Flushing motors with Vinegar
 

Any one ever flush there outboards with vinegar to help remove salt deposits

Keep in mind that if it is a Yamaha or a Suzuki you must use rice vinegar.

It is not salt deposits that you are dealing with but a build up of aluminum oxide instead. When I tore apart my motor I had many bolts frozen in their bores by A/O corrosion. Other than heat and brute force nothing loosened them. I heard about and tried things like CLR, Orange Power, Vinegar, PB Blaster, Cascade DW detergent and nothing really works unless you can get some mechanical abrasion on the corrosion.

The reason I ask is because with my end of year layup and fogging I pulled the t-stats and founf them about 20% cover in salt deposits I soaked them in some vinegar and they came pretty clean put them in a pot of hot water and they open fully at 140degrees ...so i think as part of my winter layup mantance why not clean out the waterways with a good flush of vinegar

The T-Stats are are a copper/brass/bronze alloy of some sort just like a penny. There are plenty of tricks to make an old penny shine.

Your engine block is aluminum.

There is a company that sells a acid based flush that removes the buildup, but I always worried what else it would "eat" while working on the salt (e.g. head gaskets). The product was shown on ship shape several years ago. Maybe you can find a reference for it there

Kamikaze

SALT-AWAY is one that is meant to be used to remove salt build-ups slowly and to be left in the powerhead to reduce future corrosion and to act as a lubricant like substance. It washes out quickly once you run it with regular water.