Cleaning heat exchanger is a regular service job. (Volvo 2030)

[slipknot]

My high temp alarm went off last year when I ran my engine at full chat for an hour or so. I have to confess that Ive never removed the heat exchanger on the engine in my 10 years of ownership. I doubt that it had been removed in the prior ownership either.
Having removed it for cleaning I can only reccommend for those like me, who religiously do the usual service items, add the heat exchanger to a 3 to 5 year interval. Mine was so gummed up, covered in limescale on the outside (freshwater side) that it has taken quite some effort to restore it to its 'good as new' condition. A good soaking in Rydlyme removed the sludge and scale, and ive contined to rinse it 10/15 times and its still giving up scale from the inner cores.
Once done, I'm sure it will make a massive difference to the cooling effectiveness. If you havn't done yours for a while, I suggest its a job worth doing.

 

[Tamar]

Good advice.. the Perkins perama 100 series is exactly the same engine.

 

[Beneteau381]

My high temp alarm went off last year when I ran my engine at full chat for an hour or so. I have to confess that Ive never removed the heat exchanger on the engine in my 10 years of ownership. I doubt that it had been removed in the prior ownership either.
Having removed it for cleaning I can only reccommend for those like me, who religiously do the usual service items, add the heat exchanger to a 3 to 5 year interval. Mine was so gummed up, covered in limescale on the outside (freshwater side) that it has taken quite some effort to restore it to its 'good as new' condition. A good soaking in Rydlyme removed the sludge and scale, and ive contined to rinse it 10/15 times and its still giving up scale from the inner cores.
Once done, I'm sure it will make a massive difference to the cooling effectiveness. If you havn't done yours for a while, I suggest its a job worth doing.

I would be concerned that the fresh water side is limed up, the “antifreeze” additives should prevent scaling, in fact in a perfect world you should use de ionised water to mix with it. So no lime in it to precipitate. Are you sure that you dont have a sea water contamination?

 

[slipknot]

I would be concerned that the fresh water side is limed up, the “antifreeze” additives should prevent scaling, in fact in a perfect world you should use de ionised water to mix with it. So no lime in it to precipitate. Are you sure that you dont have a sea water contamination?

I see your point. It’s more of a baked on sludge. I changed the AF 10 years ago, never topped up since and it’s as still a similar colour to the new stuff so don’t think it’s being diluted.

 

[Sealong]

My high temp alarm went off last year when I ran my engine at full chat for an hour or so. I have to confess that Ive never removed the heat exchanger on the engine in my 10 years of ownership. I doubt that it had been removed in the prior ownership either.
Having removed it for cleaning I can only reccommend for those like me, who religiously do the usual service items, add the heat exchanger to a 3 to 5 year interval. Mine was so gummed up, covered in limescale on the outside (freshwater side) that it has taken quite some effort to restore it to its 'good as new' condition. A good soaking in Rydlyme removed the sludge and scale, and ive contined to rinse it 10/15 times and its still giving up scale from the inner cores.
Once done, I'm sure it will make a massive difference to the cooling effectiveness. If you havn't done yours for a while, I suggest its a job worth doing.

Don't forget to clean out the exhaust elbow too. I did mine last year along with the heat exchanger. I found that brick-cleaner (diluted hydrochloric acid) from B&Q was very effective at de-scaling the exhaust elbow.

 

[West Coast]

Don't forget to clean out the exhaust elbow too. I did mine last year along with the heat exchanger. I found that brick-cleaner (diluted hydrochloric acid) from B&Q was very effective at de-scaling the exhaust elbow.

Agree that the heat exchanger should be regularly checked - I had an overheat problem on my 2003 VP a few years back, on dismantling I found a number of small mussels growing inside the salt water circuit in the exchanger! The boat had been on a temporary mooring near a mussel farm in Loch Melfort and I always wondered if this was the source. Then, on lift out this year, I noticed the saildrive leg on my newer boat also had small mussels growing just inside the water intake areas - so will be dismantling the heat exchanger in the next few weeks to check. And yes, the boat had spent a month or so on the same temporary mooring last year........

 

[Beneteau381]

Antifreeze should be changed every 4 years, It deteriorates, I was involved with sorting an overheating VP. The dealer rodded the intercooler, flushed the system, changed the water pump, then skimmed the head. €10k later they finally found out the same as you, or nearly, the outside of the tubes were coated with a jelly like substance Caused by mixing the latest af with old stuff! I suspect your issue has been caused by old af. You need to use the oldtupe of green stuff.

 

[PaulR]

done ours once so far on our 2030 when temp gauge showed was getting hotter on higher load running- used dynamic descaler and wooden bamboo sticks to rod out tubes - perfect since - also did big flush through of freshwater circuit and fresh antifreeze at same time - checked exhaust elbow - ours is hi rise type - and it seemed fine but couldn't easily get exhaust hose off - is there a nack to doing it?