Speaking of heat exchangers...

[film842]

I presently have my AQ131A sitting on an engine stand in my garage. I'm cleaning it up and replacing bits and pieces as a winter project.

I have the heat exchanger off and while I have no reason to to think anything's wrong with it, I'm wondering if I should take it apart and clean it up or, would blowing it out with a hose and/or pressure washer be enough?
What would you do? Thanks.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Speaking of heat exchangers...

You CAN"T see the problems inside the exchanger.
IF?? you had any overheat problems?
Then maybe a back flush or an acid soak.
Do it at a radiator shop as the acid can eat the exchangers soft metal.
Sand or mud gets in the exchanger and can clog it.
Think about a sea strainer when you reinstall if you run a lot in shallow water.
The thing I'd worry about is the manifold.
The factory used a real good paint and the manifold can look great but be full of rust/crud.
They can last as long as 15-20 years and sometimes longer.
Remove the manifold and check for corrosion at the rear cylinders on the head.
And corrosion around the exhaust end.
I worked on one and when I touched the underside the metal collapsed and I poked a hole through the beautiful paint.
Good luck.Fill out the profile,location.Salt or fresh water? Makes a difference.

 

[film842]

Re: Speaking of heat exchangers...

Thanks for the reply. I believe that I'll back flush it and see what comes out. What I can see by flashlight looks pretty clean, but we'll see.

The manifold was new last year and number four cylinder looked fine, but there is a chance that it might have not been flushed after it's last salt water outing. Something that I'm not going to let happen again.

So, I'll pull the manifold and blow it out also. I wonder if I can re-use the one year old gasket? Or am I being to cheap?

 

[hall832]

Re: Speaking of heat exchangers...

Jerry brings up a really important fact that i haven't seen addressed much. Fill out the profile,location.Salt or fresh water? Makes a difference. My experience is primarily in South Florida and Caribbean, so i couldn't understand what the guys in Canada go through in a harsh winter but I understand the environment and difficulties of boating in the south.