Outboard engine flushing system

The outboard engine flushing system frees the boater from need to lean out beyond the boat transom to access the conventional engine cooling flush components. The system includes a Y hose connector attached to the conventional inlet fitting beneath the engine cowling, and a forwardly extending flexible tube attached to another leg of the Y connector. The conventional return line normally connected to the cowl bottom inlet fitting is connected to the remaining leg of the Y connector. A shutoff valve is provided at the forward end of the flexible tube. To flush the cooling system of the engine, the boater connects a conventional water hose to the forward end of the flexible tube extending from the Y connector, opens the valve, and turns on the water. When flushing is complete, the shutoff valve is closed and the water hose disconnected to ready the boat and engine for further operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to marine engine maintenance, and more particularly to an outboard engine flushing system for performing a cooling system flush on an outboard boat engine.

2. Description of the Related Art

Nearly all outboard boat motors are cooled during operation by drawing water from the body of water in which the boat is operating, pumping that water through the coolant passages of the engine, and expelling the water back into the body of water in which the boat is operating. This is an efficient way to cool an outboard (or other) boat engine, and requires little additional maintenance and care if the water is reasonably pure and clean.

However, it is very rare that the boater encounters a body of water of such purity, in practice. All natural bodies of water have at least some impurities (minerals, etc.) dissolved and/or suspended in the water. This is particularly true of seawater, and of course certain salt lakes in the western U.S. Salt water certainly works quite well as a cooling medium for boat engines. The problem is that the minerals, and particularly salt, dissolved in the water will leave trace residues within the cooling passages of the engine after operation. Salt, in combination with the water remaining in the engine passages after operation, is highly corrosive to most metals used in the engine blocks, heads, and other components of outboard boat engines. Leaving a boat engine after salt-water operation without flushing out the cooling system with fresh water, will likely result in amazingly rapid deterioration of the engine.

As a result, the vast majority of outboard boat engines are equipped at the time of manufacture with a system for flushing out the coolant passages after operation. This is particularly true of larger engines. These systems conventionally comprise a water inlet fitting protruding or at least accessible from the bottom of the engine cowl and a relatively small diameter flexible water return line also extending from beneath the bottom of the cowl. The two are normally connected during operation of the engine by mating quick disconnect fittings, to keep the cooling system closed except for intake and exhaust of ambient water for cooling. Flushing the cooling system of the engine after operation is accomplished by disconnecting the flexible water return line from the inlet fitting by means of the quick disconnect, and connecting a properly configured fresh water hose to the inlet fitting and turning on the water.

The problem with this system is that the return line and inlet fitting are located somewhere beneath the engine cowl or shroud, and the engine and its cowl are cantilevered from the engine mount to hang over the water, aft of the transom of the boat. This requires the boater to lean well over the transom, out over the water, to access and manipulate the inlet fitting, water return line, and water supply hose when the boat is in the water. One can readily appreciate the hazard involved in such an operation. The alternative is to haul the boat out of the water and stand beneath the engine to access the inlet fitting, return line, and supply hose. This is not a viable alternative for larger boats that are docked in the water during the entire boating season.

Thus, an outboard engine flushing system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The outboard engine flushing system serves as a remote or displaced attachment or connector for a fresh water hose or line for flushing the cooling system of an outboard engine. The system comprises a “Y” hose connector that is attached to the conventional cooling system inlet flush fitting on the bottom of the engine cowl or shroud, and a length of flexible tubing connected to another leg of the Y fitting and extending forwardly to the front of the engine. The original water return line extending from the bottom of the cowl and connecting to the system flush inlet fitting, is connected to the third leg of the Y-shaped hose connector. A shutoff valve is installed at the forward end of the forwardly extending tube to close the system at that point during engine operation.

The outboard engine flushing system allows the boater to flush out the engine cooling system from within the boat, rather than being required to lean out beyond the transom of the boat to access the conventional inlet fitting and return line and their connectors beneath the engine cowl. The second and third branches of the Y connector may include shutoff valves as well, but if so equipped, these valves are normally left open so the boater need not access them for coolant system flushing of the engine. When the shutoff valve at the forward end of the forwardly extending tube is closed, the cooling system is closed except at its conventional inlet and outlet at the bottom of the drive shaft housing, and operates conventionally.

A method of flushing the cooling system of an outboard engine is also disclosed. The method comprises the steps of disconnecting the conventional coolant return line from the inlet fitting at the bottom of the engine cowl, attaching a Y-shaped hose connector to the inlet fitting, attaching the conventional coolant return line to another leg of the Y connector, attaching a forwardly extending length of flexible water supply tube to the remaining leg of the Y connector, providing a shutoff valve at the forward end of the tube, connecting a water hose to the forward end of the tube, opening the shutoff valve at the forward end of the tube, and turning on the water to flush the cooling passages of the engine. When flushing is completed, the shutoff valve at the forward end of the tube is closed and the forwardly extending tube and the water hose from the water supply are both stowed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention comprises an outboard engine flushing system for flushing the cooling system of an outboard boat motor, the system enabling the boater to flush contaminants from the cooling system of the motor without needing to lean past the transom of the boat to access various fittings for flushing the motor cooling system.FIG. 1of the drawings illustrates the general operation of the flushing system on an outboard boat motor M, the motor M having a cowling C or shroud containing a conventional engine therein, as is known in the art. Such engines are conventionally cooled with water, generally water drawn from the body of water in which the boat and motor M are operating. Accordingly, such motors M are conventionally provided with liquid cooling passages through the engine block. This structure is well known and is not a part of the present invention per se, and is not shown in the drawings.

Most outboard motors M are provided with a cooling passage flush system at the time of manufacture to allow the boater to flush contaminated ambient water from the cooling passages of the engine after operation. Prior artFIG. 4illustrates such a flush system, with an engine cooling system inlet flush fitting F extending from the bottom of the cowling C. The fitting F communicates with the conventional cooling passages of the engine within the cowling C or shroud. For normal operation, a water return line L extends from the cooling passages of the engine and removably connects to the flush fitting F by means of a quick disconnect fitting Q, with the outlet end of the water return line L attaching to the quick disconnect fitting Q by means of a threaded coupling T. Thus, for normal operation, cooling water is conventionally drawn in through the inlets at the lower end of the drive shaft in front of the propeller, passed through the cooling passages of the engine, and discharged from the bottom of the drive shaft, generally with the exhaust from the engine.

After operating the motor M, good practice dictates that the cooling system be flushed with clean water to remove contaminants and salts that could corrode the cooling passages of the engine. This is conventionally accomplished by disconnecting the water return line L from the inlet flush fitting F, either by means of the quick disconnect Q or threaded fitting T, depending upon the connection of the end of the water supply hose to be attached for the flushing operation. The water supply hose is then connected to the flush fitting F using the appropriate connection means, and the water supply is turned on to flush out the cooling passages of the outboard engine. The procedure is reversed after the flushing of the engine cooling system has been completed.

However, in order to accomplish the above-described disconnecting and connecting of various hoses and fittings to one another, it will be seen particularly fromFIG. 1that the boater must lean well aft of the transom of the boat, as the various fittings and attachments are located aft of the motor attachment points to the transom of the boat. Thus, a boater is at some risk of falling into the water, which is not a trivial concern with larger boats and engines.

The outboard engine flushing system solves this problem by means of a Y-connector10, as shown installed inFIGS. 1 and 2. It should be understood that the term “Y connector” refers to any three-branch tubular connector for passing fluids therethrough. The Y connector may be in the form of a pipe tee or other configuration as desired. The Y connector10has first, second, and third legs, respectively12,14, and16, with the first leg having a conventional female or internally threaded coupling end and the second and third legs having conventional male or externally threaded coupling ends.

The Y connector10is installed by first disconnecting the water return line L from the flush fitting F by means of the internally threaded coupling T, and installing the first leg12of the Y connector10to the flush fitting F. The internally threaded connector T of the water return line L is then attached to the male threaded end of the second leg14of the connector10. A flexible tube18is provided with a female or externally threaded coupling20at its rearward end, which is attached to the male threaded end of the third leg16of the Y connector10. The opposite forward end22of the flexible tube18is extended forwardly for convenient access by the boater. This forward end22is equipped with a shutoff valve24and female threaded coupling, as shown inFIG. 3of the drawings.

It will be noted that the Y connector10may be equipped with shutoff valves26and28respectively for the second and third legs14and16thereof, as shown in the detail drawing ofFIG. 2. However, in the application of the Y connector10with the outboard motor flushing system, these Y connector shutoff valves26,28are normally left open at all times and may be omitted from the Y connector. All water flow control through the Y connector10is accomplished either by conventional operation of the engine, or by operating the coolant passage flush system as described below. Thus, the boater need not extend himself or herself beyond the transom of the boat to manipulate the Y connector shutoff valves.

Once the outboard motor M has been modified as described above, it may be operated normally with the shutoff valve24at the forward end22of the flexible tube20being closed for normal operation. During such operation, cooling water is circulated through the engine cooling passages as described generally further above, with some circulation occurring through the water return line L and its connection to the flush fitting F respectively by means of the second and first legs14and12of the Y connector10. When operation has been completed for the day and the engine cooling passages are to be flushed, the boater need only attach a source of fresh water to the coupling at the forward end22of the flexible tube18, turn on the water supply, and open the valve24at the forward end of the flexible tube. None of these steps require the boater to lean outwardly beyond the stern or transom of the boat, thus facilitating the entire operation. When the cooling system flush procedure has been completed, the boater need only shut off the water supply from the water hose, close the shutoff valve24at the forward end22of the flexible hose18, disconnect the water supply hose from the connection at the forward end of the flexible hose, and stow the forward portion or end22of the flexible hose18to be ready for the next operation of the engine.

The above-described outboard engine flushing system may be retrofitted to an existing conventional engine, as described above, with the flexible tube18disposed externally to the engine cowl C, as shown inFIGS. 1 through 3. If such an externally installed system is used, a restraint or retainer30may be installed on the cowling C of the outboard engine to hold the forward portion or end22of the flexible hose18. This retainer30may be in the form of a clip or the like, with the boater needing only to unclip the forward portion22of the flexible tube18to maneuver the tube18during the flushing operation. The tube18is stowed by clipping it back into the retainer clip30for normal operation or storage of the boat and engine. The retainer clip30may be adhesively attached to the external surface of the cowling C, if desired, to avoid permanent alteration of the cowling of the engine. Certain double-sided adhesive tapes, e.g., carpet tape, etc., may provide sufficient adhesive strength to hold the otherwise free end22of the flexible tube18.

Alternatively, the above-described system may be incorporated with the outboard engine at the time of manufacture, with the flexible tube18being installed within the cowling C of the engine and extending outwardly through a passage at the front of the cowl, which would normally be positioned forwardly of the transom of the boat. A manually actuated shutoff valve could be located at this forwardly disposed end of the tube, or, alternatively, the connection of the water supply hose could cause a shutoff valve disposed in the end of the tube18to open automatically. In any of the above-described embodiments, the overboard engine flushing system greatly facilitates the flushing of the cooling system of an outboard boat engine after operation, and greatly increases the safety of the boater performing the operation.