Saltwater intrusion

I work at a boat rental facility on Puget Sound (Saltwater) We have several wooden boats with various outboard motors.We launch the boats from a rocky beach. We regularly flush with fresh water after every use to maintain the cooling system. Never the less we are getting lots of salt deposits in our carburetors which requires them to be disassembled and flushed with carb cleaner regularly. We use sea foam to no prevail. Typically the culprit is saltwater getting into the gas system which could very well be true but, checking the gas there is no apparent evidence of salt water in gas tanks or the gas it's self. Now the question is raised could the saltwater be infiltrating via the carburetor intake port, there are no air filters per say, just plastic covers. Of course the cowlings are properly in place so first thought it would be unlikely a source of contamination but, in these rough circumstances I think it may be a problem. Has anyone else noticed water entering the gas systems on outboards via the intake port? I'm going to place coffee filters in the plastic vents as an experiments. I also am considering putting permanent Water separator filters in all the boats gas systems. Thanks for any input and experiences others may have had.

I also am considering putting permanent Water separator filters in all the boats gas systems.

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Ayuh,..... This, ^^^ makes sense,......

Water through the intake will go into the motor, not into the gas passages of the carb,....

Using fuel/water separators is always a good idea, so I agree with that. Not sure about the coffee filters on the intake vents, That MAY cause too rich of a mixture.

I suspect that the salt deposits are forming when the carb cools down and condenses the saltwater from the air around it. To mitigate that, try regularly spraying the carb bodies with CRC 6-56. It's a multi-purpose lubricant, but also provides a protective coating that should lessen those salt deposits. I use it on my big Honda every time I pull maintenance.

bondo said:

Water through the intake will go into the motor, not into the gas passages of the carb,....

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I can see you are right, under pressure it would mix with the gas and air flow through the veturi and the reeds right into the combustion chamber. But, after the engine is shut down, does the saltwater drip down through channels I'm wondering? Condensation? Its more likely mixing with gas but I am checking all possibilities regardless of how remote. Thanks for you reply!