Flame Arrestor

[Walz]

I was wondering how often you clean your flame arrestor(s)? And if so, how?

 

[Redhook98]

Every season, or sooner. Spray it out with carb cleaner, followed by soap and water. Dry in the sun. Works perfect.

 

[DougLas]

Put them in the dish washer. They will clean up spotless.

 

[wingless]

Leave it in-place and give it a coupla quick shots of spray start.

It will instantly look like new.

This is done whenever they look a little dirty.

Run the blower until the fumes dissipate.

 

[chollyjohn]

Here's another method. Use brake cleaner. Spray from inside out. Tapp it on a surface to help dislodge dirt, dust and salt particles....and if available, use a air compressor and spray dry. I prefer to avoid clean up with water. One can does me well to clean 2 arrestors. How often?...although some of us boaters can be obsessive, I follow manuf recommendations unless I experience heavy use in salt water conditions. Its important to keept he bildge clean and have plenty of intake air from vents.

 

[fc3]

Leave it in-place and give it a coupla quick shots of spray start.

It will instantly look like new.

This is done whenever they look a little dirty.

Run the blower until the fumes dissipate.

You all know to ignore this. Right?

 

[wingless]

Leave it in-place and give it a coupla quick shots of spray start.

It will instantly look like new.

This is done whenever they look a little dirty.

Run the blower until the fumes dissipate.

You all know to ignore this. Right?

Please follow the service information in the factory service manual for your boat and engine.

The FSM for mine states that the flame arrestor should be cleaned w/ solvent.

So, go ahead and use water, soap and a dishwasher instead.

 

[Turtlesboat]

What page in the manual does it say to leave it in place?

 

[mwph]

Leave it in-place and give it a coupla quick shots of spray start.

It will instantly look like new.

This is done whenever they look a little dirty.

Run the blower until the fumes dissipate.

I never saw a flame arrestor until a year ago & even I know that cant be a good idea. Im wondering if this guy is just trying to pic a fight.

 

[wingless]

What page in the manual does it say to leave it in place?

The same page that says to throw it in the dishwasher or soak it in water.

Both methods were tried, removing, then solvent or leaving in-place and solvent.

Both methods have an identical result. One takes seconds, the other about an hour because of moving the obstructions.

My engine room is contaminated w/ vapors each time I perform a fuel system service. That includes the start-of-season fuel priming, cleaning the injectors, changing the fuel filter, cleaning the flame arrestor or end-of-the-season fogging.

It is up to the person performing the service to decide if this is beyond their skill set. That includes ensuring that sparks and flames are not present during a fuel service.

 

[tdappleman]

I never saw a flame arrestor until a year ago & even I know that cant be a good idea. Im wondering if this guy is just trying to pic a fight.

You couldn't have pegged this a$$hat better. Ignore anything he posts and follow the advice you have already been given. I mean seriously - the thing is made of metal - clean it so the dirt, oil, etc is gone - let it dry and reinstall.

 

[fc3]

My engine room is contaminated w/ vapors each time I perform a fuel system service. That includes the start-of-season fuel priming, cleaning the injectors, changing the fuel filter, cleaning the flame arrestor or end-of-the-season fogging.

It is up to the person performing the service to decide if this is beyond their skill set. That includes ensuring that sparks and flames are not present during a fuel service.
__________________
2000 380DA
Many cool mods...
© 2008, 2009 wingless

Bad advice: worthless

Attached copyright notice: Priceless!

You can't make up funny crap like this. I'm not a an expert on intellectual property law, but I don't think a copyright attributed to a pseudonym is valid for establishing ownership rights.

 

[Four Suns]

I need to start reading these gas engine threads....

 

[Nehalennia]

Welcome to bruteforceandignorance.com, how may we advise you on your project today?

 

[Stray Cat]

Leave it in-place and give it a coupla quick shots of spray start.

Just to clarify...did you really mean starting fluid? I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt to redeem yourself for this thread.

My manual states, wash with soap, rinse with water, place in sun to dry.

 

[skibum]

Leave it in-place and give it a coupla quick shots of spray start.

It will instantly look like new.

This is done whenever they look a little dirty.

Run the blower until the fumes dissipate.

You have GOT to be kidding me? I assume that you are immediately following this up with the procedure for removing the throttle body and intake and mopping up all of the crud that you just flushed deep down into the engine? :smt021

 

[Walz]

Gee, glad I started such an interesting thread! There has been an "explosion" of suggestions for cleaning a flame arrestor!

It doesn't look like the PO's ever cleaned them. The fins were totally black. I soaked them in lacquer thinner which immediately turned black. Then cleaned with soap and water. Nice and shiny now. I can look through the fins and easily see light. Of course I did all this at home and not in my engine compartment!

 

[carterchapman]

Scott,

You mean I can't use a pump sprayer full of 145 octane Avgas and spray my entire engine compartment down and not only clean my flame arrestor but my entire engine compartment at the same time?

Jeez, I thought I could just "crank and go" afterwards. now that wouldn't be cool - just hot!

 

[wingless]

My manual states, wash with soap, rinse with water, place in sun to dry.

My FSM states to clean flame arrestor in solvent.

An on-line forum is not a substitute for a factory service manual. It is not a substitute for training and experience.

My FSM has several warnings in all the sections related to fuel service detailing the hazards and precautions to follow from combustible vapors.

It would be just as incorrect to use warm soapy water on my flame arrestor as using solvent on one that should be cleaned w/ that solution.

Hence this instruction:

Please follow the service information in the factory service manual for your boat and engine.

and this:

It is up to the person performing the service to decide if this is beyond their skill set. That includes ensuring that sparks and flames are not present during a fuel service.

What page in the manual does it say to leave it in place?

Both methods were tried, removing, then solvent or leaving in-place and solvent.

Both methods have an identical result. One takes seconds, the other about an hour because of moving the obstructions.

My engine has the riser, so the elbow and exhaust must be removed to remove the flame arrestor. That was tried once.

A quick shot of solvent makes this look new without the disassembly.

Each solvent has it’s benefits and disadvantages. For lightly soiled parts that don’t need scrubbing and fast drying is desired, I choose spray start.

The other solvents are better when a longer dwell time is required to scrub or dissolve crud.

Read your manual again, if you can read that is.

Per Mercury service manual #30...

If you are a cheap SOB, which I am guessing you are, you use Clymer's manuals rather than mercruiser's, which is OK too, provided you read them...

Is your recommendation to use incorrect documentation? Why should anyone follow documentation for your boat, instead of the correct documentation?

That would be as intelligent as not inspecting for raw water flow, or changing the raw water impeller annually, or casting off w/ a broken compass.

 

[rondds]

Uh, I take mine off every fall and clean them with acetone and a toothbrush. One year I did the same with Gumout. I only got a C first semester of organic, then a B second semester but I believe both are solvents. Can I still play with you guys?