How to Install Flushing Muffs on a Yamaha Outboard Motor
When I bought my long stroke Yamaha outboard, it was encrusted with salt and had to be rebuilt from the inside out for more than $600. It's a fate that could have been avoided if the previous owner had bothered to rinse it properly with flushing muffs. These steps apply to any outboard used in the ocean and are essential for good motor maintenance.
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Instructions
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1
Realize flushing muffs come in a couple of different shapes and sizes. You want a set that allows enough space to get around the water intake of your engine while providing a tight seal. At the very least, eyeball the base of your outboard before buying the muffs. I prefer the ones that look like a suction cup.
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2
Flush the motor religiously every time the boat is used. Since I have crew with me, I make this a two-person job, though it can be done alone. The muffs screw readily into any standard garden hose. Take off the usual nozzle and screw on the flushing muffs.
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3
Locate the water intake at the base with your outboard tilted out of the water. Refer to your manual if you can't find it. The muffs slip on from the front of the motor with the "V" pointed toward the bow.
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4
Lower your motor back into the water. Make sure that the hose is not kinked. Turn it on and check to see that fresh water is bubbling up from the motor.
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5
Drain the engine. My motor is supplied by a hose from an external tank, so I disconnect the hose before starting the engine. Keep the motor in neutral and start it.
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6
Check to make sure that water is coming out of the side of your motor from the water pump. If it isn't, stop the motor and repeat the Steps, being sure to check your water flow to the outboard.
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7
Let the engine run until the fuel is exhausted if the water is being pumped. Tilt the motor out of the water. This is yet another check to make sure fresh water reached your motor. When you pull your motor out, you should see a spray of water from your hose.
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8
Turn of the water at the source before slipping off the muffs.
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9
Be sure to store your motor in the tilted up position. Any part of your motor that remains in contact with the sea will develop a growth of algae.
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