Tackling a lot of things as I move along. Here is a question for the knowledgeable ones amongst us: I need to clean the heat exchanger. I don't want to use harsh chemicals that could destroy the environment or be harmful to animals such as my kids (joke). Is pure white vinegar strong enough to dissolve the build up inside the tubes, is CLR an alternative to muric acid? I hear barnacle buster is good too. What is the general wisdom?
HEAT EXCHANGER CLEANING
- Thread starter twodzusfittings
- Start date
Les is right.
But why do you think you need to do this?
Usually the tubes are the cleanest part of a HX because the velocity of the water thru the small tubes is high and keeps them clean. My experience is that if you're in saltwater THE place to look is the inlet port from the rw pump where salt precipitates out and can block that port. Take it off and look.
That's what I did when I bought my C30. The HX zinc was completely gone and I was replacing all engine hoses anyway so I pulled it. The tubes were mostly clogged. Radiator shop reamed them out, cooked the HX, pressure tested and painted it.
Link to recent post on HX cleaning. https://forums.sailboatowners.com/i...-core-cleaning-made-easy.169371/#post-1516786
1/ after you've cleaned the HXc , you'll need to replace the gaskets as the old gaskets will likely tear apart when you take the end cap off the HXc. yanmar has a tricky design for the gaskets and it was simpler to pay their outrageous price for new ones than to rig ones up with FormAGasket and risk a leak. 2/ when you are torquing the bolts own to hold the end caps in place be sure to do the tightening gradually and in a 'star ' pattern bolt at 12 o clock, bolt at 6 oclock, 3-9 1-7 11-5 , etc. not 12, 1 2 3 4 ... that way you're less likely to get leaks. 3/ carry FormAGasket. i once had to rip apart the ht x because a small piece of raw water impeller got stuck in one of the tubes. the engine was running unbearably hot and the ht x had to be cleaned out while the boat (and unhappy family) were in the middle of lake erie.
What I did to my heat exchanger is take the end caps off both ends and first off
look see what kind of shape and than took round threaded rod and push into each open or hole with the threaded rods and than changed the ante freez and guess what my 3YM runs cool
about 180 know matter how high rpm’s and keeps running cool all day long hour after hour.
Did not even replace the end cap O rings
Nick
look see what kind of shape and than took round threaded rod and push into each open or hole with the threaded rods and than changed the ante freez and guess what my 3YM runs cool
about 180 know matter how high rpm’s and keeps running cool all day long hour after hour.
Did not even replace the end cap O rings
Nick
Aye to the radiator shop. For $170 they not only cleaned it but resurfaced the sealing surfaces and painted the outside. Before and after pictures attached.
I also recommend replacing the hoses, cleaning out the exhaust manifold (if applicable) and examining the mixing elbow, strainer and water pump. In other words bring the whole sea water system up to par, you will then get about a 5 year holiday from problems in that system.
Some before and after pictures attached.
I also recommend replacing the hoses, cleaning out the exhaust manifold (if applicable) and examining the mixing elbow, strainer and water pump. In other words bring the whole sea water system up to par, you will then get about a 5 year holiday from problems in that system.
Some before and after pictures attached.
Attachments
If my Heat Exchanger looked like the before I would for sure to the shop but my
3YM30 is 2007 and looked like new and really runs very cool and take ends caps off every year
just to keep a eye on things.
Nick
3YM30 is 2007 and looked like new and really runs very cool and take ends caps off every year
just to keep a eye on things.
Nick
I inspected the heat exchanger and off to the radiator shop tomorrow. I's my understanding that the paint used to cover the heat exchanger should be thin, not like a powder coating or a heavy rustoleum, as the casing needs to release heat, correct?
I had a slow leak on my engine cooling system last year and took the heat exchanger out and replaced the gaskets. Mine wasn't too bad, just soaking it in radiator flush cleaned it out.
The thing is, you want to clean out more than your heat exchanger, you need to flush out the block. If the heat exchanger is gummed up, the block will be as well. I did my 2GM20F last year and there was a lot of gunk that came out.
You should then use a regular automotive Radiator flush for the block. You would capture it when you drain it out, so environmental concerns aren't an issue. I think that I filled and drained the radiator flush out about 5 times (with water) to clean it out. I also turned the water pump (belt off) with a drill to circulate the water.
Mike
The thing is, you want to clean out more than your heat exchanger, you need to flush out the block. If the heat exchanger is gummed up, the block will be as well. I did my 2GM20F last year and there was a lot of gunk that came out.
You should then use a regular automotive Radiator flush for the block. You would capture it when you drain it out, so environmental concerns aren't an issue. I think that I filled and drained the radiator flush out about 5 times (with water) to clean it out. I also turned the water pump (belt off) with a drill to circulate the water.
Mike
No need to worry about the paint on the outside, the heat transfer is inside from the fresh to the sea water. When everything is running properly the "cheeks" on the heat exchanger will be cool. On my boat even the exhaust manifold is quite cool. As noted there is no coating on the exchanger bundle.
Also, check the state of any zincs in the heat exchanger.
For all: I went to five different radiator shops. It seems its a dying business repairing radiators. All would no longer acid bathe/cook the unit. EPA is a huge word around here. Went and bought Barnacle Buster. Worked great. Clean as a whistle. Only problem was it showed me a cracked fitting where the anode goes in and a pinhole leak in the wall. So to simplify the whole thing I bought a new one. Hey at least I tried to fix it myself.
You living close to EPA central, it appears to be influencing the local businesses. Oh well a sailor has got to do what a sailor has got to do. You are on the road to spring sailing.
Now is there room in a box to store the old one till you can find a place to get it fixed? Then you’ll have a serviceable spare.
Or there is always the parts bin on this site. You can list it and maybe help another boater.
Now is there room in a box to store the old one till you can find a place to get it fixed? Then you’ll have a serviceable spare.
Or there is always the parts bin on this site. You can list it and maybe help another boater.