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Allen Bragdon

3/1/2026 1:46 PM

I’ve tried for a few months to get replacement caps for the strainers for the generator, AC and main engine strainers, so I can flush the engine with freshwater and/or barnacle Buster. Howard and Candy cannot get replacements. They are BSPP 11 top. Of metric or tapered. I found a machine shop in Sarasota who made three of them. They’ve made a template and can make as many as you like. I have attached a photograph. The small is for the generator cooling medium for the air conditioning large for the main period. I paid 350 for three of mine but that includes the design. He wants $80 apiece plus shipping I assume. Contact.Kyle Kuhn. Kuhn tool and die Sarasota FL 941-298-6846 Allen

Corey Chamness

3/1/2026 4:56 PM

That’s amazing. Thanks for sending that info and doing the legwork
Corey
Sent from my iPhone

Allen Bragdon

3/1/2026 5:07 PM

Sorry for my typos it should’ve read “11 Tpi BSPP not tapered or metric”

Gerry Wolfe

3/2/2026 4:53 PM

Allen

That's a great idea.

Are you planning to leave these caps on full time, or just to flush and then replace the originals?

Also, with a 56 you have a fairly large main engine (I have a QSM11). Will a hose supply enough water to properly flush the engine? I can see the flow being enough to flush my generators and wing engine and AC units.

Gerry Wolfe

Argo 57-20 2004

Russ Dykstra

3/2/2026 7:37 PM

I found this one that is graduated and will fit all of the strainers I have. It is very well made.

Mark Tilden

3/3/2026 12:44 PM

Friends:

I have handled this cleanout/flush issue a bit differently. My approach may be helpful (or it may not).

Instead of making special caps for the sea strainers, I plumbed all of my sea water intakes with a "T" immediately after the seacock. The "T" is installed on the seacock in a vertical orientation (see attached photo). The side/middle of the "T" goes to the sea strainer. There's a cap/plug in the top of the "T".

This accomplishes two things:

1. First, it makes is MUCH easier to clean out a clogged intake thru-hull because with the cap removed, you have direct straight-line access to the thru-hull without trying to remove stiff hoses, etc.. when you get an obstruction in the thru-hull.

2. You can easily create an adapter that screws in place of the cap in the top to connect a garden hose either for flushing purposes or for using a water stream to clear an obstruction.

I do share Gerry's concern that any of these garden hose solutions may not deliver enough water to your main engine, even at idle. My primary purpose in doing this was to conveniently unclog a thru-hull with an obstruction. I did this on all my intake thru-hulls. I also created a threaded adapter with a piece of hose. I can place this adapter in place of the plug, extending the top of the hose above the waterline. This allows me to safely open the thru hull and shove a rod down through the hose and completely out the thru-hull.

Mark Tilden

Selene 60 "Koinonia"

Ron Sernau

3/3/2026 1:06 PM

Mark - These T’s are standard-issue bronze fittings right? Nothing custom made? Thanks!

Mark Tilden

3/3/2026 1:40 PM

Ron:

Well....yes.....but...... It depends on what the fittings are on your boat. Some of the thru-hull fittings don't use NPT (National Pipe Thread). Some use BSP (British Standard Pipe). So you just have to validate what threads your system has. Apart from that---yes---they are just standard bronze pipe fittings.

Mark Tilden

Selene 60 "Koinonia"

Ron Sernau

3/3/2026 1:44 PM

Roger that Mark. Thanks.

Don Keller

3/4/2026 4:29 PM

I couldn't find anything to fit the top of my strainers at any of the local stores and I did want to order an assortment of items off the internet in hopes one would work so, My Selene was plumbing with an "Emergency Pump" by switching a 2" valve on the main intake and to allow the engine to suck water from the bilge, (if needed).

I added a 2x2x1 tee in the line and then plumbed in a 1" ball valve. This allowed me to still have the "emergency" bilge pump and I'm also able to flush my engines with fresh water via the 1" ball valve. I have two adapters in the engine room. A 1" MIPX 3/4 Hose to allow flushing from a hose and a 1" MIPXBarb adapter allowing me to take a 1" hose and put in a bucket for it to draw either water or barnacle buster / salt away, etc. It was simple to rig, not too expensive and works pretty good.

I also question if the water hose is enough water. I draw 5 gallons out of a 5 gal bucket in about 20 seconds with the 1" hose. The water hose may be enough at low RPM but seeing the volume being pulled from the bucket, I typically pull from a series of 5 gal buckets.

Don

Anastasia

Corey Chamness

3/4/2026 5:47 PM

Certainly should be good for genset and a/c. You could still put hose for engine in a series of Homer buckets I guess
Sent from my iPhone

Garry Ball

3/4/2026 9:23 PM

I went a different route for FW flushing and for Barnacle Buster:

I had fittings braised into the strainer caps with isolation valves - though any method to enter the system will work.

I also fitted 3 way valves to both the Main Engine and the Genny at the last point of the exhausts, before the exhaust mixer (so there his no possibility of water backing up into the engine). Now I can circulate into and out of the system.

Lastly fitted isolation valve to the PYI Seal coolant line.

Like most Selene I have a FW tap in the engine room but with a quick connect fitting with the hose permanently rigged to the Main and Genny strainers. The FW pump gives over 50psi so I am not worried about the cooling being insufficient, especially for the few minutes it will be running. The tap is in a difficult location and I don't want to climb over a running engine so I turn on/off via the breaker on the switchboard. The quick connect is only connected when using so no possibility of contamination of FW system.

I made up a bucket with an outlet at the bottom connected to a Jabsco type pump to the strainer, and an inlet at the top from the 3 way valve.

I now can either:

Backflush the strainers and seacocks against the Impeller with the 3 way valve open to ensure no water filling the exhaust.

FW Flush the whole system by running the Main or the Genny, normally, through the impeller, with the boats 50psi fresh water connected to the strainer caps and seacocks closed.

Remove the impellers, close the seacocks and the PYI cooling line and circulate barnacle buster via a bucket and the separate pump into the Strainer valve and out of the 3 way valve and back into the bucket. (making an allowance for the dilution from the FW already in the engine). I leave that running for while then FW flush the B. Buster out by opening the whole system as normal and running the FW through the running engine with no impeller.

There are many options but this works for me.

Best

Garry

4333

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