Bleeding my Cats

I just installed a new 11 gallon water heater; a fairly straight-forward replacement, once I wrestled it into place. The electric function works just fine, but...


The install directions make a point of telling me to be certain that I bleed all the air out of my engine cooling system. So I opened the big yellow Caterpillar manual to "cooling system" and it says nothing about how, and more important, where to bleed it. Your thoughts? There is a gallon coolant reservoir on top of each engine. Is it sufficient to simply open the cap and let it vent?

Find the highest point in the cooling system and you should find a bleed screw. If there is none and all you have is a reservoir and not a expansion tank keep the level up the next few warm up cycles as the system purges the air out.

Also watch temps as you run you kitty's. Of course

Sometimes leeches are a lot less messy....

Make sure to add coolant at first, then make sure the tank stays about 1/2 full.

You have 3208’s right? I’ve had my entire cooling system off engine a couple times. Just fill it, let the temps come up and then check the main tank after it cools down. When the overflows are consistent in level in the morning I stop checking the main tank.

boathealer said:

Sometimes leeches are a lot less messy....

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I'm glad I'm not the only one who had to read the title a few times before I got it... lol

WHAT IS THIS MAN DOING TO HIS PETS?!

TowLou said:

Find the highest point in the cooling system and you should find a bleed screw. If there is none and all you have is a reservoir and not a expansion tank keep the level up the next few warm up cycles as the system purges the air out.

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Thanks. That's how i see it. There is actually a one quart expansion tank vented off the one gal. reservoir. The Cat manual is remarkably detailed and I think what it doesn't say is significant. I think it was Dizzy Gillespie who said it's not the notes it's the rests.

ghost said:

You have 3208’s right? I’ve had my entire cooling system off engine a couple times. Just fill it, let the temps come up and then check the main tank after it cools down. When the overflows are consistent in level in the morning I stop checking the main tank.

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Thanks. That's the plan.

TowLou said:

Also watch temps as you run you kitty's. Of course

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Wayfarer said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had to read the title a few times before I got it... lol

WHAT IS THIS MAN DOING TO HIS PETS?!

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I love cats; taste just like chicken.

Thanks to all. I knew what i wanted to do, but confirmation is invaluable.

Today's riddle:

Got back to the boat today so i could try out all this good advice.

Checked coolant level, full, as always.
Ran engine about half hour, temp seemed stable at 140 (seems normal for idle),
Hoses to/from water heater hot.

Fluid level STILL CLEAR FULL!!??

Wayfarer said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had to read the title a few times before I got it... lol

WHAT IS THIS MAN DOING TO HIS PETS?!

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I figured veterinarian from the 1800s.

WayneDana2 said:

I figured veterinarian from the 1800s.

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Well, since you brought it up. When i took high school Anatomy + Physiology in 1961, we dissected...cats. They sold them by the barrel.

AlaskaProf said:

Well, since you brought it up. When i took high school Anatomy + Physiology in 1961, we dissected...cats. They sold them by the barrel.

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Ya mean the Dark Ages before the 1800s?

Latest report:

What we in aviation call an FCF, functional check flight. Extended idle warmup, two hours at increasing power settings, engine temps moved in sync (port engine not involved in water heater install). Temps stable at 180f

Back at dock, opened starboaard tank fill (with careful precautions). Tank belched, but still appears full. ??

AlaskaProf said:

Well, since you brought it up. When i took high school Anatomy + Physiology in 1961, we dissected...cats. They sold them by the barrel.

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Dead or alive?

AlaskaProf said:

Latest report:

What we in aviation call an FCF, functional check flight. Extended idle warmup, two hours at increasing power settings, engine temps moved in sync (port engine not involved in water heater install). Temps stable at 180f

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Climbout in AB4? Now that I would like to see.

WayneDana2 said:

Climbout in AB4? Now that I would like to see.

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Sit down, shut up, and don't touch anything red.

BruceK said:

Dead or alive?

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Before or after?