Cooler Maintenance

[Jerome Billett]

I put this up on boatdiesel.com but thought I’d try here too.

I had my coolers serviced with an ultrasound cleaning. I was surprised to discover that every lick of paint was removed right down to bright aluminum.

Do I paint the inside of the cooler housing as well as the outside to provide some barrier to the seawater exposure? If so, any paint recommendation?

Also there is some pitting on the cap/housing mating surface? I was planning on using the “Seaboard” technique with Alco Metalube copiously applied to all mating surfaces. The machine shop guy suggested applying some RTV Silicone to seal things recognizing it partially spoils the benefit of the lube.

So questions:

1) Use just Metalube and the o-Ring as planned?

2) Use just RTV and the o-ring?

3) Use RTV on the pitted surface (perhaps letting it dry partially first) and goop up the rest with metalube?

Any tips appreciated.

 

Topic

[Tony Athens]

Glad things went well..

 

Tony

[Jerome Billett]

I installed a new cooler assembly yesterday and sea trial today. What a work of art! More beautiful than that painting my wife just bought. Nice. Running 2700 rpm both engines, quick out of the hole. Thanks for your help. I will still test the old core to confirm if it was leaking or not but just for interest sake. There doesn’t seem to be any point in taking a chance on it. BTW, the new cooler has the air side condensation drain valves. Any opinion on the effectiveness, longevity or advisability of this upgrade?

[Tony Athens]

Picture “core 6”   —–99% chance the core is leaking on the area shown.  You need to pressure test the core at 25 PSI for 24 hours..

The housing if iffy at best–We could probably save it using our “bag of tricks” for “one assembly”..

 

 

Tony

[Tony Athens]

Let’s see the entire sides of the core..

Are you planing to pressure test the core itself?

Your pic of the end with quite a few smashed tubes.. Do you know what caused that?

Tony

[Jerome Billett]

Photos of core from pitted housing.

[Jerome Billett]

Housing and core end photos attached.Core fins to follow.

[Tony Athens]

Jerome,

It’s hard to tell as I really need to see the entire  (360 degree) circle of the core.. You are borderline at best whether you can save the housing with assembling if using a product like GE UltraGlaze 4000. DO NOT use a typical RTV–It has to be a non-acidic based RTV.

I want to see your cores too..

Tony

[Author]

Replies