clear jelly/crystaline stuff

[Engage]

I was digging into my outboard and found a clear jelly / crystaline stuff clogging the tubes. Is this a salt of aluminium or something? Some of the deposits were jelly like and some were more crystaline. The thermostat was caked in the stuff. Boiling it in fresh water got rid of it but how do I clean the engine of it?
Cheers,
William.

 

[alahol2]

Almost certainly a mixture of salt crystals and aluminium corrosion products. I've seen the same on aluminium window frames. Running the engine in a fresh water tank may clear it from the engine if the water is still flowing through it.

 

[William_H]

Or generally very easy to remove the cylinder head of the o/b to enable you to scrape out the gunk. Just be careful with gasket or buy a new gasket. Be very careful if studs are corroded in. Replace with lots of grease Duralac or similar. good luck olewill

 

[nigelmercier]

I was digging into my outboard and found a clear jelly / crystaline stuff clogging the tubes.

I had exactly this when I had the corrosion problem that rotted my saildrive.

 

[maxi]

Try taking off the prop, and filling a bucket (tank) of fresh water into which a goodly dose of citric acid has been added. Run the engine for a few minutes until warm. Stop the engine and leave standing. repeat often over say 24-48 hours. All being well it will clear the waterways -works for me.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have seen similar deposits in outboard motor cooling passages several times, e.g

I have not been able to find the composition but I assume it is some hydrated complex of aluminium, iron (from the barrel) and chlorine. Scraping it out seems like the best treatment but flushing in fresh water after every use, if practical, is probably the next best.

 

[SAMYL]

Try taking off the prop, and filling a bucket (tank) of fresh water into which a goodly dose of citric acid has been added. Run the engine for a few minutes until warm. Stop the engine and leave standing. repeat often over say 24-48 hours. All being well it will clear the waterways -works for me.

+1 for the citric acid treatment, it works very well indeed.

Your local chemist will sell you a tub of it but you may get a few sideways glances from the staff!