Heat exchanger caps - Grease?

[LittleSister]

Bowman heat exchanger, type with rubber end caps. The outer part of the cap clamps (with Jubilee type clip) to the hose tail forming part of the body of the heat exchanger, the inner clamps directly to the tubular heat exchanger 'stack'. The rubber end caps were difficult to get off as they were fairly stuck to the metal. (I've no idea when they were last apart - probably years.)

I was intending to smear a little grease on the joins to prevent them sticking to aid future disassembly. However, the caps depend on gripping the metal to hold everything together, so they mustn't be able to slide off. Should I grease or not? And if so what type - standard waterproof grease? silicone grease?

 

[alahol2]

As you are talking some form of rubber I would use silicone grease or red rubber grease. As for whether it would hold or not I don't know you can only really give it a try.

 

[LittleSister]

As you are talking some form of rubber I would use silicone grease or red rubber grease.

Thanks.

As for whether it would hold or not I don't know you can only really give it a try.

I was hoping if it wouldn't hold I could put it down to someone else's experience rather than mine!

 

[theoldsalt]

My thoughts are that by adding grease you will probably find the end caps inconveniently slide off due to the coolant pressure even with the hose clips very tight.

So I certainly would not recommend the use of grease. If the end caps are difficult to remove then on the rare occasion it becomes necessary cut them off and replace with new ones. They don't last for ever and should probably be replaces every few years anyway as part of routine maintenance.

 

[LittleSister]

My thoughts are that by adding grease you will probably find the end caps inconveniently slide off due to the coolant pressure even with the hose clips very tight.

So I certainly would not recommend the use of grease. If the end caps are difficult to remove then on the rare occasion it becomes necessary cut them off and replace with new ones. They don't last for ever and should probably be replaces every few years anyway as part of routine maintenance.

Thanks.

They weren't so hard to get off I had to demolish them (though I did begin to wonder), but my intention is to reassemble using new caps (found in a box of spares that came with the boat) and keep the old ones aboard as emergency spares.