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 Post subject: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 28 Aug 2014 07:26 
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Skipper

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 12:51
Posts: 251
A question for you salt water boaters.....

How fast does salt build up in your exhaust riser pipe from engine salt water use ?

What were your symptoms when your exhaust riser started to clog with salt ?

How often do you clean to keep ahead of it ?

How did you give your exhaust system from the riser out a good cleaning ?

Thanks..


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 28 Aug 2014 08:25 
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Skipper

Joined: 27 Oct 2006 10:32
Posts: 827
I am assuming your talking about the mixing elbow? I just replaced mine and it was about ten years ago when I had changed it out before that. I have heard that 5-8 years is normal................I think a lot has to do with the material it is made from whether it's cast iron or stainless or regular steel......


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 28 Aug 2014 08:54 
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Skipper

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 12:51
Posts: 251
yes, the "90 DEGREE WATER INJECTED ELBOW".

I suspect the nipple where the hose connects is getting clogged. I'm not close to the boat right now otherwise I would have already checked it; something I've thought about since I left the boat last week. I've been in salt water for about 11 months. I thoroughly clean all of the sea water system with barnacle buster and back flush the HX. All is good there but I've never checked the riser/injection elbow for salt buildup. I've slowly had a eng temp rise ever since I've been in salt water and could not explain it. I have NEW everything and like I said, keep the system flushed.

I hope I'm right about it, it's the only thing I haven't checked.

Last year I installed a new HX which took care of an overheating problem at that time.

Which is more susceptible to salt build up, cast iron or aluminum elbows?


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 29 Aug 2014 13:16 
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Skipper

Joined: 27 Oct 2006 10:32
Posts: 827
Mike,
The elbow does indeed get clogged with rust/corrosion and will impede flow so you're right in getting it checked out. My wife and I were cruising this summer and the overheat alarm went off and that was the first thing I checked (I was suspicious anyway due to external rust breaking through) and sure enough, it was stopped up pretty good with corrosion. Mine was a Yanmar unit made out of cast iron and it was choked down pretty small.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 30 Aug 2014 13:25 
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Skipper

Joined: 21 Oct 2006 18:12
Posts: 325
I took a drill bit and carefully reemed it out, worked great for 5 years til
I changed the whole thing out,
Richard


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 01 Sep 2014 16:29 
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Skipper

Joined: 14 Jul 2012 20:36
Posts: 495
Location: Norfolk, Va
I run white vinegar thru the whole saltwater system, does a good job on the heat exchanger.

_________________
Hull #208, Puff Card
Southern Chesapeake Bay


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 13 Sep 2014 14:07 
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Skipper

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 12:51
Posts: 251
Well live and learn.... Success.... this just about drove me crazy until I figured it out.

Got to the boat last week. Removed the water hose connection to the 90 degree mixing elbow. I fashioned a poker from a metal clothes hanger. When I first poked down the tube it was not easy to get it all the way down. I kept up the agitation until it moved freely down the tube. I must have had a lot of salt buildup. Took the boat for a spin and it ran 5 degrees cooler, right at 179/180 degrees.

So, the lesson here, for me is when you clean out the sea water side of your cooling system, clean out the mixing elbow too or at least check it for rust/salt buildup. A visual check of water flow at the back of the boat is not sufficient to tell if your elbow is starting to clog up. Mine looked fine to start with. After cleaning the elbow, visually checking afterwards, I can't tell any difference in water flow. The back pressure from this most likely caused the rapid demise of my sea water pump impeller.

When I clean out the sea water side I generally disconnect the hose that exists the oil cooler and hook it up to a separate electric water pump that I have, the water pump (in) hose goes in a bucket filled with water/barnacle buster mixture. I take the hose at the water pump (water out) and put it in the bucket also. I let the pump run nearly all day. I forgot to mention that I take out my zincs and replace with the zinc bolt with no zinc in it. I do this once a year but the exhaust elbow is going to need a 4 month check from now because of how fast the salt built up.

While I was out, boat underway I had a cooking thermometer and measured the temp of the water exiting the stern of the boat. The water temp coming out of the boat was 120 degrees. If any of you have done this before what was your water temp ?


 
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 Post subject: Re: Exhaust and Exhaust Riser Cleaning - Salt Water Use
PostPosted: 22 Oct 2015 07:07 
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Skipper

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 12:51
Posts: 251
I ordered the new exhaust elbow for the W50 engine. The angle took some engineering but works like a charm,,,, happy sailor again.
http://shop.toadmarinesupply.com/ships_store/index.php?p=details&mfc=Westerbeke&sku=33067&sectionid=


 
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