More Beta cooling syustem woes

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Now I am struggling to get the drain plug for the fresh water coolant system out.

It is a small square drain plug under the fuel pump. I got a spanner on it that I was sure is the right size (8mm) it just started to slip and graunch it, so I stopped. The plug is still covered in paint as it has never been out (engine is 6 years old). Is it possible that it is a non-metric size? (Say 5/32" ? )

I don't think there is any other way to drain the system completely - or even partially? Should I try heating the plug (tricky so near the fuel pump?) or what else would the panel suggest?

- W
 
I had the same problem, and think I went for a small adjustable in the end. Took a bit of fiddling to get the right tool as you need a square spanner a bit like a radiator bleeder.

However, no coolant came out as it was completely blocked. Have changed the coolant once by taking out of the base of the heat exchanger (or maybe the pipe off the thermostat), but it only gets half of it out. Added fresh water and repeated several times till coolant near clear, and then topped back up with antifreeze. Will need to get the elbow off in a year or two and try and clear the drain that way, but will mean taking one of the bearers off.
 
Hmmm I've never actually drained the coolant, now that I think of it. Wasn't sure where to find the drain plug. I just topped it up again after I'd disassembled the heat exchanger.

Nick- did you find anything in your exchanger? Mine had an impeller blade in it...
 
My Beta 722 has a winged drain tap, not a plain plug, so can't help you there. But once you get the plug off you might also need to poke a piece of steel wire down the hole in order to get the coolant running. Especially the first time. Good luck!
 
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Well, it's all been a great success so far !

I didn't manage to get the rear end of the heat exchanger housing off in spite of tapping with a bit of wood, prising, levering, sticking a socket handle in the water outlet and levering to induce rotation etc etc.

I didn't manage to pull the heat exchanger out forwards with the bolt, couldn't get the 'O' ring out and didn't want to lever it out witha screwdriver, damage it, still be unable to get the exchanger out and now have a leak from a damaged 'O' ring.

I eventually put the whole thing back together again before I managed to damage something. Didn't get the drain tap undone either, so basically achieved absolutely nothing cooling system wise apart from changing the anode. I consoled myself by changing the fan belt and impeller, jobs I am actually capable of.

- W
 
Ach well, you can worry about in when you lay her up at the end of the season.
( note to self: find drain plug on my Beta 30 and make sure it comes out...)

Did ye get yer new halyard? Still got the music box sitting on the bench.
 
Hi,
know you have reassembled heat exchanger but here is my experience for what its worth.
check the rear cap is water tight, hot salty water will have a field day with ally casting.
no need to remove heat exchanger just push drill (by hand) though the holes from front to back then blow air through tubes
replace o rings every time they are only pennies
take time to seat o rings before replacing caps use Vaseline to make job easier.
If you really want to remove HE then spend time with electrical screwdriver removing salt etc from around HE and body
The block drain is a pile of poo, ally that corrodes , replace with ordinary bolt, probably find when its removed no water will flow , just prod around or put a mains pressure water hose in it, it will only be little bit of crud
Hope that helps
Keith
 
my beta 14 has a butterfly drain tap and even fully undone nothing came out. however, a poke with a bit of wire soon released the whole flow. didn't take much effort.

easy to get disillusioned but do have another go!
 
uxb said:
Ach well, you can worry about in when you lay her up at the end of the season.
( note to self: find drain plug on my Beta 30 and make sure it comes out...)

Did ye get yer new halyard? Still got the music box sitting on the bench.
Click to expand...

She won't be gettin laid up again for two or three years - new mooring riser going in with the last of the spare sailing cash.

Ended up getting a new halliard on Ebay - 99p/metre for low-stretch 10mm doublebraid. Something to do with it being black and orange I think.

Hang on to the music box - I feel our paths will cross soon.

- W
 
cagey said:
. . .
no need to remove heat exchanger just push drill (by hand) though the holes from front to back then blow air through tubes
replace o rings every time they are only pennies
take time to seat o rings before replacing caps use Vaseline to make job easier.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I couldn't get the rear cap off though, so poking through and blowing wasn't really an option.

Couldn't remove the front 'O' ring either - it seemed inevitable that I would destroy it in the process and probably not be able to get a new one in, so I decied that for today discretion was the better part . . .
 
Burnham Bob said:
my beta 14 has a butterfly drain tap and even fully undone nothing came out. however, a poke with a bit of wire soon released the whole flow. didn't take much effort.

easy to get disillusioned but do have another go!
Click to expand...

I've tried twice to get the drain plug out but it is just a square 'nut' apparently made of cheese - and of course it has been painted into the engine block for six years now.

Is there any other way to get a significant percentage of the coolant out, do you think?

Hard to believe I once had business cards with the word 'engineer' on them :-(

- W
 
BabaYaga said:
My Beta 722 has a winged drain tap, not a plain plug, so can't help you there. But once you get the plug off you might also need to poke a piece of steel wire down the hole in order to get the coolant running. Especially the first time. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I drained the coolant for the first time out of our Beta 35 last night. Had this same problem, opened the tap, nothing. So I unscrewed the entire tap bit and still nothing. So in went Mr Coat Hanger and poked through the crud. Then bam! Water everywhere!
 
cagey said:
check the rear cap is water tight, hot salty water will have a field day with ally casting.
The block drain is a pile of poo, ally that corrodes , replace with ordinary bolt, probably find when its removed no water will flow , just prod around or put a mains pressure water hose in it, it will only be little bit of crud
Hope that helps
Keith
Click to expand...

The Heat exchanger and the drain pipe/plug are all brass or bronze, not aluminium. There's no corrosion evident on mine which is now 10+ years old.
I'm not sure when it was introduced but the latest manual available on the Beta site is many times better than the original one that came with the engine, well worth a look.
 
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