Cupro Nickel Heat Exchanger????

Buying a spare heat exchange for my generator. One aftermarket source offers the option of part of the exchanger made with cupro nickel while the standard unit is copper bronze (15% less in price).

Have no idea whether cupro nickel is better or worse.

Any comments?

Cupro-nickel is reputedly longer-lasting, but I don't know if it's 15% long-lasting.

Bay Pelican said:

Buying a spare heat exchange for my generator. One aftermarket source offers the option of part of the exchanger made with cupro nickel while the standard unit is copper bronze (15% less in price).

Have no idea whether cupro nickel is better or worse.

Any comments?

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A Cupro nickel (copper nickel) tube stack is more corrosion resistant in salt water than copper bronze. I went cheap on one of my last main engine heat exchangers and it developed pin holes in the tube stack in a little more than 5 years. The other engine had copper nickel and is still going strong. For my mains the copper nickel costs about 20% more. But with a longer life I think it is worth the difference in price.

PS. Shop around for your replacement heat exchanger. Prices on line can be significantly less than directly from the manufacture.

Mine are CuNi, made by Seakamp, they cost a little more and are reputedly longer lasting. Worth it I think. Bought from fredwarner1 on Ebay, I can vouch for the service and shipping.

SENDURE sells both , at only 15% difference in price , the best is the better choice in the long term.

Have ordered copper nickel. Thanks to all for advice.

Double the life in my experience. Good choice

Copper nickel also has a high coefficient of expansion that will resist scaling better. I did only go with the copper heat exchanger myself. But I still have the original that I'll clean up as a spare.

I discovered why the copper & nickel type costs a little more. An article in the news says the price of nickel, currently just under $20K a ton is tipped (maybe by hopeful nickel producers) to return to its 2008 dizzy price of $30K a ton. Extraordinary.

Just put new cupro nickel oil coolers on main and transmission. In speaking with Bob Smith he thought they did a much better job. The oil cooler comes right off of the raw water pump and had quite a bit of blockage in it. I plan to check/clean them at least annually.

What ever is chosen , ZINCS are a great idea

Jbear said:

The oil cooler comes right off of the raw water pump and had quite a bit of blockage in it. I plan to check/clean them at least annually.

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On our Lehman we have the same arrangement with the coolant heat exchanger second. It was our second heat exchanger which was blocked with salt raising the engine temperature by 20 degrees at full cruise speed.

Is this a case where a fresh water flush would be worth the hassle?

angus99 said:

Is this a case where a fresh water flush would be worth the hassle?

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Actually since 2008 we have flushed the main with fresh water at the end of every season. Perhaps it should have been a longer flush or perhaps done during the season as well. Will keep an eye on this heat exchanger as it is an easy to maintain item now that it is on my radar. From 2005 to 2008 we were in fresh water.