Salt Away - bad for your motor? Interesting
 

Some of you know by reading my thread that I had motor issues last Saturday.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...d.php?t=192981

I was getting water in cyl #6.
The cause was un known, but the thought pattern was:
Leaking Headers - nope
Blown Head gasket - nope
Cracked Head - nope
Cracked block - nope

Well, . . . . . such is my luck!!
Just got off the phone w/ Joey Griffin. He said he has never seen anything like it. (Uh-Oh here it comes)

He said the water passages in the heads are all eaten up. Head gasket is fine. He asked me what I flushed my motor with. I told him I flush EVERY TIME w/ fresh city water for about 5 - 10 minutes then flush w/ Salt Away for a few more minutes and then leave Salt Away mixture in motor as recommended on label.
Motors were rebuilt in '05 and now have 100 hours on them. Heads were fine then.
Those that know me, know that I am religious about flushing my motors!!!
How can a head get eaten up in 3 years?

Joey Griffin recommends the new Edlebrock alum heads as they are coated like the Merc heads.

Well I don't "think" I'll make the HRPA Poker Run.

Maybe there is something in Salt Away that is bad. Might want to use straight water when you flush your motors from now on. I know I am!

Just found this too: http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/t...asp?tid=202617

Wow, I use salt away. I know lots of people who swear by Dawn dish detergent...........

Joey Griffin told me to use Dawn too. From now on - I will!

Bill,
Are the heads that are on your engines coated? I have the AFR coated heads....and I flush and saltaway them after every day spent boating. I have seen a set of uncoated heads get eaten up, but they weren't flushed very often.
I can't wait to hear more about this. I am a freak about flushing! Always within 15 minutes of getting back to my lift.:rolleyes::ernaehrung004:

Sorry about your luck,
Craig

It's certainly cheaper!!!

I too am a freak about flushing - No more than 15 min after running here too. My friends give me a hard time about how concerned I am about flushing.

My heads were the Merc Stock heavy azz heads. Coated? Shouldn't be necessary. But the new heads will be!

The only un known is how the 1st owner cared for the motors. But @ rebuild time, they looked ok. The intake manifold was ate up though.

I too have afr aluminum on mine, but after I flush with salt away, I run fresh through them, leaving nothing but fresh in them. I generally do mine the next day as I am usually trailering in the evening. After all if i left the boat in overnight wouldnt it be the same thing?
aluminum heads have a hard anodized coating in the water passages, eventually time and stuff will get to them too.
and just my .02 cents but the afr's flow much better than the edelbrocks.

The stock merc iron heads are not coated with anything.

I just use water, for 15 minutes on each motor, everytime, regardless of time of day! My buddy who lives on the next canal over, and has used salt-away religiously from day 1, and he's had more than his fair share of CORRISION issues! And we both have the same motors 502 EFIs, mine are a couple of years older than his too! I told him about this thread and he'll be reading with great interest:eek:.
Dean

fresh water 5 minutes each motor..then every so often Dawn for 5 more minutes.