Cleaning HX article

[SeaFever]

Stu,

I agree with you. Hence the comment on we need to turn down the pressure (better said - flow) using a fitting such as the one Maine Sail has described. I have a brass one that came with my garden hose nozzle set.

Here is what I do mostly. Take the hose from my 'raw water flush' and put it in a bucket. Fill the bucket half or so. Put the garden hose from the dock water in the bucket having the flow regulator on it to be able to turn on the water and regulate the flow right from the cabin. Then I start the engine normally with the through hull stop cock open and the engine taking raw water from the sea. Then almost simultaneously, I turn off the stop cock on the through hull and turn on the valve on the T to take the water from the bucket. Then I have my partner check to see the water is coming out of the exhaust as it should. I quickly turn on the regulator at the end of the water hose and regulate the flow so as to keep the level in the bucket steady and about half full. So long as you don't rev the engine, the level of the water in the bucket will remain about the same. If you increase the rpm, the engine will use more water and the level in the bucket will start going down. If you want to stay at the higher rpm you can increase the flow from the garden hose. Remember to decrease it when you decrease the rpm again or the level of water in the bucket will rise and may overflow into your cabin...

This is essentially the method we used in my garage with the M25 when you visited me...

[Ron Hill]

Mah : Using the 5 gal bucket method of flushing with fresh water - all you have to do is look at the level of fresh water going down in the bucket!! - to know that it's in the cooling HX system. 

[Stu Jackson]

I understand, guys, I just didn't want anyone to misinterpret the garden hose connection as being direct, rather than through the bucket.