Need 4.236 RW Outlet Elbow

I recently flushed my port engine with Barnacle Buster and in the process, found an eroded RW outlet elbow. I replaced it with one I bought 5 years ago when I replaced my stbd manifold but didn't need it.

Here's the cast replacement that I installed on the port side.



A few weeks ago, I flushed the RW side of my stbd cooling system and found the elbow needed replacement. Since I had already used my spare for the port side, I ordered a new one from Trans Atlantic Diesel. This one wasn't cast like the original. It was made from a flange with a 90 elbow threaded into it. It sits almost an inch taller making it impossible to line up the short 4-5 inch hose with a 1 inch drop.

Here's what the stbd one looked like when I pulled it.



Here's how the new one aligns with the mixing elbow.





Since the original cast elbow sat on a 3/4 inch spacer to align the fittings, I used the spacer with my tall fitting to make it even taller. This allowed me to use a new length of 1 in hose to make a 360 degree loop back to the mixing elbow. It's working, but I don't like it. I'd really like to find a cast elbow to install without the looped hose.



When I called TAD asking about a cast unit, they told me they're no longer being made and that's why they are making this style. I tried to find a shaped hose to fit. I tried Napa Auto Parts for a formed hose in 1 inch diameter but no luck.

Does anyone out there have a spare RW outlet elbow they'd be willing to part with or know of a source for a cast one? I'm also considering bringing my old cast elbow to the machine shop for a weld repair, ream and clean up so I can put it back in service. Not sure if there's enough good material for a weld repair, though. I'd rather buy new.

Any thoughts or recommendations? Maybe a source for shaped hose in a 1 inch diameter?

Many thanks for your ideas and advice.

Tried your local auto parts supplier for a hose which incorporates the odd little bend the current elbow needs?

Greetings,
Mr. FW. Can you contract the machine shop to make you a new one? CNC technology is wondrous and the part may be able to be made out of a billet of SS (your choice of alloy). Alternately your mixing elbow appears to have an insert with a pipe thread. IF the outlet elbow is of the same construction, would it be possible to simply buy some SS fittings and "point" the outlet of the elbow to the inlet of the mixing elbow?
Note fitting 2nd down, second row of pictures...

BruceK said:

Tried your local auto parts supplier for a hose which incorporates the odd little bend the current elbow needs?

Click to expand...

That's a great approach Bruce. Occasionally when I needed a "special" cooling hose I would do as you suggested, often buying a much longer hose just to cut out the "special" section.


Forky
1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

BruceK said:

Tried your local auto parts supplier for a hose which incorporates the odd little bend the current elbow needs?

Click to expand...

Yes, I checked with Napa Auto parts, the only real auto parts store near the marina. They had nothing close to this. Most auto hoses are much smaller diameter than the 1 inch I need. Perhaps I should keep looking for a source for this.

Thanks for the photos, Rt. I need a fitting with lower height and other threaded fittings like the one I have appear to have the same issue. By the time it's threaded into the flange, it sits too high to line up with the mixing elbow connection. Perhaps a threaded to threaded fitting with a reinforced flexible hose is a solution. It would probably require a custom hose.

I'm scouring the internet for an S-shaped 1 inch hose. Maybe silicone would be more flexible and resist deforming?

RTFirefly provides the solution. We constructed a exhaust elbo from stainless steel fittings. Damn reasonable. The shop infused the water outlet into a part of the elbow. This is the second boat that had a homemade elbow both from double walled black iron and now stainless steel.
Incidentally it is a Perkins 4-236 in the later case.

Al-Ketchikan

I would take the fitting you bought and take it apart. Cut a flange out of 1/4 stainless with a plasma cutter. Grind off as much as you need from the square shaped fitting to make the two pieces line up. Tig or stick weld the pieces together.
If you can not do it yourself look for a small welding shop. Failing that stick a post on craigs list. Maybe make two or three while you are at it.
Then again you could always just do away with all this raw water silliness and go keel cooled.
My thoughts. YMMV

Sorry Flywright I missed out. Now I see it is the other end of the raw water outlet! Okay Sorry to have missed your need. I do know that my weld shop given the challenge would create a piece.
Al-Ketchkan

Thanks for the ideas, guys. I do have access to a machine shop and can get some welding done by a friend for the price of a box of donuts. That may be the final solution, but a cast elbow would be great to find and buy.

Bryan's suggestion to convert t keel cooling is one I hadn't considered. Now that's some out-of-the-box thinking! Maybe on my next boat, Bryan!

Yes, Al, this is at the RW outlet of the manifold just upstream from the mixing elbow. I practiced my 'yacht yoga' to get at this one on the stbd engine. The port engine RW outlet is right there in the ER center aisle. At least this loop I had to install does not interfere with the ER center row access.

I have a loop on both my 4.236s no big deal over the years here.

That's interesting, Gulfstar. Do they look generally like the last picture above in post #1?

Much different, but mine are 40 years old

That helps a lot, GS! Mine are a relatively young 38 years old each. They match yours with a shorter RW outlet and a mixing elbow on top unlike yours on the stbd side.

That actually makes me feel better with my setup until I can improve it. Thanks!!

This is the port engine for some reason the elbow is rotated 90 deg. The stbd engine looks just like this but the elbow is 90 deg to the left with the water inlet at the 12 o clock position.

FlyWright said:

That helps a lot, GS! Mine are a relatively young 38 years old each. They match yours with a shorter RW outlet and a mixing elbow on top unlike yours on the stbd side.

That actually makes me feel better with my setup until I can improve it. Thanks!!

Click to expand...

This is the Stbd engine.

Thanks for the second pic!