Most of us running our inboard/outboards
(I/Os) and inboards in salt or brackish water understand the potential harm
that water can afflict on our expensive machinery. Corroded and leaking
manifolds and risers, blocked cooling passages and overheating engines, to name
just a few of the hazards.
One partial solution is a fresh water
cooling system, where outside water is used to cool the engine antifreeze in a
heat exchanger. This will help eliminate the ill effects in the engine block,
but the raw water side of the cooling system is still vulnerable to salt and
corrosion.
Another, better, option is to install a
fresh water flushing system in your boat. Such a system allows the engine to be
flushed with fresh water after you have returned to your slip. Most of these
units have to be added after purchase of the boat and vary widely in concept
and execution of the product.
Most of theses aftermarket systems
contain a single valve, allowing only an engine flush option. One design
requires replacing an existing seacock or adding a specific type seacock/thru
hull. Yet, others are constructed of plastic parts and valve components.
However, one new-to-the-marketplace
system that is catching on with local (as well as national) boaters is the
Quick Flush (TM) Flush Valve kit from Marine Technology Group, LLC.
This engine flush system consists of
three ball valves mounted on a bronze Tee-shaped central body. These ball
valves are true marine valves. They have bronze bodies with stainless steel
balls and Teflon seals. Properly sized red-coated stainless steel handles allow
easy operation. Like all marine ball valves, the handle position indicates
whether the valve is open or closed. With the handle parallel to the hose, it’s
open. With the handle at right angles to the hose, it’s closed. No ambiguity
here.
One leg of the Tee is for the inlet water
from the seawater pickup on the outdrive or from the engine cooling inlet
thru-hull. A second leg of the Tee is the outlet for the cooling water going to
the engine. The third leg of the Tee is the inlet for the flushing water. This
connection is equipped with a quick release hose coupling, making the job of
connecting the freshwater hose to the Quick Flush unit quick and simple.
In normal operation the two main valves
are open, allowing cooling water to flow from the seawater pickup to the
engine, while the flush water inlet valve is closed. This maintains the flow of
cooling water to the engine during normal operation. The large valve size
eliminates any possibility of a restriction in the cooling flow.
To flush the engine at the dock, the
inlet valve from the seawater pickup is closed. A standard garden hose is
connected to the flush water inlet and the flush water inlet valve is opened.
This allows the flushing water to flow into the engine and accomplish the task
of flushing the engine.
Up to this point the Quick Flush system
is no different from other engine flush systems. Things change at this point,
though. By closing the cooling water inlet to the engine while leaving the
flush water inlet of the inlet from the sea water pickup open, you can back
flush the outdrive. Of course, the engine must be shut down at this point, as
there will be no cooling water flowing to the engine.
If you opt for the optional inlet hose
and strainer, you can also use the Quick Flush system to make winterizing your
boat engine a snap. The strainer and hose is connected to the flush water inlet
port and then dropped into a bucket of antifreeze. When the engine is started,
the antifreeze is sucked through the engine. Run the engine until antifreeze is
being spit out the stern.
The optional strainer and hose can also
be used as an emergency bilge pump. This is accomplished by dropping the hose
assembly down into the bilge and closing the valve from the seawater inlet. The
water from the bilge is pumped through the engine as cooling water while draining
the bilge.
Installation
Installing the Quick Flush unit is very
simple. If you have an engine with a cooling water inlet thru-hull, the hose
from the thru hull is cut and the Quick Flush is inserted in the line and hose
clamped.
If you have an I/O engine, locate the
cooling water line from the outdrive to the engine and insert the Quick Flush
in that line. Tighten hose clamps and you are done.
Options
Three different Quick Flush versions are
available: the Inboard-I/O model shown here, one designed for air conditioners
and generators, and a third designed specifically for diesel engines. The
second two options have slightly different vavle configurations to suit their
specific application.
Conclusions
Boaters who have installed these units
swear by them. Engine flushing has become, for them, an easily accomplished
task. Let’s face it, the easier a job is the more likely it will be done. The
bottom line is that installing a Quick Flush system will prolong the life of
your engine which, considering the cost of a rebuild or repowering, make a
Quick Flush installation a sound boating investment.
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