Heat exchanger and Oil cooler advice

[jon and michie]

Hi - my boat was first used in 2007 (2005 model) it has a single Kad 300 A engine with approx 310 hrs use.
will my oil cooler and heat exchanger require a clean up ? and what is the best way to do these 2 tasks.
The boat is currently out of the water.

many thanks for any help

Jon

 

[longjohnsilver]

I'd give Rydlyme a go. I've been using it for many years, has worked well for me. If you can keep it circulating it's even more effective.

 

[Plum]

Hi - my boat was first used in 2007 (2005 model) it has a single Kad 300 A engine with approx 310 hrs use.
will my oil cooler and heat exchanger require a clean up ? and what is the best way to do these 2 tasks.
The boat is currently out of the water.

many thanks for any help

Jon

What makes you think they need attention?

 

[oldgit]

If access is good you just pop off one of the oil cooler (first inline after water pump) water hoses and look inside at end of brass tube stack It will be obvious if the stack is coated with any deposits.
A simply reverse flush on my engine,with a hosepipe did dislodge several bits of vegetable matter and the odd old impellor fragment .
You can just fill the system and leave to marinate with the various dissolving agents but without a doubt the best solution is to set up some sort of recirculation pump.
One chap acheived amazing results by pumping the solution for two hours in one direction and then two more hours in the other.

 

[Bandit]

The KAD 300 is an excellent engine but it needs looking after to keep it that way.

There are two serious issues to look for blocking of the cooler stack especially in a single engine boat, the more serious is the condition of the cooler housing.

Cooler stack and oil cooler and seawater/ freshwater cooler stacks remove inspect carefully and soak in Rydlyme not brick cleaner. Those windowsill planters you buy at garden centres are good for this.

Our advice at 12 years or more is to remove all the coolers , dismantle and inspect carefully, the oil coolers especially are cast Aluminium and have Aluminium end caps, between the end of the cooler body and the end cap there are rubber rings and a bronze ring.

Limescale plaque builds up around the o ring and starts to seep out leaving a saltwater drip on the outside of the cooler housingat the bottom. In a hot engine room this partially dries leaving a strong salt brine drip which bridges the Aluminium housing and the bronze ring . This causes the Aluminium to corrode, itecomes crumbly and can lead to a catastrophic loss of the lube oil which is under pressure seizing the engine.we have seen this in 42, 43, 44 and 300 series engines at 12 years and older.

It is very difficult to see without removing the cooler and dismantling,

Preventative maintenance can save you a lot of money. Also remove and inspect inspect the exhaust injection bend and check the sump for corrosion.

 

[jon and michie]

Thank you for the replies so far.

now my time at the boat when I visit next is limited can I remove the heat exchanger and oil cooler and clean these out at home ? if so how do I remove them ?

Jon

 

[PCUK]

I have always dismantled and mechanically cleaned, heat exchangers, oil coolers and charge air coolers every three years as a matter of course. Not sure whether Rydlym removes shell-fish. Maybe it does?

 

[Bandit]

Brick cleaner is dilute HCL and is aggressive to the cores of coolers and Aluminium. It changes the colour of a cooler stack, looks pinker.

Rydlyme is easy on my hands and cleans up all limescale leaving the cooler stack looking exactly the same colour as a new one.

 

[BruceK]

Thank you for the replies so far.

now my time at the boat when I visit next is limited can I remove the heat exchanger and oil cooler and clean these out at home ? if so how do I remove them ?

Jon

First belts and super charger

Then air filter and SC manifold followed by coolant expansion tank

Then the hoses and drain the system. 2 bungs and hoses under the exchanger for draining, two hoses at back of strainer for raw water , 2 underneath and inside for coolant

Then take off front heat exchanger bracket and remove with a anti clockwise twist and lift to clear rear hose connectors.

Then pump out the bilge. Coolant always ends up in the blimmin bilge making a huge mess of everything

 

[jon and michie]

Thank you BruceK - Much appreciated - pictures tell a thousand words fortunately it would appear I have a slightly larger space to work around
So am I correct in thinking that the oil cooler is behind the heat exchanger ?

thank you for the help so far

Jon

 

[BruceK]

more under and tucked up behind yes. You can see it but I think working on it other than hose fitment will still be impractical. If you can, dont tell me, I dont want to know

 

[stelican]

Thank you for the replies so far.

now my time at the boat when I visit next is limited can I remove the heat exchanger and oil cooler and clean these out at home ? if so how do I remove them ?

Jon

Yes quite easy to remove and take home if you have your own transport! You will also need some basic toolsit will be obvious what needs releasing when you look closely at the units although hoses may need some working to release.
refit with new seals

 

[jon and michie]

Thank you stelican - do you know if I need any imperial sized spanners / sockets and does anyone know the part numbers for the seals - are they volvo only or does keyparts stock them ?

jon

 

[jon and michie]

Am I correct in thinking that this is the oil cooler ?




Jon

 

[stelican]

Am I correct in thinking that this is the oil cooler ?


View attachment 84139

Jon

Yes

 

[stelican]

Thank you stelican - do you know if I need any imperial sized spanners / sockets and does anyone know the part numbers for the seals - are they volvo only or does keyparts stock them ?

jon

All metric
I would buy genuine seals at least you will know they should be correct size

 

[jon and michie]

Thanks again stelican - it would appear to be a straight forward enough job.

so my next question is how much rydlyme would I need to both the heat exchanger and the oil cooler ?

jon

 

[BruceK]

rydlyme is great and I've used it successfully myself. But it wont rid you of any plant or other foreign matter (impeller bits etc) so it's always worth a look

 

[jon and michie]

Thanks Brucek - where else would I need to look?
Jon

 

[BruceK]

There are:

Steering hydraulic oil cooler that is inline before the raw water pump. Near starter motor.
Oil cooler
Charge air cooler (intercooler)
Heat exchanger