19 23lsv in salt water on a lift without salt package

[justgary]

7 hours ago, wakeywake said:

Hi all,

i'm looking to purchase a 2019 Axis to run in saltwater only, without the saltwater package. Lots of great advice here so thank you all for that. 

Looking to see if i can get more specifics around what type of coating i can apply pre and post salt water usage on engine + electrical parts. The previous post makes sense in in regards to flushing the engine out after every use, wiping down the exterior, using covers. Biggest concerns for me are around corrosion in engine parts that are hard to reach - for example, is it possible to flush out the bilge after after use? What are the specific coatings i can use for the engine parts? I've also heard options around not running petrol engine in sea water. Is there any thought behind swapping out petrol for diesel engine in sea water for longevity?

I'm a rookie buyer so please bear with me with all my questions.

Thanks,
Wakeywake

If the engine has closed cooling (a heat exchanger and the block is filled with antifreeze), then just keep every external metal part sprayed with a light spray oil.  I would include all mechanical parts on that list, like the tiller arm, steering cable, motor mounts, transmission, engine, etc.  It can be hard to get under the oil pan, but figure out a way.  The best coating is LPS 3 because it builds a waxy coating.  I would put that on everything that is hard to reach or out of sight, then use light spray for the cosmetic stuff like the top end of the engine.

If you have surf gates, power wedge, or any other movable item that sits directly in the water, coat it with LPS 3 before your first trip and check it before every trip.  You want a big, ugly glob of wax surrounding every actuator body, arm, and connector.  Yup, it's ugly.  I'll take ugly over perpetual repairs any day.  If the fresh water guys sprayed their actuators and connectors, we wouldn't have so many repair threads for surf gates and wedges.

Just as importantly, do not ever allow the bilge to fill with water to any appreciable depth.  Make everybody drip off on the platform before they board the boat. 

When you return, flush the engine with Salt Away or other product and leave the product inside.  I usually flush with fresh water first, then apply the Salt Away and kill the engine when the exhaust is foamy looking.  I use the rest of the applicator full to spray the boat and the trailer.  I then flood the carpet and upholstery with fresh water (with the plug out of the boat).  Once a year I put dish soap in the bilge and try to slosh a rag around in it.  I have a 220V squirrel cage fan from an old A/C unit in the rafters above my boat.  I let it run for a day after I put the boat away to get it dry quickly.

The main idea here is to flush everything that you can think of that ever got salt air on it, then make sure the metal parts have light oil or better on them.  If you get lazy about this, the rust and corrosion will win.  If you make it a part of your routine, your boat will look better than 95% of the fresh water boats you see here.

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I put an egg anode on my prop shaft forward of the strut.  Every few years I move it a few inches to even out the burn on the strut, prop, and rudder.  I'd rather do that than have to replace brackets and fasteners due to galvanic corrosion.

[wakeywake]

3 minutes ago, justgary said:

If the engine has closed cooling (a heat exchanger and the block is filled with antifreeze), then just keep every external metal part sprayed with a light spray oil.  I would include all mechanical parts on that list, like the tiller arm, steering cable, motor mounts, transmission, engine, etc.  It can be hard to get under the oil pan, but figure out a way.  The best coating is LPS 3 because it builds a waxy coating.  I would put that on everything that is hard to reach or out of sight, then use light spray for the cosmetic stuff like the top end of the engine.

If you have surf gates, power wedge, or any other movable item that sits directly in the water, coat it with LPS 3 before your first trip and check it before every trip.  You want a big, ugly glob of wax surrounding every actuator body, arm, and connector.  Yup, it's ugly.  I'll take ugly over perpetual repairs any day.  If the fresh water guys sprayed their actuators and connectors, we wouldn't have so many repair threads for surf gates and wedges.

Just as importantly, do not ever allow the bilge to fill with water to any appreciable depth.  Make everybody drip off on the platform before they board the boat. 

When you return, flush the engine with Salt Away or other product and leave the product inside.  I usually flush with fresh water first, then apply the Salt Away and kill the engine when the exhaust is foamy looking.  I use the rest of the applicator full to spray the boat and the trailer.  I then flood the carpet and upholstery with fresh water (with the plug out of the boat).  Once a year I put dish soap in the bilge and try to slosh a rag around in it.  I have a 220V squirrel cage fan from an old A/C unit in the rafters above my boat.  I let it run for a day after I put the boat away to get it dry quickly.

The main idea here is to flush everything that you can think of that ever got salt air on it, then make sure the metal parts have light oil or better on them.  If you get lazy about this, the rust and corrosion will win.  If you make it a part of your routine, your boat will look better than 95% of the fresh water boats you see here.

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I put an egg anode on my prop shaft forward of the strut.  Every few years I move it a few inches to even out the burn on the strut, prop, and rudder.  I'd rather do that than have to replace brackets and fasteners due to galvanic corrosion.

Thank you for the detailed explanation, very helpful. Assuming this applies for the non-closed cooling system as well obviously, but what about for boats that do not have the closed cooling system built in? Is that just disaster waiting to happening or can i apply the same method as you outlined above to the open loop cooling system and increase longevity of the boat?

[justgary]

6 minutes ago, wakeywake said:

Thank you for the detailed explanation, very helpful. Assuming this applies for the non-closed cooling system as well obviously, but what about for boats that do not have the closed cooling system built in? Is that just disaster waiting to happening or can i apply the same method as you outlined above to the open loop cooling system and increase longevity of the boat?

I added closed cooling to mine.  It was a fun project.  The exhaust manifolds and risers are still cooled with sea water, so they will need replacement soon.  I'm looking for stainless ones....

 

[wakeywake]

Gotcha. Believe that's the same case for the axis model that i'm looking for as well - close loop on the box but sea water exposure on the exhaust manifolds. One more question, is it possible to maintain a mechanical/cable steering running in sea water? Think i can clean out the bilge after every use but i'm also not sure how effective this will be in locking up the steering

[justgary]

23 minutes ago, wakeywake said:

Gotcha. Believe that's the same case for the axis model that i'm looking for as well - close loop on the box but sea water exposure on the exhaust manifolds. One more question, is it possible to maintain a mechanical/cable steering running in sea water? Think i can clean out the bilge after every use but i'm also not sure how effective this will be in locking up the steering

The steering cable will probably never give you any issues if you keep it dry at all times.  It is possible to sneak some lubricant into the sleeve, but it is not a fun process.  Try spraying light lube under the tube if you can get to it, but a dunking will still allow water into the inner cable jacket.