vinegar & raw water cooled diesel engines

[Eyrie]

Have you ever disconnected the raw water intake hose from the through hole, run a bucket of fresh water through your engine, then run a bucket of white vinegar through it, leave it to soak over night, then reconnect the hose to the through hole and flush the engine with salt water again? Maybe flush with fresh water again and then salt water would be better. Anyway, ever give your engine a vinegar douche?

Synthia/Eyrie

 

[BobJ]

If you've seen any photos of RAGTIME!, especially sailing downwind, you know it's a boy boat so I don't know about the douche part . . .

Before I went into the yard for the refit I ran "Salt-Away" through the raw water system and let it sit, then flushed it out with fresh water (easy with the boat on the trailer). That's the only time I've done it and the engine is almost 20 years old. I'm sure it can't hurt, although I wouldn't use a douche that might affect any seals in the engine.

 

[tytower]

Have you ever disconnected the raw water intake hose from the through hole, run a bucket of fresh water through your engine, then run a bucket of white vinegar through it, leave it to soak over night, then reconnect the hose to the through hole and flush the engine with salt water again? Maybe flush with fresh water again and then salt water would be better. Anyway, ever give your engine a vinegar douche?

Synthia/Eyrie

I am not clear if this is inboard or outboard .Maybe the seawater is inside the engine or perhaps fresh in the motor and a heat exchanger used (the best way I think)
If in the engine it will be through the water pump (ceramic seals so thats OK) , around the cylinder liners(cast steel) , in the block(cast iron or maybe alloy?) and all fittings on the way ( welch plugs steel or brass and drain plugs and cocks) so all of those would suffer corrosion quickly.

Never heard of putting vinegar through but I expect that would be unlikely to remove much rust. Cast iron and cast steel only need water and air (bubbles) to kick the rust off . Salt is a lot worse and is an efficient electrolyte too . I would spend the money to buy a heat exchanger , install it so the motor has fresh in it ,and fill it with a good auto coolant / soluble oil type additive. That will slow down further rusting but nothing will clean it properly without damaging other parts.

 

[tiger beetle]

I have a fresh water cooled motor; that said, I have often (as in annually) removed the copper heat exchanger from the motor and flushed it with a bath of white vinegar - removes the corrosion very nicely. I use a 5 gallon bucket, drop the heat exchanger cooling stack in the bucket, and fill with white vengar (3 gallons will do). It works a treat at removing the crud from the copper.

- rob/beetle