does anyone have a company descale their heat exchanger?

merlin

Member
Jun 17, 2010
86
san francisco,ca/Marina del Ray, Ca
Boat Info
"Volare", a 2003 Sundancer 410, with original Raymarine electronics.
Engines
2, 350 hp, Cat 3126's
Does my salt water boat diesel boat need to have its heat exchangers descaled or is that just a creative way to part me from more of my money?
 
De-scaling heat exchangers works well if you are in a place with lots of barnacles and other marine growth. But you can do it yourself. A big bucket - and Acid safe pump - a few hoses and maybe some Triton Marine/Rydlyme or Barnacle Buster de scalers - and you are ready to go.

Rydlyme has a 8 gallon pump + bucket + hoses system - that runs on 12 or 115 v - for about $600. You can make one yourself for less but not much less after you get all the connection parts ets.

I have just done my A/C - and next project is my heat exchangers on my 350Mag Seacores.

But I think as every day is a FWebster day - Frank might have some input specific to Diesels :)
 
When I inspected my transmission coolers they were 30-40% clogged with marine growth and my engine temps were about 10 degrees higher than they should be at WOT. So I flushed mine. The system in spotless inside after the treatment with rydlyme. The temps never change now and are steady at 180 at all operating speeds.

I wrote a pretty detailed synopsis of what I did here http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/60586-Flushing-Raw-water-system-with-Rydlyme-Cat-3116-99-400-Sundancer?highlight=

hope it helps.

Pete
 
I am in a marina owned by the local Sea Ray dealer and we are in NW Florida where boats are used 12 months a year and the water is salty, warm and very conducive to marine growth. Roughly 10% of the boats stored in the water are powered by Cat 3116's and 3126's, there are 2 MAN powered boats, about 60% are Cummins powered and the remainder are gas powered boats. Our service department does have and uses a descaling machine that connects to the cooling system to descale the engines. Prior to their purchasing that equipment, Caterpillar powered boats needed descaling about every 5-6 years. A new Cummins powered boat experienced over heating at about 18-24 months and most owners now have them descaled about every 18 months. MAN engines that are not used, need descaling more frequently than those that are run regularly.....a 2011 580DA in the slip next to me was descaled last month, but a 2008 60DA has not yet needed it.

With Cat engines, you know that the cooling system needs descaling when you see a temperature rise during normal operation. Get the boat warmed to normal operating temperatures, then settle in at 2100 rpm and let the temperatures stabilize, then advance the throttles to 2500 rpm and watch the temperature gauges. If you get any rise, then slow down to 2250 and hold it there to see if the temps drop back to the same level as when you stabilized them at 2100. If the engines begin to run warmer at 2500 than at 2100 and then cool back down as you reduce the rpm's, you need to have the cooling system cleaned. However, as Pete indicated, the transmission oil cooler should be checked because it's internal tubes are so small that they easily get clogged with anything that passes the strainer or main heat exchanger. Check them by removing the inlet hose and folding it out of the way and look inside. They are easy to remove and clean so that is the first step with Cat engines before spending $600 to $900 on descaling.
 
One of the first things I did was to pull both heat exchangers as well as both after coolers and have them cleaned from a radiator shop. They were pretty bad. The more the boat sits without running, the faster these will clog. If I am correct, your boat sat in JLS Marina most of the time with not too much time out on the bay. I would have these done and also have the after coolers checked. Mine were so clogged that I couldn't install new pencil zincs without making room with a screwdriver first! You are replacing all 11 engine zincs routinely right?
 
One of the first things I did was to pull both heat exchangers as well as both after coolers and have them cleaned from a radiator shop. They were pretty bad. The more the boat sits without running, the faster these will clog. If I am correct, your boat sat in JLS Marina most of the time with not too much time out on the bay. I would have these done and also have the after coolers checked. Mine were so clogged that I couldn't install new pencil zincs without making room with a screwdriver first! You are replacing all 11 engine zincs routinely right?
Ken, I'm pulling my entire seawater side out this winter. Did you just take your heat exchanger cores to a local radiator shop or some one you knew that does these heat exchangers regularly?
Rusty
 
Ken, I'm pulling my entire seawater side out this winter. Did you just take your heat exchanger cores to a local radiator shop or some one you knew that does these heat exchangers regularly?
Rusty

Just chiming in here....I took my Heat Exchangers to a local radiator shop for cleaning and then pressure checking. I also took them the cleaned and put back together Aftercoolers for pressure checking. $338 for 2 HXs and 2 ACs.

Jaybeaux
 
Ken, I'm pulling my entire seawater side out this winter. Did you just take your heat exchanger cores to a local radiator shop or some one you knew that does these heat exchangers regularly?
Rusty
I took the aftercoolers and heat exchangers to a radiator shop that our local CAT dealer uses. I did my transmission coolers myself by soaking them in muriatic acid solution then rodding them out tube by tube. Next time I pull my heat exchangers I will do them myself.
 
I took the aftercoolers and heat exchangers to a radiator shop that our local CAT dealer uses. I did my transmission coolers myself by soaking them in muriatic acid solution then rodding them out tube by tube. Next time I pull my heat exchangers I will do them myself.
Thanks Ken, I think Ill do just that. Soak the cores and rod out. I'm pretty sure these have never been opened in 13 years so fingers crossed they will clean up okay.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Rusty
 
There’s my descaling bucket. I’m thinking maybe I got $50 bucks in it.
I’m sure it’s not the fanciest, but it works great. Feel free to copy and/or improve upon it. Everything you need except the bilge pump can be gotten at tractor supply or a big box.

02838763-00D8-4EDB-8433-129280F05FB8.jpeg
AE0E3DDF-402E-4A7A-8E7A-DB1FA11E8925.jpeg
2A76C7A8-B3A9-45B0-A045-D1AB30743D42.jpeg
 
Thanks Ken, I think Ill do just that. Soak the cores and rod out. I'm pretty sure these have never been opened in 13 years so fingers crossed they will clean up okay.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Rusty
If you have 13 year old transmission oil coolers I recommend you throw them out and buy new ones. I have too many friends that have lost transmissions from oil cooler leaks at around the 15 year mark.
 
I did this last winter. Not a bad job, but as usual getting all the bolts loose was the biggest time consumer I pulled the HEX and soaked the cores in Ridlyme. I sent the shells out to be powder coated and put new orings back in. I replaced 1 transmission cooler...it was original and still in good shape, but preventative mx. All new hoses clamps and coolant.
 
If you have 13 year old transmission oil coolers I recommend you throw them out and buy new ones. I have too many friends that have lost transmissions from oil cooler leaks at around the 15 year mark.
That is probably very sound advice that I might just heed. The first one I took off does look a bit crusty and with out being able to take it apart I am nervous about its condition and age.
Thanks
 
There’s my descaling bucket. I’m thinking maybe I got $50 bucks in it.
I’m sure it’s not the fanciest, but it works great. Feel free to copy and/or improve upon it. Everything you need except the bilge pump can be gotten at tractor supply or a big box.

View attachment 78083View attachment 78084 View attachment 78085


When you connect up your very handy bucket system, other than removing the Zincs, is there anything else you need to do before starting the system? Do the impellors stay in place or does the flow bypass the raw water pumps??

How long do you usually need to run it for?

Thanks

Graham
 
How and where you plumb into your system will depend on your system, but if you plumb in ahead of the pump, you will have to remove the impeller. I plumb in right after the pump as the pump always looks clean. Definitely have to remove the anodes, the barnacle buster will dissolve them. If you have shaft seal water lines those need to be plugged also (I just pinch them off with clamps). I run it for about 6 hours.
 
I don't acid flush. Since I remove after coolers every two years for cleaning, I just also remove connecting hoses and pipe and check/clean those by hand. I remove HX endcaps and clean tubes with rod by hand. Then use new end cap gaskets. I also rod out gear oil cooler in place by hand. I may spot clean hx and gear cooler with barnacle buster on brush to get any zinc residue to dissolve, if necessary. Generally, all the tubes are pretty clean on everything since I use boat frequently year round.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,946
Messages
1,422,781
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top