Benefits of Routine Flushing for Your Yamaha Outboard Engine
Owning a Yamaha outboard engine means making sure you understand the maintenance for that engine. If you go on a lot of fishing trips or spend several hours a day on the water, then there are steps you should take to keep the engine running smoothly. One of those steps it to perform routine engine flushing. If you do not know much about the benefits of flushing your outboard engine, here are some things to consider and what to know about each key point.
Removal of Salt
If you are in a saltwater area, then one of the leading benefits to routine flushing is the removal of the salt. Keep in mind, when salt is left on the engine, it can dry and cause corrosion. Your first thought may be to assume the entire engine is corrosion resistant, but this resistance does not always refer to every part of the engine or the mounting brackets for the engine. This is especially true if the engine was a used or refurbished model. With that in mind, rinse and flush the engine to remove any saltwater and reduce the chances of corrosion and damage to your engine or the working parts.
Shell and Sand Debris
You may be under the misconception that if you aren't in salt water you do not have to worry about corrosion or breakdown. The truth is, freshwater can still have shell and sand debris, and this debris can float into the working parts of your engine and cause breakdown as well as abrasive rubbing that can lead to costly repairs and refurbishing. With that in mind, the routine flushing that removes saltwater and salt debris can also remove shell and sand debris that can be equally harmful to the engine.
Inlet Screen Clearing
One of the other benefits to routine flushing of your Yamaha outboard engine is the ability to prevent inlet screen issues. The flushing of the engine will allow the fresh, clean water to push through the engine and screen. This means you can immediately see a block or tear in the screen that can cause damage or breakdown in your engine. As far as preventative steps, this step, in particular, is vital to ensuring your engine's health.
If you are just starting a flushing and maintenance routine with your Yamaha outboard engine, make sure to keep a log. Log the date, maintenance done, and anything you noticed or had to repair during the maintenance. This will give you a solid reference point if there is an issue with your engine that needs repair. You can also ensure that you are doing the traditional routine maintenance alongside your flushing and other tasks.