salt water effects on Mercury 200 EFI.

KDHughes · 08-22-06, 08:06 PM

Does anyone know the effects that saltwater has on the motors of bass boats, particularly a Mercury 200 EFI. I am looking at buying a boat that has been ran around the bays of Houston. Someone told me that it corrodes and/or tears up the engines??? Just checking??? Thanks in advance for your help....

bassintom · 08-22-06, 08:13 PM

i know i wouldn't put my boat in saltwater and i sure wouldn't buy one that has been in salt water.but that's just me..you could always have it checked by a qualified mechanic before you buy it..or you could ask laser about them..

flfireman · 08-27-06, 02:37 PM

Im not a pro here by all means. I would not run a bass boat in the salt. Yet I have been told that Mercury uses the same hardware for their engines. Being that they are only 30 minutes down the road from me I asked a neighbor who works for them. This may not be an exact quote, We are no longer distinguishing between salt and fresh water engines, the hardware in all our new engines are the same. end I know many people here that run fresh water boats in the saltwater and vice versa. The biggest thing to do is make sure they are cleaned and flushed after every use.

Christopherkeene9 · 08-27-06, 07:21 PM

like what Fl said the only factor is if they flushed it with fresh after every salt run!

Jackl · 09-03-06, 10:36 AM

KDHUGHES,
Check the sacrificial anode on the side of the motors lower unit, and the trim tab on the bottom of the cavitation plate. If they are ate up or badly corroded from the salt water, then I would pass on the motor.

JackL

1FASTLASER · 10-14-06, 06:03 AM

Jackl gets the cookie on this one. Sacrificial anodes eat up keep on looking. Means the motor has seen MANY hours of saltwater and very little care.

waderaider · 11-09-06, 08:38 AM

Let me help dispell some misconceptions here.

#1 Mercury efi's have been awork horse on the salt for guides to commercial crabbers. They will run for years with proper care.I would not
be turned off just because the noor had been run in salt.
#2 the sacrificial anode is just that. Sacrificial. It will corrode before engine parts will. I have a 2003 suzuki on my explorer and have replace the anodes twice.I run it in fresh and salt without any problems with about 200 hrs. when I drop the lower unit everything looks fine. The anodes work.

That being said I an selling my 17' explorer and buying a nitrobay 2200 with a 200 efi merc saltwater. Mechanic has checked it out . Has just over 100 hours and compression meets factory specs.

Run the engine check it out and if the price is right go for it.

waderaider

Christopherkeene9 · 11-09-06, 12:00 PM

I would like to emphasize too is that our twin's have around 800 hours (3years old) and were on a saltwater canal and the anodes are just needing to be replaced now.

KDHughes · 11-10-06, 03:46 PM

Thanks for all the info guys, i did buy the boat and it was stored most of the time, only in salt water a few times, I have flushed it and took it to get looked at and everything is in working order. Have taken it out several times since getting her and only had one problems, i flooded it..

1FASTLASER · 11-23-06, 08:26 AM

Congratulations on the buy. Hope you will enjoy it. I should have gone further and explained the sacrificial anodes. I did in another post. As long as the motor was maintained you will be ok. I have seen both instances and good pm and shody pm and what they do to a boat that is used in salt water.

08-27-06, 02:37 PM	#3
flfireman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Palm Bay, Fl Posts: 2,751	Im not a pro here by all means. I would not run a bass boat in the salt. Yet I have been told that Mercury uses the same hardware for their engines. Being that they are only 30 minutes down the road from me I asked a neighbor who works for them. This may not be an exact quote, We are no longer distinguishing between salt and fresh water engines, the hardware in all our new engines are the same. end I know many people here that run fresh water boats in the saltwater and vice versa. The biggest thing to do is make sure they are cleaned and flushed after every use. __________________ In the Lord all things are possible.

09-03-06, 10:36 AM	#5
Jackl BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Great Bend, KS Posts: 2,960	KDHUGHES, Check the sacrificial anode on the side of the motors lower unit, and the trim tab on the bottom of the cavitation plate. If they are ate up or badly corroded from the salt water, then I would pass on the motor. JackL __________________ There are two theories about argueing with women...........Neither one works!

10-14-06, 06:03 AM	#6
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Jackl gets the cookie on this one. Sacrificial anodes eat up keep on looking. Means the motor has seen MANY hours of saltwater and very little care. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

11-09-06, 08:38 AM	#7
waderaider BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: san antonio,texas Posts: 5	Outboards in salt. Let me help dispell some misconceptions here. #1 Mercury efi's have been awork horse on the salt for guides to commercial crabbers. They will run for years with proper care.I would not be turned off just because the noor had been run in salt. #2 the sacrificial anode is just that. Sacrificial. It will corrode before engine parts will. I have a 2003 suzuki on my explorer and have replace the anodes twice.I run it in fresh and salt without any problems with about 200 hrs. when I drop the lower unit everything looks fine. The anodes work. That being said I an selling my 17' explorer and buying a nitrobay 2200 with a 200 efi merc saltwater. Mechanic has checked it out . Has just over 100 hours and compression meets factory specs. Run the engine check it out and if the price is right go for it. waderaider

11-10-06, 03:46 PM	#9
KDHughes BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hobbs, NM Posts: 48	Thanks for all the info guys, i did buy the boat and it was stored most of the time, only in salt water a few times, I have flushed it and took it to get looked at and everything is in working order. Have taken it out several times since getting her and only had one problems, i flooded it.. Last edited by KDHughes; 11-10-06 at 03:53 PM. Reason: unable to load picture

08-22-06, 08:06 PM	#1
KDHughes BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hobbs, NM Posts: 48	salt water effects on Mercury 200 EFI. Does anyone know the effects that saltwater has on the motors of bass boats, particularly a Mercury 200 EFI. I am looking at buying a boat that has been ran around the bays of Houston. Someone told me that it corrodes and/or tears up the engines??? Just checking??? Thanks in advance for your help....

08-22-06, 08:13 PM	#2
bassintom BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: washington(northwest) N.J. Posts: 3,958	i know i wouldn't put my boat in saltwater and i sure wouldn't buy one that has been in salt water.but that's just me..you could always have it checked by a qualified mechanic before you buy it..or you could ask laser about them.. __________________ A man's gotta believe in something...I believe I'll go fishing.

08-27-06, 07:21 PM	#4
Christopherkeene9 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oviedo, Fla Posts: 2,270	like what Fl said the only factor is if they flushed it with fresh after every salt run!

11-09-06, 12:00 PM	#8
Christopherkeene9 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oviedo, Fla Posts: 2,270	I would like to emphasize too is that our twin's have around 800 hours (3years old) and were on a saltwater canal and the anodes are just needing to be replaced now.

11-23-06, 08:26 AM	#10
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Congratulations on the buy. Hope you will enjoy it. I should have gone further and explained the sacrificial anodes. I did in another post. As long as the motor was maintained you will be ok. I have seen both instances and good pm and shody pm and what they do to a boat that is used in salt water. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

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