300/440/550 Maint/Care when riding in salt water?

[flgliderpilot]

I only ride in salt water, and after a few trips I pulled the cover and found lots of corrosion starting in the engine compartment. I always flush the engine, but there is usually just a little water in the engine compartment which I can't really do much about.

After seeing that, I now soak up the water with a towel, spray the whole engine down with WD40, and then wipe off the excess. I also keep the cover off until it dries out.

I was just wondering, would it be better to rinse (lightly) the inside of the hull with fresh water and then roll it over to empty it out? Just kinda hard to do that since I ride by myself... it goes from my SUV to the stand and never touches the ground.

What do you guys do? There is probably something better than WD40 too for dissolving salt... right?

 

[Harbor]

I use the salt away product with the mixing adapter and completely rinse the outside of the hull, flush my engine for 4 minutes or so, rinse the engine lightly, rinse the engine bay, rinse inside the pump, the pole and steering controls. When I rinse the engine bay I let the water build up some in their then turn the bilge on, repeat a few times. Then i sponge dry the engine bay floor soaking up the water right in front of the flywheel cover, I raise the tail or lower the noise to get the water to come to the flywheel/tank area, dry the engine with a towel then with compressed air blow out all the standing water that accumulates on the engine cylinder base, intake etc. then a spraying in wd-40 and re-wipe. If you don't have electric bilge like my old 650, what did was take an old bilge pump I had, attach alligator clips, clear pcv hose and used it manually to pump out the hull as stated above. Just set in hull, attach to battery and run pcv hose over board and do your rinsing. They sell salt away and mixers at most marine stores

 

[Austin]

I going down to prismo for the spring ride and I have never rode in the salt before but I heard to spray wd40 over everything in the engine bay before you go in the water, is that correct?

 

[Quinc]

I use the salt away product with the mixing adapter and completely rinse the outside of the hull, flush my engine for 4 minutes or so, rinse the engine lightly, rinse the engine bay, rinse inside the pump, the pole and steering controls. When I rinse the engine bay I let the water build up some in their then turn the bilge on, repeat a few times. Then i sponge dry the engine bay floor soaking up the water right in front of the flywheel cover, I raise the tail or lower the noise to get the water to come to the flywheel/tank area, dry the engine with a towel then with compressed air blow out all the standing water that accumulates on the engine cylinder base, intake etc. then a spraying in wd-40 and re-wipe. If you don't have electric bilge like my old 650, what did was take an old bilge pump I had, attach alligator clips, clear pcv hose and used it manually to pump out the hull as stated above. Just set in hull, attach to battery and run pcv hose over board and do your rinsing. They sell salt away and mixers at most marine stores

You probably have the cleanest engine bay on the X!

 

[Harbor]

You probably have the cleanest engine bay on the X!

Lmao!

Ya It's 7 months old now and the only thing I care for to this extent but it still looks like new. I never did any of this with my SJ and it showed

 

[Poizen]

Lmao!

Ya It's 7 months old now and the only thing I care for to this extent but it still looks like new. I never did any of this with my SJ and it showed

no wonder you ignored my question asking to buy your motor it was like i was asking to buy your baby haha

but yes what Harbor said is the right way takes some time but at the end of the day treat your ski right and it will love you long time

 

[Harbor]

no wonder you ignored my question asking to buy your motor it was like i was asking to buy your baby haha

Sorry didn't mean to ignore just didn't know what to say. I know you where just meson but seemed serious too.......

Your a good dude but in all honesty I don't think the engine is big enough for your set up. Your gonna want power valves and more than 865 cc's with that PFP, tl & Novi carbs.
10 mil crank for sure, you already have cases, so then you'd need a power valve cylinder kit. This is starting to add up $$$$$
no wonder you want an already built engine might be cheaper lol!

Austin, I have heard people say pray with wd first, I did a little spray my last ride but noticed a milky white residue all over my intake. I think it was the wd-40. It rinsed off no problem just got my attention