1984 Catalina 27, Universal M18 diesel I had to replace the exhaust this spring. When I removed the exhaust flange, some liquid came out. If it were pink, I would just assume it was the antifreeze I put in last fall through the seawater intake. But as it pooled in the bilge, I saw that it's green, more like what goes in the engine side of the system. Please tell me that this stuff loses the pink color over time. Otherwise, I suspect I'm looking at a cracked exchanger or worse, cracked block. One last possibility is that the extra ports I referred to in an earlier post are actually supposed to be sealed by the exhaust flange. Perhaps in another application a flange with hose connections to circulate coolant through a fan-cooled radiator is used. It puzzles me, particularly since the original Universal manuals I have show a radiator and fan.
Color blind
- Thread starter T37 Phil
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radiator and fan
Phil, it's a tractor engine, that's why. When "marinized" they replaced the radiator with the Heat Exchanger. Can't help you with the fluids, can't see the colors from here.
Phil, it's a tractor engine, that's why. When "marinized" they replaced the radiator with the Heat Exchanger. Can't help you with the fluids, can't see the colors from here.
It don't change color
Taste it. dip your finger in it and taste it. DO NOT SWALLOW as this can result in a loss of your ability to sail, drive, work, and lots of other fun stuff us living folks enjoy. Engine anti-freeze (green or more recently orange) is sweet while the eco friendly (red) stuff is just plain bad tasting. If you have green coming out of the exhaust port that is a bad thing. If you have green coming out of a "hole in the block" that is probably OK as as Stu said it is a tractor engine and those holes are required to cast the block and are covered by the exhaust manifold. The exhaust ports will have a funny looking rod in them that is the exhaust valve while the "holes in the block" will have very odd innards not at all what you would expect to have hot gases flowing through them. Inspect the exhaust manifold gasket to see if the extra holes show up there. That may give an indication of where the fluids are coming from.
Taste it. dip your finger in it and taste it. DO NOT SWALLOW as this can result in a loss of your ability to sail, drive, work, and lots of other fun stuff us living folks enjoy. Engine anti-freeze (green or more recently orange) is sweet while the eco friendly (red) stuff is just plain bad tasting. If you have green coming out of the exhaust port that is a bad thing. If you have green coming out of a "hole in the block" that is probably OK as as Stu said it is a tractor engine and those holes are required to cast the block and are covered by the exhaust manifold. The exhaust ports will have a funny looking rod in them that is the exhaust valve while the "holes in the block" will have very odd innards not at all what you would expect to have hot gases flowing through them. Inspect the exhaust manifold gasket to see if the extra holes show up there. That may give an indication of where the fluids are coming from.
Taste test?
Thanks, that's what I expected/hoped. I'll try to get a picture tommorrow for the incurably curious. I can't really jam my head in behind the block to get a good look inside the holes. I couldn't say for certain where the source was, but there certainly are several holes, some of which are covered by the flat plate section which makes up a good half of the flange and only one of which lines up with the hole in the flange. Best outcome now, I simply reinstall, refill with 50/50 coolant, and fire it up.
Thanks, that's what I expected/hoped. I'll try to get a picture tommorrow for the incurably curious. I can't really jam my head in behind the block to get a good look inside the holes. I couldn't say for certain where the source was, but there certainly are several holes, some of which are covered by the flat plate section which makes up a good half of the flange and only one of which lines up with the hole in the flange. Best outcome now, I simply reinstall, refill with 50/50 coolant, and fire it up.
Use a finger
Just stick a clean finger into the hole and you should feel the exhaust valve. I try to use all 5 of my senses each time I work on something. ;-)
Just stick a clean finger into the hole and you should feel the exhaust valve. I try to use all 5 of my senses each time I work on something. ;-)
If you can't see it easily
try using a mirror. We keep a small dental type and a car dashboard visor size on board all the time, they come in handy with lotsa uses.
try using a mirror. We keep a small dental type and a car dashboard visor size on board all the time, they come in handy with lotsa uses.
If it has a heat exchanger... you have a closed
fresh water system with internal coolant just like a car. My bet is that you need to refill it now ... You did just what I did when I had to replace the exhaust on my M12. The antifreeze you added to winterize just handled the seawater side of the heat exchanger ... now you have to replace the coolant on the internal engine side of the heat exchanger. Look for a coolant fill cap near the oil fill at the top of the motor ... before you go tasting stuff in the bilge. Basically the heat exchanger replaces cooling air and fan with cooling seawater and pump. Vic "Seven"
fresh water system with internal coolant just like a car. My bet is that you need to refill it now ... You did just what I did when I had to replace the exhaust on my M12. The antifreeze you added to winterize just handled the seawater side of the heat exchanger ... now you have to replace the coolant on the internal engine side of the heat exchanger. Look for a coolant fill cap near the oil fill at the top of the motor ... before you go tasting stuff in the bilge. Basically the heat exchanger replaces cooling air and fan with cooling seawater and pump. Vic "Seven"
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