Symptoms of a bad raw water impeller - both engines running hot

You can remove the one with the 3 anodes in it. It is raw water only on that side.

Edit --> When you pull this, you might get a little bit of dripping coolant. I had to think about this due to the way this drawing is oriented in opposite of what I have in my boat.

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Give your insurance company a call. Things like this are covered. A friend ran into a sandbar on the ICW and packed both motors full of sand. Insurance covered a full removal and cleaning of the raw water cooling system.
 
This is all raw water side...the tube bundle /o-rings seal off the coolant side...

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BlueYonder said:
Give your insurance company a call. Things like this are covered. A friend ran into a sandbar on the ICW and packed both motors full of sand. Insurance covered a full removal and cleaning of the raw water cooling system.
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Hmmm, I did not know this. Well, if my DIY stuff does not get it I must just do that.
 
This is my boat as we were working on it this weekend. The white tank that sits on top of the heat exchanger, with the radiator cap, what is that called? I assume it has to be removed to get access to both end caps on the heat exchanger so I can manually clean them? If yes any tips and tricks, do's and don'ts when removing it?

Screenshot_20220628-173930.png
 
You have stated that you have no service history.

If you are going to keep this boat for awhile, suggest you establish a BASELINE.

Thats what I did on the advice of Tom Mott and Dr Webster and my own need/desire/demand for a safe, reliable, mechanically sound boat.

Yeah, my carpets do look like ship, but the engines, hatches and portlights are totally, 100% shipshape, and my bilge is so clean you could eat pizzas off the floors !


Costs are negligible if you spread the initial cost over the service life

Now its just the regular maintenance stuff

BEST !

RWS
 
mrsrobinson said:
This is my boat as we were working on it this weekend. The white tank that sits on top of the heat exchanger, with the radiator cap, what is that called? I assume it has to be removed to get access to both end caps on the heat exchanger so I can manually clean them? If yes any tips and tricks, do's and don'ts when removing it?

View attachment 129610
Click to expand...

Coolant expansion/reservoir tank ? Anyway, I just removed the inside cap (w/3 zincs) on the port engine with easy access.
2022-03-16 13.01.51.jpg
 
Maybe A Dancer said:
You have stated that you have no service history.

If you are going to keep this boat for awhile, suggest you establish a BASELINE.

Thats what I did on the advice of Tom Mott and Dr Webster and my own need/desire/demand for a safe, reliable, mechanically sound boat.

Yeah, my carpets do look like ship, but the engines, hatches and portlights are totally, 100% shipshape, and my bilge is so clean you could eat pizzas off the floors !


Costs are negligible if you spread the initial cost over the service life

Now its just the regular maintenance stuff

BEST !

RWS
Click to expand...
Absolutely agreed, which is exactly what I'm doing. The mechanic I am using to bring the boat up to date on service is scheduled for the week after next. He was supposed to do it earlier but had to move the dates out. I am now doing as much as I can, really my girlfriend's brother-in-law caterpillar mechanic is with me watching, to learn and save money before he comes. I have been communicating my updates to him.

All of this was supposed to be done before I brought the boat home but I got ghosted by two different diesel mechanics.

The Bill Collector said:
Coolant expansion/reservoir tank ? Anyway, I just removed the inside cap (w/3 zincs) on the port engine with easy access.
View attachment 129616
Click to expand...
Thanks, I've always assumed the plastic one with the black cap is called the expansion tank, I didn't know what the white metal one is called.
 
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mrsrobinson said:
Absolutely agreed, which is exactly what I'm doing. The mechanic I am using to bring the boat up to date on service is scheduled for the week after next. He was supposed to do it earlier but had to move the dates out. I am now doing as much as I can, really my girlfriend's brother-in-law caterpillar mechanic is with me watching, to learn and save money before he comes. I have been communicating my updates to him.

All of this was supposed to be done before I brought the boat home but I got ghosted by two different diesel mechanics.


Thanks, I've always assumed the plastic one with the black cap is called the expansion tank, I didn't know what the white metal one is called.
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This may be a dumb question, did you happen to back flush from the strainer to the underside of the boat? If the mud is caked up in the intake under the boat it may be just that simple
 
Cut the seacock off, remove the hose. Place a water hose in the top of the seacock and pack it off with some good rags. Turn the water on first, then slowly open the seacock. I used dish soap in the seacock to let me know when the intake was cleared. Then reverse the job. Two very important notes,

Do Not leave the seacock or get distracted! You will get water but it won’t be a flood. Just be ready to cut the flow.
Don’t forget to cut the seacock back on once everything is back together. You don’t want to trash a brand new impeller.

Another test would be to remove the strainer cap and cut the seacock on. The strainer should fill very fast. If it doesn’t the problem would be between prior to the strainer. I say this because you had said the strainer was full of mud. Check the hose as well, it to could be clogged up.

Good luck with this and please let us know what you find.
 
dwna1a said:
Cut the seacock off, remove the hose. Place a water hose in the top of the seacock and pack it off with some good rags. Turn the water on first, then slowly open the seacock. I used dish soap in the seacock to let me know when the intake was cleared. Then reverse the job. Two very important notes,

Do Not leave the seacock or get distracted! You will get water but it won’t be a flood. Just be ready to cut the flow.
Don’t forget to cut the seacock back on once everything is back together. You don’t want to trash a brand new impeller.

Another test would be to remove the strainer cap and cut the seacock on. The strainer should fill very fast. If it doesn’t the problem would be between prior to the strainer. I say this because you had said the strainer was full of mud. Check the hose as well, it to could be clogged up.

Good luck with this and please let us know what you find.
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Thank you. I am planning to bring my rabbit's foot, check all hoses starting at the seacock, for blockage, then pull the cap(s) off the heat exchanger, than check/replace the raw water impellers. I will then throw some salt over my shoulder.
 
Do what Tom and Dave have suggested and clean the heat exchanger. Checking everything else isn't a bad idea, but your issue sure sounds like a clogged heat exchanger, might be more as well but it doesn't take much to clean your heat exchanger. Use Dave's idea of a .22 cleaning rod as well, get it all out. When you done, run barnacle buster through the raw water side on both engines in reverse flow. This will unclog things and clean off the scale.

You might want to move your slip or find another marina as this will happen again or just don't use your boat unless it's high tide...
 
Thanks @SKybolt . I will start with the heat exchangers on Friday. Picked up the seals today from CAT. These are supposed to arrive tonight:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000DZFUPC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030HMTPE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PW93TM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am still debating the best solution/option to backflush with Barnacle Buster. Any suggestions other than:

https://www.amazon.com/RYDLYME-Mari...EV8QDT4A8EY&psc=1&refRID=FKS0G8K3MEV8QDT4A8EY

When we took her out for a test cruise Saturday around 7PM. The depth gauges read 3'-5' in the creek, all the way out to the river. Per the below High Tide times then in Woodbridge, VA I think it was close to high tide, though the water was about a foot below the top mark on all of the pilons in the marina.

6:04 am 2.142
6:32 pm 1.848

and

SAT 25 Jun
  • 5:57 am
    1.99ft
  • 6:25 pm
    1.71ft
I have paid for the year, no refunds, dock mates are telling me they get in/out with no issues "just be careful". I watched a 340DA go out and back earlier in the day and a larger sedan go out for a weekend trip. I followed a 340DA back in with the same results. There's probably 150 - 200 boats at 3 marinas in that creek in the 30-40'+ range, so I must be doing something wrong, or they don't go out in low tide.

I found this online, the creek we are in, though I am not sure how to read the graph:

https://tides.willyweather.com/va/prince-william-county/potomac-river--neabsco-creek-entrance.html
 
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@mrsrobinson Greg, Definitely get the Amazon $200 deal, but you will most likely need the correct hose (engine hose) couplers. But don't waste your time on that until you have cleaned up the heat exchanger.

As for the tides, the boats you reference are gas and do not sit as low or have the suction a diesel does. 340's can have outdrives as well. You backed into the slip and sucked up a lot of mud. That will most likely happen again, hopefully not, but most likely will. That is my only point, unless to your point you did something wrong? Out too far when you turned and backed up? Try getting real close to your slip then turn, but sounds like your in some real low water, even at high tide.
 
mrsrobinson said:
Thank you. I am planning to bring my rabbit's foot, check all hoses starting at the seacock, for blockage, then pull the cap(s) off the heat exchanger, than check/replace the raw water impellers. I will then throw some salt over my shoulder.
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I’d let you borrow my Jobu, but you’re too far.
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Fark you Jobu, I do it myself.

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