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 Post subject: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 03 Dec 2006 13:36 
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Skipper

Joined: 05 Nov 2006 11:10
Posts: 321
Location: Chesapeake Bay
I have a Westerbeake W50, it is running very hot (200). I have replaced the thermostat, the coolant, the impeller and checked the intake for clogging. The only thing left that I can think of is the heat exchanger. I have attempted to take it off but what a pain in the A&% and I gave up for now. Anyone have any thoughts what else I can do or how to get the heat exchanger off?

It has been mentioned that it could simply be the temp gauge itself?

Thoughts, thanks,

Shawn

Tartan

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Hull #358 "Windgeist"
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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 04 Dec 2006 10:30 
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Joined: 27 Oct 2006 10:32
Posts: 827
The heat exchanger should be cleaned out every season or two when in salt water. You should also check the exhaust injection elbow. this is where the hot exhaust gasses mix with sea water to cool it down before it gets to the muffler. This elbow is problematic in that it has a limited life span before it chokes down from corrosion. It is expensive to replace with a factory model but you can get on fabricated by a local machine shop.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 04 Dec 2006 18:44 
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Joined: 20 Oct 2006 16:10
Posts: 687
Location: Out of Waukegan, IL
Any reduction in water throughput?

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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 05 Dec 2006 06:44 
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Joined: 27 Oct 2006 10:32
Posts: 827
Yes, if the heat exchanger gets clogged up or the mixing elbow gets clogged up from corrosion, both with slow the flow of raw water running thru the system. The mixing elbow could be a pain to inspect, the removal of it should be straight forward, but the threads are often corroded.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 07 Dec 2006 16:34 
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Joined: 05 Nov 2006 11:10
Posts: 321
Location: Chesapeake Bay
Thanks, I will look at the mixing elbow. The exhaust water seems to be running out at a normal rate. In removing the heat exchanger on the W50, have you found a special tool used to remove those stubborn bolts to the inward side of the engine???

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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 08 Dec 2006 06:58 
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Joined: 27 Oct 2006 10:32
Posts: 827
The heat exchanger on my W40 may be slightly different than yours, my exchanger is held in place by two large stainless hose clamps that wrap around the entire tube and thru a flange at the back of the engine. You're not thinking of the coolant reservoir are you? ...Which is bolted in place with two bolts.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 08 Dec 2006 17:12 
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Joined: 21 Oct 2006 15:36
Posts: 268
I had overheating problems with my W50, but I now think I have them solved. The following is a listing of what I did. I can't say that there was one thing the fixed the problem, but I've found from the past that overheating can be caused by a number of small problems, on there own not significant, but when combined cause overheating.

Two years ago I couldn't run the engine greater than ~ 1800 rpm without beginning to overheat. To solve this problem, last winter I did the following:

1. Cleaned the Heat Exchangers: I removed the FW/RW heat exchanger and the lube oil cooler, and had both 'boiled.' I had it done at a radiator shop, and both heat exchangers came back like new. Unfortunately, you need to remove the exhaust manifold to remove the FW/RW heat exchanger. Its not hard - just awkward to do. While you're at it, you can inspect the exhaust elbow for blockage (seawater flow in and/or exhaust). I had none.

Note that there is a rubber 'inspection cap' that goes over the aft end of the FW/RW heat exchanger. Be sure that you get it on correctly. There is a groove in it that needs to fit over the heat exchanger's divider plate. If its on wrong (i.e., water is allowed to bypass the divider plate), you can seriously reduce the heat exchanger's cooling capacity. Its hard to put on correctly with the heat exchanger on the bench; its almost impossible to replace correctly with the heat exchanger on the engine!!!!

While the heat exchangers are out, be sure to replace the zincs.

2. Rebuilt Raw Water Pump: I replaced all items that could affect the pumps capacity: the impeller, cam, cover plate, and back wear plate. Eventhough the ones that were in the pump looked 'OK', it seamed that replacing those items did improve sea water flow.
3. Replaced Water Lines: I replaced all the water lines, both raw water and engine coolant.
4. Cleaned Intake Thru-Hull: Years of bottom paint had partially blocked the intake strainer on the thru-hull. I cleared the slots with a screw driver.
5. Rebuilt the Fresh Water Cooling pump: I had some minor seal leakage so I had the FW pump rebuilt (bearings and seals). A new pump from Westerbeke is about $350. I had mine rebuilt for less than $75, so you may want to do the same.
6. Replaced the coolant:m If the coolant isn't close to 50-50 water to antifreeze, the heat removal capability of the coolant is deminished.
7. Replaced the thermostat: It was working fine, but seemed like a good idea to replace it while I was at it.

After completing all the above, I thought I had my cooling problems solved. Last spring when I launched the boat, I could run the engine indefinitely at 2200 rpm, and the coolant temperature held solid at 180F. I never run the engine greater than 2500 rpm so I don't know how it would have responded at those higher loads. In the Spring at launch, the seawater temperature was about 55F. During the summer, however, as the seawater temperature rose to 65-70F, I noticed that the engine was running slightly warmer at 2000-2200RPM. It never lead to any overheating, but troubled me after all the work I had done.

Well, this winter I pulled the raw water pump to replace the shaft seal (I had slight leakage). Much to my surprise, when I tried to blow air through the discharge fitting (elbow) on the pump, I noticed there was an obstruction. I couldn't see anything from either end of the elbow, so I took the elbow off the pump an 'rodded' it with a stiff piece of wire. I found 3 rubber ends of a failed impeller jambed in the elbow. Those could have been in the pump for years, since I hadn't had any impeller failures. After removing these pieces, I'm surprised I didn't have severe overheating!! Anyway, with those obstructions removed, I convinced that all my cooling problems are now gone. I'm eagerly awaiting next summer.

If anyone, would like to discuss, feel free to contact me off-line.

Jim Voelxen
Odessey
T37C #191

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Jim Voelxen
Odyssey #191
Home Port: Osterville, MA


Last edited by jvoelxen on 09 May 2008 14:23, edited 1 time in total

 
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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 14 Dec 2006 19:44 
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Joined: 10 Nov 2006 22:56
Posts: 171
Location: Portland, Oregon
Thanks, Jim, for the post. I've copied your steps directly into my to do list.

Jay

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Tartan 37 Betty Lou (formerly Rainbow)
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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 21 Dec 2006 20:31 
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Skipper

Joined: 05 Nov 2006 11:10
Posts: 321
Location: Chesapeake Bay
Printing as I write, will give it a go tomorrow, Thanks! Razz

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 Post subject: Re: Engine running hot?
PostPosted: 29 Dec 2006 11:00 
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Skipper

Joined: 29 Dec 2006 09:38
Posts: 656
What Jim on Odessey wrote should be put in the Maintenance section of the T37 Site as it is a very nice distillation of what needs to be done to chase down and prevent overheating problems. I could have used this advice about 15 years ago. Obviously, this is not the stuff you want to do on an annual basis, and it would be hard to give a schedule. I would say anyone with a new to them boat should do this initially then inspect the heat exchanger from the rubber capped end at least once a season (you will need a mirror). You can see into the oil cooler from the hose connections and the pencil zinc opening(don't forget to change them at least annually--more often in an electrically hot marina). In my experience, the oil cooler needs more attention than the heat exchanger in terms of salt residue build up. I would recommend changing the salt pump impeller on a preventative schedule. It is a pain to get the main heat exchanger off the manifold but it can be done by anyone with the patience and the right sized open end wrench. Once you have done all the stuff Jim recommends you can greatly increase the need to do this again (I suggest you do all this stuff yourself for the education and take both exchangers to an experienced radiator shop for boiling and pressure testing), by putting a Y valve and alternate hose on your engine salt water intake and filling the engine with freshwater from a pail when you leave. The insides of my heat exchangers were whistle clean after 500 hours of weekend use. Running a gallon of white vinegar through the thing would help dissolve the salt--you might do this just before you change the pencil zincs.
Oh, and if you lose any of the rubber fins on the salt water pump impeller, you must find them. They should not go beyond the first chamber of the heat exchanger under the rubber cap. but probably will lodge in the hoses or orfices before that.
Isn't boat maintenance fun? You should try it where it is 95 degrees with 95 percent humidity and you have no stores near down here in Panama.

I put about 500 hours on my W-50 in the last year with no problems and the engine had about 3200 hours before that.

Ray Durkee


 
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