heat exchanger

Any ideas about what has happened to this exchanger? I'm thinking bad zincs.

*




-- Edited by KJ on Friday 21st of October 2011 10:34:22 AM

Old Stone wrote:
Can't see the pic, but do have a side question for those who have cleaned out their exchangers - Do you take both ends off the exchanger to clean out the tubes and simply push the blockages out? I am going to do mine for the first time over the winter.

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*I remove mine from the boat and do as you say. Then I flush them out with water. If it needs something more, then I act accordingly. I once took an aftercooler core to the carwash to clean it. Came out nice.

Or no zincs. Where did the oil in bilge come from?

Don't know. This is from*a boat that I*am checking out.* Unfortunately, it is located in the Caribbean, so right now all I have to go by is*the photos supplied. When I saw this*the red flags went up. I am waiting for more info from*the owner before I have a yard mechanic do a preliminary check.* Otherwise, it's a nice boat.**** KJ*

Now that I can see th epic it looks like it has been leaking salt water out of those joints.

Oil in bilge from leaking rear main? Possibly from having too high an oil level? (engines on a down angle should be kept at or near the "min" mark on the stick)

*

Actually, I think the "stuff" on the exchanger is from salt water seepage around the end caps and the connection in the middle. We have a bit of this on the main exchangers on our FL120s, not serious enough to worry about but it's there. And we routinely change the zinc in the exhangers and have never had a problem with electrolysis. We've also had this kind of thing around the drain plugs of a couple of the smaller oil and transmission fluid coolers on our engines as they get old and the plug fittings begin to weep. In these cases we've simply installed a new cooler. So I suspect it's not so much a problem but just a cooler that needs an overhaul with new gaskets on the ends and new hose and clamps and a cleanup of the attachment fittings in the middle.

That fluid in the *bilge looks green to me. A*coolant leak?

SD

jleonard wrote:
(engines on a down angle should be kept at or near the "min" mark on the stick)*

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*So. Should you fill to the manufacturere recomended oil level or ammount and adjust the marks on the dip stick to account for the angle of the engine?

I don't know for sure but that is what I did.

I filled the oil less one quart in the cat 3208 and used an engraver to mark the stick. put in the last quart and marked it again.

I also filled the filters with oil when I put them on.

i was told if the angle is to great it could cause the engine to slobber.*

Thanks for the info, very helpful.******** KJ

skipperdude wrote:jleonard wrote:
(engines on a down angle should be kept at or near the "min" mark on the stick)*

Click to expand...

*So. Should you fill to the manufacturere recomended oil level or ammount and adjust the marks on the dip stick to account for the angle of the engine?

Depends on the engine but the Ford Lehman 120 in a typical rearward slant position in a boat should NEVER be filled to the factory-full mark on the dipstick.* That is because doing so will put a fair amount more oil in the sump and the level at the rear of the engine will too high.* The rear oil seal of the Ford engine was not designed to be immersied in oil.* Which it isnt if the engine is mounted level in a truck, tractor, combine, or industrial application which it was designed for.* But it will be if you fill the slanted engine in a boat to the factory full mark.

The proper procedure as outlined in the FL120 manual is to empty the sump of oil, put in the 12 quarts, which is the correct amount for the engine, and mark where this comes on the dipstick.* On our engines, this mark is very close to the lowest mark on the factory dipstick.* Some people put in 10 quarts, mark the dipstick, put in the last two quarts and mark that level on the dipstick.* So you have "full" and "add" marks.

Yeah that's why I added the recommended amount ( not what*the dip stick said*) and made my own marks on the stick.

Your comment on to much oil in the sump do you suppose that is what is ment by slobbering? as oil being thrown out.

Sd

I don't know what an FL120 would do with too much oil in it. I filled it to the factory full mark on our first oil change after acquiring the boat and no oil was blown out of the engine. Fortunately I read the manual before the second oil change and have done it correctly since then.

But some engines may indeed blow excess oil out the breather or the dipstick tube so the term "slobbering" could certainly apply.

Looks to me as if the endcap gaskets are leaking. I always remove my heat exchangers and take both end caps off and let them soak in a 5 gallon bucket of water with a bottle of Sno-Bol (toilet bowel cleaner that can be found at any supermarket it has a slight concentration of muratic acid ) let sit overnight and flush the next day. I then make new gaskets out of the 6in X 6in. sheets of rubber that you can get at Lowes in the plumbing section. Paint with high heat paint and wholla good for another 2 years or so.

knotheadcharters wrote:
*soak in a 5 gallon bucket of water with a bottle of Sno-Bol (toilet bowel cleaner that can be found at any supermarket it has a slight concentration of muratic acid ) let sit overnight and flush the next day.

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*Excellent idea I will consider this.

SD

Yea it works great, have done it on my 32 and will continue on the 48. Letting it soak helps with the real hard deposits. Just make sure if you have some tubes that eed to be reamed out use a copper rod that has been rounded off on the end your using to clear it. You dont want to gouge a hole in the tube bundle.

you can also use a wooden dowl ofr the right size,taper the end a little?

Ridlyme and its clones do a great job. The procedure gets all the*parts and pieces*in the cooling systems*in addition to*the HX itself, right through the exhaust elbow.

For $100 every 6 years, I get new end caps/gaskets, acid wash, pressure tests on both sides and new paint.* Seattle Radiator.

But I also put FW through the raw water cooling system if the boat is going to be secured for a week or more.


-- Edited by Jay N on Saturday 7th of January 2012 09:00:01 AM

Hey Jay, what method do you use to run fresh water through the raw water side of the cooling system?

"I think the "stuff" on the exchanger is from salt water seepage around the end caps and the connection in the middle."

Agree , these gaskets do not seal over years due to the temperature changes and constant internal pressure most will weep.

A thin dowel is the accepted clean out tool, tho on extra plugged exchangers a long "bell hangars" drill bit , 18 inches long or so, will work well, just use care.

HAND turn the drill slowly .

Max Simmons wrote:
Hey Jay, what method do you use to run fresh water through the raw water side of the cooling system?

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Installed a valve with a hose connection at the base of the SW strainer.* At the end of the trip, connect the dock hose (leave the SW thru-hull valve OPEN), and run the engine for a couple of minutes.

Extends life of ME zinc and other SW components, and the need to disassemble/clean SW cooling system.


-- Edited by Jay N on Saturday 7th of January 2012 09:01:43 AM

I take mine in for rodding and flushing every few years, other than that just change zincs and check hoses. This is on a Perkins 4-236.