1991 VP 2003 - coolant seals

[Hollyberry]

'91 Beneteau 35s5 with a Volvo Penta 2003.
Anyone here know if the rubber seals on the coolant system/heat exchanger are resuable? I have new seals coming for the H/E but inadvertantly pulled one on the FWC pump - can I simply 'plug it back in'?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Anyone here know if the rubber seals on the coolant system/heat exchanger are resuable?

Can you send a picture or reference any literature on the seals ? Not familiar with these seals but they may be common to other engines.

 

[Hollyberry]

Ralph... the seals/o-rings circled in red. The bottom one is the 'culprit'... I hadn't meant for that one to disengage. I have the replacement seals for the heat exchanger on the way.
They are simply 'Push-in' connections, with keepers only on the raw water side of the H/E. From what I can find, Volvo coolant circuit is limited to 3 psi so I guess that's why this can actually work. Could even just be a case of finding the right dimension O rings..

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

A simple "O" ring seal methinks.

If they are soft and pliable as if new, they are re-usable. If brittle and ready to break, OUCH.

Please refresh my memory as to what FWC stands for. I take it it's a cooling water pump. If they've spent most of their time cold when the engine is running, you may be in luck.

I'm going out on a limb here but ALL "O" RING JOINTS MUST BE LUBRICATED WITH A NON PETROLEUM LUBRICANT or they will start to leak prematurely. Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your new set of rings. If they do not include a pouch of lubricant as some "O" ring kits don't, you're on your own.

 

[Hollyberry]

FWC - fresh water cooling aka antifreeze mix...

Yes, silicone grease is on the list.
Hope that they are simple orings but fear they are more like bushings.. with some depth. Anyhow, once the H/E is checked out and returned we'll figure that out. If they are sleeve-like seals perhaps a pair of O rings will work. thanks.