Cleaning out heat exchange stacks on TAMD41B

[Adrianwool]

Hello, is it a comparitively easy job to clean out the HE stacks on Volvo TAMD41Bs?, I guess the easy way is to remove them in their entirity from the engine and clean on the bench. Logically I can see that raw water seacocks need to be off, plus the closed circut feed to the stacks needs to be isolated (either via valves or draindown). Anyone aware of any other nasties with this job?.

Advice appreciated

 

[Pendana]

If you have raw water sea cocks it is best to close them however I think you'll find the HE's are above the water line anyway. I think it would be less work if you did it insitu. It means lieing on the engines and grovelling at the back of the engines whilst cleaning out the tube stacks. You can flush through by pouring water through the raw water strainers which will empty into the bilge which can then be mopped up.

Eddie

 

[burgundyben]

Brick cleaner is good for descaling.

Weigh them before and after, you'll have an idea of how much crud you have removed.

Rifle cleaning brushes on ebay can help.

 

[ChrisKaye]

Yep simple job to take the thingy off and stand in a bucket and pour descaler ( I used Mr Muscle limescale remover, but rydlime better or brick cleaner solution) inside. As mentioned the .22 rifle cleaning brushes are v useful. Dont forget the oil cooler too, I never took this one off but just took cover off one end and pipe and anode bolt out and rodded that through once wel soaked. If i could do it then anyone can !

 

[volvopaul]

Yep simple job to take the thingy off and stand in a bucket and pour descaler ( I used Mr Muscle limescale remover, but rydlime better or brick cleaner solution) inside. As mentioned the .22 rifle cleaning brushes are v useful. Dont forget the oil cooler too, I never took this one off but just took cover off one end and pipe and anode bolt out and rodded that through once wel soaked. If i could do it then anyone can !

Yes Chris you certainly did, and how are those "chicken fingers"

 

[ChrisKaye]

Hi Paul, no I meant I did this on my old boat with AD41's not this new one where you did it for me and I just watched .

Oh and one thing to bear in mind, do not do like I did with the oil cooler. I could feel a little stone in there and could hold it inbetween my little fingers (one poked through the water pipe hole and the other thru the anode bolt hole) but couldnt get the b**tard thing out, thought I would give it one last go and got my finger well and truly stuck. The more you try the more bruised it got and swelled up. I tried to reach my mobi, but it was just out of reach as I had put it somewhere higher to stop it falling in the engine bay, so I couldnt ring missus or even the fire brigade ! and as usual in these situations, there was no one about anywhere.

After about an hour I was even seriously thinking about cutting the top part of my finger off, dont know how it eventually became free but I wont forget that in a hurry