Cleaning heat exchangers...

[Chenega]

Maine Sail...
Suggestions on cleaning heat exchangers..? Westerbeke 20B-2 would like info on schedule and method to clean /soak without doing harm. No over heating problems but don't want to get caught with issues in the future. - thanks in advanced. A good winter project to ensure continued reliability of this engine.
-Bfree

 

[Allan12210]

Not familiar with the Westerbeke design, but on my Yanmar I can pull just the front cap off and see the ends of the individual tubes running away from me. I have a long 1/4" drill bit that is just a tiny bit smaller than the tubes. They are probably the next size up metric. I rod out the tubes with that bit and cordless drill every 5 years or so. There is definitely some scale removed into the flutes of the drill and I see the engine temp come up to normal quicker. Hard to tell if it is cooler as the thermostat regulates it at least until the scale build up would be really bad. This technique saves additional disassembly and the need to have it professionally boiled. I try to keep things simple if possible.

 

[Steve Dion]

Clean the tubes with a gun cleaning cleaning kit.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Clean the tubes with a gun cleaning cleaning kit.

The gun cleaning kit was too big for my heat exchanger. I used some thing rod.

A radiator shop can clean and pressure test the hx.