Removing exhaust elbow - penta

[RJJ]

Hi everyone. I want to remove the exhaust elbow to clean / check still functional. Boat is in the cradle.

Question please - is it ok to disconnect when I have the raw water system full of antifreeze? Or must I wait until spring - which means when the boat is in the water? (the yard has a blanket ban on engine running which I will observe).

Thank you for advice.

 

[RichardS]

No problem in removing it as any antifreeze would have already found its own level relative to the elbow injection point.

Richard

 

[skipper021]

You'll find the job easier if you take the aft heat exchanger end cap off at the same time as the elbow, the small/90 degree pipe injecting cooling water into the elbow is a bit of a sod to get off, while taking it off still connected to the rubber cap is quite easy.
You may get a dribble of water depending on the installed angle of your engine, but its no big deal.
When reinstalling the elbow, fit the aft end cap to the elbow before offering it up to the engine. To ensure the end cap is installed correctly to the H/E matrix, I would consider taking the forward end cap off, take out the matrix (very easy), then install your elbow with aft cap fitted, then you can make sure that the matrix is correctly seated into the aft cap.

 

[RJJ]

Thanks Richard...advice followed and elbow now in car, for what appears to be its first encounter with caustic soda in some years...

The exhaust exit within the engine is also lined with coke, about 5mm deep. Should i try to dig it out, or attack with something, or leave it be?

 

[skipper021]

Dig it out, the last one I did had a golf ball sized lump of crud in there, and it came out easily.
Not surprising that the engine output was down!

 

[duncan99210]

Just be aware that caustic is not going to remove the grot. Better to use acid of some flavour, brick cleaner is a frequently quoted choice.
Also check it carefully for holes: all too often when you remove the grot you’ll expose holes in the casting, which equals a new elbow.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Just beware that when all the fizzing stops from whatever you soak it in then the wall of the separation piece inside may be very thin and if you poke it with a screwdriver it may collapse. I replaced my elbow on my Volvo 2003 raw water cooled . I paid £175 for a new one from Keypart from memory. The stainless one from others was about £75 more.

 

[RichardS]

Thanks Richard...advice followed and elbow now in car, for what appears to be its first encounter with caustic soda in some years...

The exhaust exit within the engine is also lined with coke, about 5mm deep. Should i try to dig it out, or attack with something, or leave it be?

I would just scrape it out either with an old knife or similar or, ideally, use a wire brush attachment on a drill.

Richard

 

[RJJ]

this is a goner, right?

 

[RJJ]

Water inlet from heat exchanger seen on right hand side; you are looking into the bit that connects to the exhaust.