be worried about on the boat?

Thanks

Check the inside of the distributor cap for corrosion. This will tell you where and how well the boat was treated over the years....(or it it was recently replaced).

You could also pull the exhaust tubes off the risers and visually inspect the backside of the risers for corrosion.

However the best way is to have a shop pull one of hte psark plugs and put a camera down into the cyliunders and visually confirm the condidtion, this is the best way IMO.

Let me know if have any questions as I'm in the Houston aread I have owned my 1993 for 6 years. If you are buying the trailer separately I would consider looking at Horizon Trailers to build you one out of aluminum, looks great and holds up better (cheaper too).

[85 Barefoot]

Check the inside of the distributor cap for corrosion. This will tell you where and how well the boat was treated over the years....(or it it was recently replaced).

You could also pull the exhaust tubes off the risers and visually inspect the backside of the risers for corrosion.

However the best way is to have a shop pull one of hte psark plugs and put a camera down into the cyliunders and visually confirm the condidtion, this is the best way IMO.

Let me know if have any questions as I'm in the Houston aread I have owned my 1993 for 6 years. If you are buying the trailer separately I would consider looking at Horizon Trailers to build you one out of aluminum, looks great and holds up better (cheaper too).

Corrosion is what you want to be looking for, but the "important" stuff isn't going to be visible. I'm not sure what dubya is referring to about what the distributor cap is going to show in regards to corrosion, but perhaps he can elaborate. A dist cap is plastic. The inside of the cylinders aren't going to show corrosion either but maybe he can elaborate on that as well. The issue is corrosion in the cooling passageways which is going to be hard to see, which the "breakdown from within" that will eventually be catastrohpic. Maybe a start is to pull thermostat and have a gander around that area and the circ pump. The exterior corrosion is just suggestive of care, doesn't much matter if bilge shows a lot of corrosion, issue is engine internals.

[JDubya]

Corrosion is what you want to be looking for, but the "important" stuff isn't going to be visible. I'm not sure what dubya is referring to about what the distributor cap is going to show in regards to corrosion, but perhaps he can elaborate. A dist cap is plastic. The inside of the cylinders aren't going to show corrosion either but maybe he can elaborate on that as well. The issue is corrosion in the cooling passageways which is going to be hard to see, which the "breakdown from within" that will eventually be catastrohpic. Maybe a start is to pull thermostat and have a gander around that area and the circ pump. The exterior corrosion is just suggestive of care, doesn't much matter if bilge shows a lot of corrosion, issue is engine internals.

85, what I was referring to was if the boat was stored on a lift in salty air for the majority of it's life it would show some corrosion or deterioration on areas exposed to the open air (i.e. cap & rotor).

By inspecting the inside if the cylinders you can see signs of prolonged exposure to salty enviroments. This is the same reasoning that people fog theor engines during winter layup, to prevent the cylinder walls from rusting. To elaborate if a boat is stored for a long period of time moored in the water, over time water can seep in through the exhaust system and eventually rust throught the iron exhaust parts such as the exhaust elbow. This in turn can caust rust to form on the valves and cylinders.

While this might be a extreme case and I beleive there would be other more obvious signs leading to the same probable conclusion, it is just one more easy thing to check.

That being said as 85 mentioned any rust is going to occur in the cooling passages first and should be your primary focus. If you suspect that a closer look might be needed then take the above advice or you can take the boat for a test run and run it out at WOT for a good 3-5 minutes to make sure the engine is good and hot. Then drop it back down to an idle, if you have any white smoke coming from the exhaust at all, then you have a possible leak in the cooling passaages of the exhast and you might have a problem.

Hope this helps.

[85 Barefoot]

85, what I was referring to was if the boat was stored on a lift in salty air for the majority of it's life it would show some corrosion or deterioration on areas exposed to the open air (i.e. cap & rotor).

By inspecting the inside if the cylinders you can see signs of prolonged exposure to salty enviroments. This is the same reasoning that people fog theor engines during winter layup, to prevent the cylinder walls from rusting. To elaborate if a boat is stored for a long period of time moored in the water, over time water can seep in through the exhaust system and eventually rust throught the iron exhaust parts such as the exhaust elbow. This in turn can caust rust to form on the valves and cylinders.

While this might be a extreme case and I beleive there would be other more obvious signs leading to the same probable conclusion, it is just one more easy thing to check.

That being said as 85 mentioned any rust is going to occur in the cooling passages first and should be your primary focus. If you suspect that a closer look might be needed then take the above advice or you can take the boat for a test run and run it out at WOT for a good 3-5 minutes to make sure the engine is good and hot. Then drop it back down to an idle, if you have any white smoke coming from the exhaust at all, then you have a possible leak in the cooling passaages of the exhast and you might have a problem.

Hope this helps.

Good suggestions.

[jk13]

I will say that my 94 that has lived it's whole life in the middle of the country with no salt water is certainly NOT rust free inside the thermostat housing and exhaust manifolds. FWIW. A deeper inspection may be required, just wanted you to know that some rust in a raw water system is perfectly normal.

[JDubya]

I will say that my 94 that has lived it's whole life in the middle of the country with no salt water is certainly NOT rust free inside the thermostat housing and exhaust manifolds. FWIW. A deeper inspection may be required, just wanted you to know that some rust in a raw water system is perfectly normal.

Good point!

[85 Barefoot]

Good point!

A lesson I was reminded of yestetday when I was looking for impeller pieces in my 1985 454 yesterday

[kengrutza]

Good points all, that's why I appreciate the wisdom of the Crew and refer to you guys so often!

Thanks!

[footnlongline]

A lesson I was reminded of yestetday when I was looking for impeller pieces in my 1985 454 yesterday

Glad to see your still showen ur sum luv. Is Poor old faithful still getting cast off her mooring to make room for a younger better looking steed?