Volvo cooling water pipe joints

[cpedw]

The engine is a VP 2003, fresh water cooled. The problem is a slow leak (drip) from one of the raw water connections to the heat exchanger. The sealing arrangement seems very Heath-Robinson but it has worked for several years (and presumably for many years before I owned it).

Any suggestions for making a reliable joint here? There's going to be fun sealing the end caps back onto the heat exchanger I expect, as they and the seawater pipes are all held in place by one long threaded rod as far as I can see.

All advice gratefully received before I turn a minor drama into a crisis.

Derek

 

[scottie]

Loosen both ends before removing any pipes to avoid mis shaping do not bend the pipe out of shape
The sealing relies on the there being some spring in the pipe which hold it in place

 

[bigwow]

Use new rubber seals and when replacing them use a little Vaseline on them so they seat evenly.

 

[Cspirit]

I have the same engine and have had the same problem. I tried various sealants/new washers etc without success. The joints continued to leak. In the end, I found that the cause of the problem was the clamp that holds the exchanger to the engine block. The weld had become weak and the exchanger was continually flexing allowing the joints to leak. As I'm sure you are aware, this design relies upon the exchanger being firmly locked in place to allow the joints to be held in place by pressure. I called Keypart who informed me that a new exchanger would be telephone numbers. After letting this news sink in, he then told me that they could sell me a new separate band bracket for a few quid which replaces the welded on one. I fitted this and - problem solved. PM me if you need more info.

 

[cpedw]

Thanks for the advice. I think I've identified the problem. The strange trapezium shaped plate that holds the two pipes in place (part number 12 on page 30 of the Parts list http://bluemoment.com/manuals/Volvo2003parts.pdf ) was a bit corroded so it wasn't getting a grip of the lip on the pipe. I used a new seal with Vaseline and positioned the plate carefully; all seems to be well. I couldn't detect any movement of the exchanger so hopefully that bracket is still intact.

I'm intrigued by this observation:

Loosen both ends before removing any pipes to avoid mis shaping do not bend the pipe out of shape
The sealing relies on the there being some spring in the pipe which hold it in place

This pipe (part 22 on page 30 of the parts list) is a short tail with a flexible hose on the other end so I don't think there's significant spring keeping it in place. The hose comes from the anti-syphon Tpiece/valve which is mounted high above the engine. Was this a Westerly modification?