On 2/22/2016 11:54 AM, Tim wrote:

10:38 AMTrue North
John H.
- show quoted text -
"Well, you'd best adapt to the extra difficulty, 'cause you'll want to flush it every
time you use it. Do they have a hose connection on them now, or will you have to get
a set of muffs? If muffs, don't skimp. Get good ones that fit snugly. My I/O boat was
11 years old when I traded it in, and I'd put new manifolds on it at about the 9-10
year mark, not seven as I'd said earlier. I did have mine magnaflux tested about the
7 year mark. That was worthwhile, but luckily I had a son-in-law who had it done for
me - free."


I guess I can skip the flushing when boating on freshwater lakes...as I do with the Mercury 60 Big Foot.
I much prefer salt ot brackish water and I estimate I'll be flushing 75 per cent of the time. My current outboard does have the hose connection so I flush it both ways. I have two sets of muffs. The newer version is the one I saw the dealer use so I bought it at a local Marine store. It has the thin metal rod that passes through the inlet holes and out the other side to help snug the rubber cups up. Sometimes you have to fiddle a bit more with it and that will make it worse reaching under that platform. Might have to dig out my garage creeper to get down there. Did your boat spend many nights on the water or was it loaded back on the trailer every time?
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Don, even on fresh water it doesn't hurt to occasionall flush the system to get what ever stuff might settle inside.

Don't you have to flush out the zebra mussel seeds before they grow and
clog stuff up?