question about my 135hp Ford

I'm trying to learn a little about the engines on my new boat. I have taken a few pictures of a fitting on my boat's 135 hp Ford engines (1987). I have no idea what it is. It is on the front of the engine near what I assume is the fresh water pump. I notice that when I turn the nut on the cap fitting, the bolt turns as well. What's up with that? Should I be alarmed? Should I ask for a refund? Nothing is leaking from the fitting, but I'm still curious.

I believe the nut you are turning is the tightening nut on an expansion plug. We have a rubber boot with a hose clamp that serves the same purpose. Call American Diesel and get the correct fitting/cap/boot would be my suggestion. It's an off the shelf item.

It may be an internal expansion plug like a rubber garboard plug. Some 135s have external caps over that fitting, I think is's just a left-over feature from the engine's truck motor origin. That would have been the inlet to the water pump from the lower radiator hose.

Yes. I have a rubber boot as well. Call American Diesel and see if this needs to be replaced.

http://americandieselcorp.com




Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

JDCAVE said:

Yes. I have a rubber boot as well. Call American Diesel and see if this news to be replaced.

American Diesel Corp

View attachment 46763


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Click to expand...

Where is the raw water pump on your engine? Or is that the raw water pump under the pully, in which case the question is where is the fresh water pump?

Larry; what does the other end of your belt tensioner look like?
You make it or acquire it?

That rubber expansion plug is a common plumbing fitting used to temporarily or long term plug up various pipes. During the last conversation with Bob Smith that I had about this fitting many years ago he said that they were now recommending the expansion plug as being a more robust answer to blocking that unused pipe than the rubber boot that had been used earlier.

What you have is a rubber expansion plug that blocks off the unused part of the coolant circulation pump. According to American Diesel it is the PREFERRED WAY to close off this port because it is much more reliable than the "cap". Plus when the cap fails it usually does so suddenly and the coolant empties very quickly. I replaced my original "caps" with the plugs and I can say that the end of the old style cap is very thin.

Ken

kchace said:

What you have is a rubber expansion plug that blocks off the unused part of the coolant circulation pump. According to American Diesel it is the PREFERRED WAY to close off this port because it is much more reliable than the "cap". Plus when the cap fails it usually does so suddenly and the coolant empties very quickly. I replaced my original "caps" with the plugs and I can say that the end of the old style cap is very thin.

Ken

Click to expand...

That is good advice. I'll look into that. I have to replace the oil coolers this year and inspect the heat exchanger so will probably replace the coolant at the same time. That would be a good time to replace the end cap.


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Hawgwash said:

Larry; what does the other end of your belt tensioner look like?
You make it or acquire it?

Click to expand...

Looks like he got smart and changed his tensioner over to a turnbuckle.

Greetings,
Why not keep the cap and put a rubber plug over it? Belt and suspenders. I'd try Lowes or Home Despot for a generic rubber cap.

Actually, in this case how about the internal AND an external cap? Redundancy?

Question well covered and answered correctly, nothing to add but y'all have a great day!

Hawgwash said:

Larry; what does the other end of your belt tensioner look like?
You make it or acquire it?

Click to expand...

Old school from my sailing days. The turnbuckle ends are called an aircraft or compression fork or jaw to jaw. You have to watch the cooling fin clearance on the alternator against the turnbuckle. Ted on OC Diver has a new school set up on his refit which is definitely worth a look.

Larry M said:

You have to watch the cooling fin clearance on the alternator against the turnbuckle.

Click to expand...

Thanks Larry, the clearance was what I was wondering about.

Hawgwash said:

Thanks Larry, the clearance was what I was wondering about.

Click to expand...

The turnbuckle is shorter than the standard bracket which means a smaller belt which got the tab on the alternator higher and closer to the engine.

Ooooooohhhhh I LIKE that!