Diesel Engine - Conversion to Fresh water cooling

[simonlagoe]

I have a Volvo 2002 18Hp which is approx 1991 vintage, and currently raw water cooled. Does anyone have experience of converting this or similar engine to freshwater cooling - what were the pros and cons and approx cost. I'd like to get domestic hot water from the engine.

Thanks!

 

[wotayottie]

you can get domestic hot water from a raw water cooled engine - pal has a Moody 31 with your engine and he has hot water.

My calorifier is too far from the engine for that approach to work but rather than convert the engine (cost maybe £600 and that on an old well wronf 1991 motor) I intend to fit one of the boat heaters that work like a CH boiler and heat the water too.

 

[PCUK]

For calorifier hot water you will need to fit a constant running pump to circulate the water around the calorifier. Available from Jabsco and others. Wired to the ignition switch so that when the engine is switched on the pump runs. Vastly cheaper and simpler than converting to heat-exchanger cooling.

 

[ditchcrawler]

I have a raw water Volvo 2003 which gives hot water via a calorifier & works extremely well.

 

[bigwow]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...A:IT&ih=005

 

[mainmarine]

I have modified engines to freshwater cooling, all you need is a heat exchanger, pump, some pipe and a header tank, you feed the existing seawater from it's pump, through the heat exchanger and out via the exhaust. Connect the freshwater input to the tapping on the engine where the seawater went in, the output that used to go to the exhaust goes via the new pump to the calorifier, then through heat exchanger and back to the engine to complete the closed circuit. The header tank fits at a level above the engine and is teed in to the pipework to keep the system topped up and cope with expansion. It would be wise to fit a new thermostat on the engine to allow it to operate at a higher temperature. You can get most bits on e-bay and a header tank from a car breaker.

 

[BAtoo]

Our 2003 Volvo had raw water heating the calorifier -- warm/hot water leaving the engine simply goes through the calorifier on it's way out; all run by the normal impeller & it worked fine.

I now have 2002 raw water and installing a calorifier is "on-the-list" & it probably will be heated with raw water.

 

[simonlagoe]

Thanks to all for the feedback and suggestions - increased my meagre mechanical knowledge significantly!