www.iFourWinns.com

Does anyone use this system? I have it on my 348 and haven't used it yet. I know my engines are closed cooled so I am assuming this would be for the manifolds that that saltwater gets into? Just curious if I should start using this or not. What are your opinions on this and do you use another method?

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2002 348 Vista

You mean to say Jack and John did not explain that to you!! Yes, it is for your manifolds. I priced the stuff out & it is about $35 a gal if not more. I had down in my basement, from my first boat, "salt-away" http://www.seamar.com/Salt-Away.html A little cheaper & a boating magazine tested it out and it works. The Nuetra Salt, I have not found any test results on it.

After a day of boating, you hit that switch for 30 sec. It should go into your manifolds to stop the rust or at lest neutralize the salt. I was told, when I picked up my boat, that it "might" give me 1 or 2 years more life.

No they didnt tell me that. I looked in the engine compartment and see the plastic containers that holds the liquid, I guess I will be buying some. I do use Salt Away on the exterior and interior of the boat (cockpit area) and have used it for years, I think it works great. Haven't used the Nuetra Salt, I am going to do a little research on it and see what people say.
So far things are going well on the boat, everything seems to be working great and enjoying the boat immensely!

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2002 348 Vista

THAT'S great!!

This weekend, my club is invading the Salt Water Club in Hull, just next to you. For $30pp, you get lunch with beer & one or 2 types of mixed drinks, like a Mudslide (thats is, all you can drink), dinner & breakfast Sunday morning. Dinner includes a DJ or live band and the drinks for that are on you. Since I have joined, I have learned a lot and have had so much fun. I hope you join!

I'm pretty sure it also travels thru your heat exchanger. It does not use a great deal so why not use a system that in place. Dont forget to change/check your heat exchanger anodes. I dont use it every time I start/ stop only at the end of the day or prolonged anchoring. If boat is going to sit for a while perhaps consider using the freshwater flush too. Salt is thy enemy.

Paul, I would love to go, but going up to Maine tomorrow for 5 days, so I won't be around. I will be on the boat Thur-Sunday of next week. Thanks for the invite.

Turtle: Heat Exchanger Anodes? Geez, have no idea where they are. I know I changed all the anodes on the exterior of the boat, but not the Heat Exchanger ones. I need to look into that. When you say flush with fresh water, can I put fresh water into the Nuetra Salt containers and run it that way? I do have lots of Salt Away and was thinking of putting that into the containers, not sure if that is a good idea or not, but when I had my other boat, I did use that as well sometimes I used a couple drops of dawn liquid soap, which worked really well running it through the heat exchangers. I am a summing since my engine is closed cooled, the two containers that are in the engine compartment (which are empty at the moment) could be filled with fresh water or even Salt Away and that would work? Suggestions?

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2002 348 Vista

On the heat exchanger, there should be something that looks like a brass plug. It is threaded onto that plug.

I don't think Turtle knows how big your boat is? What he means is, to flush out the engine as if it is out of the water. I am not sure if you have a Merc or a Volvo. The Mercs you use "muffs" on the out-drive, to supply hose water to the engine. Volvo's have a hose attachment in the engine compartment for that. Volvo's are new to me, so I maybe putting foot in mouth but I don't think you can flush out a Volvo if it is still in the water. The raw water pump is still going to try to suck in sea water. At lest I would think so??

Ya I have Volvo inboards. I havent flushed out my engines as of yet. I plan on using the nuetra salt system next week when i am on the boat. I think this system is for the boat in the water and flushing out the manifolds. The salt water doesn't get into the engine, so no need to worry about flushing the "engine" or even the outdrives which i don't have. I did have outdrives in the past and always flushed them out with muffs. I am going to check the anodes in the heat exchanger and see what I can find. Thanks Paul!

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2002 348 Vista

And don't forget the anode on the generator if you have one.

Also, make sure the electrical ground wires to all your through-hull stuff is in connected and in good shape. Those help make sure corrosion doesn't hit just one component. Your rudders, prop shafts and struts, seacocks and the like. They should all have a green ground wire going to them and it should be in visibly good condition. Use a voltmeter to make sure they're reading no resistance (from the through-hull item back to the ground buss).

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Thanks Bill, I will definitely check on that. Couple more months of boating and its all over till May. One thing that I am pretty happy about is that I got a indoor storage place for the boat that is heated and will be doing lots of work on the boat getting it ready for next year. I dont know about this forum and if it closes down for the winter but I would like to keep it going as I will still have lots of questions. Gives me something to do during the cold winter months.

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2002 348 Vista

Sorry I have volvos and I was told that hooking up the town supply to the fresh water inlet using the tap water, provided you limit the idle revs to 1000RPM (ish), will prevent the salt water entering as the pressure from the fresh at that revs exceeds the water required.... told this by a volvo mechanic. And yes I do it in the water. But really with neutra salt I am not sure what you gain by flushing it this way...just makes me feel good! Yes brass nut on the heat exchanger is your anode. If you take it off and you only have a brass nut left your anode has gone. Kohler make an anode for this far cheaper than the Volvo replacement.

Being a cheapskate, or rather as they are so expensive to buy in the UK for what they are, I make my own anodes for the heat exchanger ! I use the 50% spent OEM VP outdrive anodes as the raw material, and made myself a simple mould; they turn out pretty well, only missing the VP part number ! The gas for the burner costs pennies and it's satisfying to make them !

Graham

I have been using Neutra Salt for 6 years on a 2005 boat. Fresh water cooled engine used in salt water. Mechanic pulled the manifold a few weeks ago to check them out and he said they looked brand new. I guess Neutra Salt does work.

So lets recap!! You are saying is, on Volvos, with the boat in the water. I can flush out the engine with city/hose water. BUT, not go over 1000RPMs because the engine (raw water pump) will now pull seawater into it. The pressure from the hose, will help keep the seawater back too. Anybody have a take on this??

Good to know. Thanks