Raw water flush kit configuration/adapters for CAT 3126

M

mrsrobinson

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2006
7,704
Virginia
Boat Info
2001 380DA
Engines
Caterpillar 3126
I decided I'm going to try flushing my engines myself with a descaler. Please hold off on comments about the cons of doing this, I understand them.

The boats far from me so I'd like to try to get the right adapters so I have everything on the boat I need to do this. This is the kit I bought
RYDLYME Marine Portable Flushing Kit (PFK) https://a.co/d/7dmWjub

For those of you that do this yourself, where do you connect the intake, I'm assuming somewhere after the raw water pump, where do you connect the out, I'm assuming somewhere close to or at the exhaust, and do you know the size and adapters I will need?
 
No cons to doing this yourself!

You’ll need a commercial pump, or DIY rig and it’s not really hard.

there are several videos on how to do it online, but basically shut off thru hull, remove the raw water impeller, and anodes, connect pump to raw water inlet, and capture coming out of the after cooler.
 
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Exactly that, tap into the hose coming out of your waterpump and capture on the hose dumping into the exhaust. I looked for my CAT kit I had but cannot seem to find it. It consisted of some simple 2" PVC pipe fittings, hose clamps and reducers to allow you to connect it to the Rydlyme hoses. Get it all together and test it with fresh water then add the Rydlyme and let it run for a couple hours. Reconnect to stock and start the engine to flush it out after the flush.
 
The main water hose is 2”, and you can start the loop at the thru hull, the strainer or the bottom of the pump. Water flow splits out of the top of the raw water pump. I have seen guys add a fitting to the top of the strainer for quick access. Im not sure on the hose going to the shower head, but 1-1/2”? would be my recollection without being there or have measured. It’s a plumbing project.
 
mrsrobinson said:
I decided I'm going to try flushing my engines myself with a descaler. Please hold off on comments about the cons of doing this, I understand them.

The boats far from me so I'd like to try to get the right adapters so I have everything on the boat I need to do this. This is the kit I bought
RYDLYME Marine Portable Flushing Kit (PFK) https://a.co/d/7dmWjub

For those of you that do this yourself, where do you connect the intake, I'm assuming somewhere after the raw water pump, where do you connect the out, I'm assuming somewhere close to or at the exhaust, and do you know the size and adapters I will need?
Click to expand...

I’m no mechanic but, have you resolved your possible silt/mud issue by inspecting and cleaning by rod (if necessary) the fuel coolers, heat exchangers and transmission coolers? I can’t speak to the aftercoolers because my 3116 has jacket water
running through it.

If you have, I apologize in advance. If not, I’m not sure that flushing your engines with a descaler will resolve your original issue.
 
I removed, cleaned at the dock, replaced the zincs, and reinstalled the transmission coolers today. I found no traces of mud, and overall they looked pretty clean to me.

Took the boat back out, ran her up to 2200 rpms, both engines creeped up to 200°

Agreed, I don't plan to flush until I have the overheating issue resolved. I did pull an end cap off one of the heat exchangers a couple weeks ago, had a rod ready to go to clean, but they looked pretty good in my opinion.

Do you have to cap off the dripless shaft lines so the descaler doesn't go down to the shaft?

I really don't want to pull out those raw water and colors again, can I start the intake somewhere after the raw water pump?
 
mrsrobinson said:
I removed, cleaned at the dock, replaced the zincs, and reinstalled the transmission coolers today. I found no traces of mud, and overall they looked pretty clean to me.

Took the boat back out, ran her up to 2200 rpms, both engines creeped up to 200°

Agreed, I don't plan to flush until I have the overheating issue resolved. I did pull an end cap off one of the heat exchangers a couple weeks ago, had a rod ready to go to clean, but they looked pretty good in my opinion.

Do you have to cap off the dripless shaft lines so the descaler doesn't go down to the shaft?

I really don't want to pull out those raw water and colors again, can I start the intake somewhere after the raw water pump?
Click to expand...

Not sure on the dripless. (not sure because I descaled only my heat exchangers in place and replaced the transmission coolers with new. I want to remove fuel coolers for an inspection and will soak them then)

You can go in right after the raw water pump (into the heat exchanger inlet) but, you'll miss the fuel cooler doing it that way. The fuel cooler is before the pump.
 
With help from the good folks here and doing some research on my own I've purchased everything to try to do a closed loop flush myself. I will try to remember to report back especially with everything I bought so others can try it.

Barnacle Buster concentrate was less expensive at West Marine than Amazon.
 
Thanks, Yeah, haven't been able to really use the boat since memorial day weekend when we brought it from Maryland down to Virginia, oh well.
 
Hoping this sorts it all out and you’ll know you have a healthy cooling system with everything up to date…
 
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