Heat Exchanger/Radiator Anatomy

[Boatsb]

Most of them are the same. If you contact the local detroit guys they can get you an exploded view showing how it goes together and comes apart PLUS you can order the necessary parts pieces and gaskets.

[Angela]

Well here it is, all stripped down to the bare metal (did you know my engines used to be forest green in their original state? That was the last layer of paint I scraped off before I scraped off the original primer) and reassembled.

I have to say.....I am really proud of this, as trivial as it may be to some of you who do this everyday. This was my first "big" engine job that I tackled myself (well, fixing that turbo was pretty instrumental to me, too) and it has done nothing but fuel my desire for wanting to do/know more relative to these Detroits. I pretty much tore down the entire cooling system, sans the pumps (I've asked Ed to service the raw water pump while I'm re-doing the intercoolers next).

At some point I had to stop myself...I could have just kept picking parts off, refurbishing them, to the point where I would have had nothing left but a block remaining and a boat full of parts that I didn't know where they went.

I am a more confident boat owner today than I was before, and a little less scared of these big engines. Just the smooth feel of what I've done here , among other things, gives me the passion to push on. Seeing MikeP's engine room, and what Yachtsmanwillie has done for a sunken boat, is inspirational.

Yes I probably used too much blue stuff, but it's better than not enough and having leaks. I used gaskets AND blue stuff (got a t-shirt full of blue stuff - it was easier to wipe my fingers on me rather than finding a rag while assembling parts). I still have some clean up to do in that regard, and some touch-up painting to do yet, and I do NOT want to see any oily fingerprints on this nor anything set on the tank and dragged across - no tool boxes, no AC compressors, no nothing!!! I mean it! I'll put a torque wrench between somebody's eyes if they mess up my work! If only you could "feel" the difference in before and after.

NOTE TO SELF: Put the thermostats in the housing before reassembly! I ALMOST reassembled the first housing without the t-stat! Didn't make that mistake twice.

Yes, I wrote the date of installation on each hose - something I learned from somebody here.

[oldboat]

that looks beautiful.

[MikeP]

Nice Job, Ang - looks great!

The blue stuff is blue silicone, right? You might consider looking into using this in the future. It's less messy, can be brushed on with a small brush or squeezed on and is solvent based, not silicone and since it goes on much thinner, there is much less squeeze-out.. It's essentially the stuff that all the Japanese motorcycle/car makers use under their own name - like Hondabond, Yamabond, etc. I prefer it to any of the silicones and use it for just about any engine/transmission assembly that I might have used silicone for. Many car/MCycle makers use it for factory assembly without gaskets.

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/Lar...021110l_ik.jpg

[yachtsmanbill]

Ange... the "fastidious" mechanic would let that stuff roll out and set up for a day, then trim it with a sharp pocket knife. Do not cut the paint tho. The judges will only see a hairline of the stuff and then re-critique the job thinking how detail oriented the owner is. That stuff is fine as long as it doesnt "roll" into the inside and get washed where it aint supposed to.
FYI... advanced mechanics use this:

http://www.permatex.com/products/aut..._Sealant_a.htm

[captbuddy]

I just finished replacing the heat exchanger after having it washed in caustic in Tallahassee. Took the boat out and now both engines running at same temp. About 180 degrees on both at about 1600 rpms. Thanks guys & gals for all the help. Boy I feel great tonight.
captbuddy

ps: now we can head south from Carrabelle

[jim rosenthal]

Angela, you are a great Hatteras owner. If there is an award for Hatteras Owner Of The Month, you ought to have it, hands down. That is terrific work. No short cuts and all back together with nothing left over. Well done.

[Gusshr]

Not too lucky here. My mechanic removed the heat exchangers on both engines, and as he was trying to put one side back one of the bolts broke the blind rivet nut that holds that bolt on what looks like an aluminum heat exchanger tank. That leftover part of the revit can be rotated by hand. Any ideas on how to fix this rivet nut issue?

[Sigarm]

That rivnut could maybe fastened tight by using a long thread bolt with a spacer that matches the rivnut flange and nut. I never had luck but it is worth a try if not grind the flange and install a new rivnut with the right tool. Good luck