Do I really need to drain coolant?

eddystone

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I want to check the heat exchanger tube stack on a Beta 30 engine. Do I really need to drain the coolant or can I not just catch what comes out when I remove the end caps and top up? Not sure I can find the drain tap anyway.
 

stevie69p

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How long has it been in there? I've just done mine on a Beta 20 today. The drain tap on that is on the block just under the fuel lift pump. I drained, flushed and replaced it. It's not like it takes a huge quantity of anti freeze. If you're feeling ultra stingy, you could catch and reuse just the stuff that comes out of the heat exchanger I suppose...
 

doug748

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I want to check the heat exchanger tube stack on a Beta 30 engine. Do I really need to drain the coolant or can I not just catch what comes out when I remove the end caps and top up? Not sure I can find the drain tap anyway.


For a quick job you can get most of it out with a turkey baster and wack it back in. If it looks grim put in on the list for next winter.

.
 

prv

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Coolant generally has a replacement interval, so if it hasn’t been done recently and you’re breaking into the circuit anyway to open the heat exchanger, it might be a convenient time to replace it.

Pete
 

BabaYaga

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I want to check the heat exchanger tube stack on a Beta 30 engine. Do I really need to drain the coolant or can I not just catch what comes out when I remove the end caps and top up? Not sure I can find the drain tap anyway.

Nothing but raw water will come out when the end caps are removed. It is not until the first of the two O-rings is taken off that the coolant will start flowing. To catch it then is tricky, much better to drain some of it beforehand. If not by the tap (could be blocked), it is easy to siphon a litre or so out with the help of a thin hose through the filler.
header%20tank.jpg.jpg
 

stevie69p

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If you take the hose off the top of the fresh water pump, you can get a fair amount of it drained off into a container held below it. That then just leaves the remainder in the block which might be trickier to catch depending on access...
 

eddystone

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As engine only done just over 50 hours wouldn’t have thought it needs renewing yet and I only have enough to make up 2L of new stuff (blue mono ethylene glycol presume that’s ok)
With only previous experience being with raw water cooled engine it just hadn’t occurred to me that there is raw water as well as coolant in there! How do you stop raw water leaking into the fresh water circuit?
If air gets into the fresh water system does it automatically purge itself when you run the engine (can’t do it under load as I’m on swinging mooring)
 

VicS

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As engine only done just over 50 hours wouldn’t have thought it needs renewing yet and I only have enough to make up 2L of new stuff (blue mono ethylene glycol presume that’s ok)
With only previous experience being with raw water cooled engine it just hadn’t occurred to me that there is raw water as well as coolant in there! How do you stop raw water leaking into the fresh water circuit?
If air gets into the fresh water system does it automatically purge itself when you run the engine (can’t do it under load as I’m on swinging mooring)

I think you will find that the manual specifies an "extended life" antifreeze**. I take that to mean an OAT type rather than a conventional low silicate type.
Your blue antifreeze is almost certainly a low silicate type
Low silicate types are usually blue or green while OAT types are usually red or yellow ........ but you cannot entirely rely on the colour... its what's on the label that counts

Whatever DO NOT mix conventional and OAT types and DO NOT switch from conventional to OAT without chemically cleaning the system ( Oxalic acid flush)

For top up either stick to the same type that is in there at present or use a universal top-up antifreeze.

**Check with the Beta Installation Guide and Operators Manual regarding recommended type and filling and topping up procedure.
 
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penberth3

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I want to check the heat exchanger tube stack on a Beta 30 engine. Do I really need to drain the coolant or can I not just catch what comes out when I remove the end caps and top up? Not sure I can find the drain tap anyway.

Short cuts can be tempting, but I'd take the opportunity to find the drain tap and make sure it works. You'll need it one day.
 

eddystone

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Well I had decided I’d better leave that job until I had an adequate amount of anti-freeze but thought I’d better check the anode. Disaster - the head of the bolt sheared off so now we’ll and truly stuffed. I can push a cotton bud right through the centre of the threaded part so presumably anode has been used up - god knows what has been eaten up - new heat exchanger?
 

VicS

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Well I had decided I’d better leave that job until I had an adequate amount of anti-freeze but thought I’d better check the anode. Disaster - the head of the bolt sheared off so now we’ll and truly stuffed. I can push a cotton bud right through the centre of the threaded part so presumably anode has been used up - god knows what has been eaten up - new heat exchanger?

I fond this picture of the drain tap in my picture folder. Dunno where it came from but you may find it helpful

Beta drain tap.JPG
 

doug748

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Well I had decided I’d better leave that job until I had an adequate amount of anti-freeze but thought I’d better check the anode. Disaster - the head of the bolt sheared off so now we’ll and truly stuffed. I can push a cotton bud right through the centre of the threaded part so presumably anode has been used up - god knows what has been eaten up - new heat exchanger?


I guess you sure it has sheared off? When the anode is used up there is just the brass stub left

1589994664018.png

Commonly the whole lot is replaced though you can get replacement anodes.

You would be unlucky to have any significant damage on a 50hr engine but new Betas do go through anodes very quickly and then settle down after the first year.

PS
A screw extractor may get the reamains out if you can get to it.

PPS
I think the anode is in the end cap.....if so happy days, you can get it onto the bench

.

.
 
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Rich T

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Well I had decided I’d better leave that job until I had an adequate amount of anti-freeze but thought I’d better check the anode. Disaster - the head of the bolt sheared off so now we’ll and truly stuffed. I can push a cotton bud right through the centre of the threaded part so presumably anode has been used up - god knows what has been eaten up - new heat exchanger?
As doug748 shows in this picture you should be left with simply the brass stub. The remains of the anode may be waiting however to block the heat exchanger tubes. Betas can sometimes be a little on the limit when it comes to running temperatures so I would remove the end caps, heat exchanger and give it all a good clean out. I have found it pays to remove the heat exchanger every year, the end caps can be a ****** to remove if left too long. Doing it every year turns it into a simple easy job rather than a struggle. Replace antifreeze (my Beta20 only needs 3lts) new O rings (bit of silicon grease on them) every other year, new anode every season and it is neither expensive or arduous. I very much doubt you will have suffered any serious heat exchanger damage.
Good luck, Richard
 

david_bagshaw

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wouldnt put back anything caught with the end cap off, as there might be some of the "sea Water" in it, + mud.

equally when the tubes are drawn there might be sediment as well.
 

eddystone

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As doug748 shows in this picture you should be left with simply the brass stub. The remains of the anode may be waiting however to block the heat exchanger tubes. Betas can sometimes be a little on the limit when it comes to running temperatures so I would remove the end caps, heat exchanger and give it all a good clean out. I have found it pays to remove the heat exchanger every year, the end caps can be a ****** to remove if left too long. Doing it every year turns it into a simple easy job rather than a struggle. Replace antifreeze (my Beta20 only needs 3lts) new O rings (bit of silicon grease on them) every other year, new anode every season and it is neither expensive or arduous. I very much doubt you will have suffered any serious heat exchanger damage.
Good luck, Richard
Would post a photo but my phone wont communicate with computer at the moment. The head of the anode holder has sheared leaving the brass threaded section stuck in the end cap housing - I take it there is a section of the anode material that goes right into the threaded part of the nut. I was able to insert a cotton bud right through the remains of the nut which is how i know the anode has gone. Thank you (and others) for pointing out there may be bits of anode stuck in the heat exchanger somewhere - I wouldn't have thought of that. So the question now is whether the brass thread has welded itself to the aluminium (?) end cap in which case new end cap required or if can be extracted without damaging the cap.
 

VicS

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. So the question now is whether the brass thread has welded itself to the aluminium (?) end cap in which case new end cap required or if can be extracted without damaging the cap.

Go are going to remove the end caps to inspect / clean the tubes so dot mess about trying to do anything in situ

Once its on the bench two possibilitie i would consider

a.) very carefully drill it out

b.) drill out the remains of the anode if there are any, tap a thread in the hole, thread in a bolt, from the inside ( thats a bolt not a set screw) to the full depth of its thread. heat the whole lot in boiling water. or hot oil and try to screw the brokemn bit out by srewing the bolt in tighter
 
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