Drain, flush and fill coolant on westerbeak 7.6 diesel generator

[mrsrobinson]

Ugh, Subject should read Westerbeke.

I've been trying to learn how to do this.I found some posts on boat diesel.com but they didn't help a lot. I've searched here as well with mixed results.

Does anyone here know how/where to drain, flush, and then refill the coolant on this generator?

 

[mrsrobinson]

Answered my own question by checking the service manual. Any tips or tricks on how to avoid a mess while doing this?

 

[LMBoat]

I have a 10BTD and have done it a few times. I have a shopvac running and pull the coolant hose off of the HE slowly while vacuuming in the coolant. It still makes a mess. Every time I do it, I think of installing a valve or something to make this easier, but so far, have not. Good luck!

 

[Boca_Vincent]

I tackled that job last summer. Little bit of mess of a mess but not too bad. Bring your shop vac for whatever you can't get into a bucket. Might as well clean/descale the whole HEX since you are that far.
http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/westerbeke-7-6-draining-coolant.109747/

 

[mrsrobinson]

I tackled that job last summer. Little bit of mess of a mess but not too bad. Bring your shop vac for whatever you can't get into a bucket. Might as well clean/descale the whole HEX since you are that far.
http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/westerbeke-7-6-draining-coolant.109747/

Thank you, I remember that thread as I was learning how to do all this to my main engines then. I definitely want to get to the heat exchanger as well. I tried to replace the zinc, but it's either gone or broken off so I need to do a flush to get it out. Good advice.

 

[Boca_Vincent]

Yeah, mine broke last time too. Don't forget to order a couple of gaskets ahead of time. They get all warped after time.

022851

GASKET

EA

$5.50

 

[ttmott]

On the Westerbeke on my last boat I found that if you run the generator and heat it up then let it cool down (next morning) there will be a slight vacuum on the coolant system. I made up a fitting and hose that fits into that drain hole. Then remove the plug and thread in the drain hose. The slight negative pressure on the cooling system prevents much if any coolant from coming out of the drain until the expansion cap is removed. Even though that drained the engine there was still coolant in the Hx that was a bigger mess. From the school of hard knocks.