Water drain on TMP gearbox

[pcatterall]

Is there one? I cant see or feel anything. Is there something I should drain for winter.

I was checking what I would have to do this winter on the sea water side.
Apart from removing the impellor cover I can only see a drain on the heat exchanger ( Perkins 4108)
Nothing on the gearbox which IS water cooled and nothing else on the engine.

Can anyone advise ? specifically for the gearbox but also the engine

 

[sailorman]

Is there one? I cant see or feel anything. Is there something I should drain for winter.

I was checking what I would have to do this winter on the sea water side.
Apart from removing the impellor cover I can only see a drain on the heat exchanger ( Perkins 4108)
Nothing on the gearbox which IS water cooled and nothing else on the engine.

Can anyone advise ? specifically for the gearbox but also the engine

the TMP is raw water cooled via those nice shiny copper pipes fitted by Duffields when they so called "marinsed" the engine.
i think you can download the details from TMP

 

[sailorman]

http://www.thameswaymarineproducts.co.uk/faqwater.htm

 

[pcatterall]

Ta Sailorman, I'll have another feel around and get the mirror out!! Are my copper pipes a no no then? or is 'connector' the bit that connects the box to the pipe. It all looks OK.

 

[sailorman]

Ta Sailorman, I'll have another feel around and get the mirror out!! Are my copper pipes a no no then? or is 'connector' the bit that connects the box to the pipe. It all looks OK.

aluminium gearbox castings, copper pipes + salt water = Battery.
it cost me £1200

 

[Billjratt]

The copper pipes are a pain unless the spigots on the gearbox have been replaced by something plastic (or similar!) I changed the pipes for rubber...
The drain is down at the starboard side, but if it's not been out for a while it may be clogged.
My saltwater circuit includes an oil cooler at the port side which needs drained as well.

These are what remained of my gearbox spigots when I investigated a trickle..

Certainly worthwhile checking.

 

[sailorman]

The copper pipes are a pain unless the spigots on the gearbox have been replaced by something plastic (or similar!) I changed the pipes for rubber...
The drain is down at the starboard side, but if it's not been out for a while it may be clogged.
My saltwater circuit includes an oil cooler at the port side which needs drained as well.

These are what remained of my gearbox spigots when I investigated a trickle..

Certainly worthwhile checking.

are those the aluminium ones

 

[ffiill]

Mine on my TMP gearbox are 34 years old and still going strong-I hope.
I have never checked out fully the routing of my pipework on my Merc OM636, however as I recall my cooling water runs up to the gearbox from the skin fitting;through the gearbox;via the Jabsco raw water pump on a level with the gearbox;up to the heat exchanger on the manifold;and out through the exhaust.
As such it is potentially self draining when the boat is ashore.
The indirect system is 50/50 anti freeze.
The only problem I have had with frost damage was in my calorifier when several years ago the copper supply pipes froze and one burst and temps were down that winter to minus 20 or so.
The frost didnt do much good to the ceramic tiles in the shower room though many of which exploded!

 

[Billjratt]

are those the aluminium ones

They were! Interesting design issue when you make a sacrtificial component capable of sinking it's host...

 

[pcatterall]

Thanks all. Sea water running out of hole!!
My pipes are copper but fortunately with rubber connectors ( must measure and put on my spares list!!)
Only other drain I can see is on the heat exchanger but then I suppose the sea water doesnt go anywhere else? impellor, gearbox, heat ,exchanger and out, just a water trap in the exhaust pipe work but that has room to expand I s'pose.
Thanks again