Can I run an inboard in salt water? i.e, can i run a 308ci that is already running on the river in the bay?

Question

I am looking at purchasing a boat that I can run in salt water. I have had a river race boat for years, but don't know if I can run it in salt water. I would love to stick with inboards, but if I have to go to an outboard, then I have to. I want to steer clear of stern drives due to running and maintainence costs. Any ideas, clues or knowledge will be useful. Cheers

Greg

Answer 1

If you have stainless for your water intakes, but they usually pore a 2 part epoxy resin in the water ports of your block, everywhere water travels, salt will eat the metal up..

Answer 2

Sure you can run an inboard in salt water. Make sure you have the right sacraficial anodes on the boat. Zinc for salt water. Magnesium for fresh water. Alluminum alloy if you are going to run in both.

In fresh water zinc forms zinc oxide renderring it useless. In salt water magnesium over protects and will give the hull an electrical charge that will lift paint, so this is important.

After running in salt water, make sure you flush the engine with fresh water for at least 5 minutes. This can be done by either a flush kit or just running the boat in a freshwater lake or river on your way home. Hose down the the entire boat  and trailer with fresh water any time you come out of salt water.

Answer 3

The only way is if you boat has a heat exchanger system....That way salt water DOES NOT run through your engine. Your engine will have a self contained cooling system which is cooled with a heat exchange system that draws outside water with brass raw water pumps and circulates it .

Answer 4

yes you can, run it in salt water,  the heat exchanger is used in yachts were you cant flush the system cause the boat is moored an too big to slip every day ....you may have a heat exchanger in a speed boat but not as efficient in a high performance engine so it probably is a normal through flow system .   you need to be vigilant when flushing the engine . heres an idea ...

after flushing the salt with fresh water. prepare a mixture of addatives to run through thr water jackets ,ie some wd40 or even some diesel ..

set up a loop so the mixture goes through and back to the resevior and through again..

this is if you are to leave the engine for a while

but you can do it when ever you want depends how fanatical you are.

thing is some inboards are cast steel and outboard is cast aloy they both corrode.

most marine engines have a zinc coating within the block to slow corrossion

but conversions are not , you just got to look after them

Answer 5

Sure you can run an inboard in salt water. It requires a little more maintenance.  You just need to flush the engine with fresh water if it isn't designed for salt water.   You'll need to flush the trailer also if it isn't a galvanized or an aluminum trailer.  Salt is pretty hard on your interior of the boat also. So it's important to keep your boat properly detailed.

Answer 6

Sure you can run in it in SW, just make sure your:  A] that your zincs are in good order and B] to give the cooling system good flush after your trip