How to clean a Yanmar marine heat exchanger
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2022
- This is the first of a two part video, where I replace a leaking marine fresh water pump, decalcify the salt water heat exchanger, and inspect the exhaust elbow. The engine is Yanmar 3GM30FC - YEU engine on a J109 sailboat with a sail drive.
Part 2 is here: • How to replace a marin...
The demonstration shown here is amateur effort, posted in good faith for free, but with no guarantees as to safety or accuracy. There is significant risk to engine repair, both from the perspective of causing damage to the engine and to personal safety. Any misadventure you encounter if you decide to embark on DIY repair is on you. Never forget to read widely and search out multiple sources to verify any information you find. Almost every engine repair will lead to at least one complication, and you need to ask yourself if your skill set and tools are adequate to deal with complications as they arise.
Yanmar are exemplary in their willingness to publish OEM repair manuals, so be sure to search out and read the manual appropriate for your engine. The “YEU” engine shown here has a serial number beginning with the letter E, signifying that it was partly assembled in Europe. Most of the parts are the same but it is worth checking to be sure yours is the same.
The first music clip is “Fast Talking” by Kevin MacLeod,
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
The second music clip is “River Mediation” by Audionautix,
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: audionautix.com/ - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
this was probably the best explanation of the process that I have seen. (particularly as the factory wont provide them) thankyou
I could listen to you talk about anything. A master of language.
What a gracious remark, thank you. I was thinking exactly the opposite, I always stumble over my sentence structure. Fortunately, many people are kind enough to overlook awkward grammar and focus on what I am trying to say.
I would add "master of MANY things"!
-Respectfully
Again one of the best Yanmar productions from a knowledgeable resource. I own a 1989 3HM35F which is basically the same engine and your videos help with planning periodic maintenance. I also agree with your thoughts on engine anodes, only required in versions where lake/sea water is ported directly through the engine.
Thanks for doing these videos. Your knowledge is outstanding.
When I do water pumps a make a cardboard drawing of the [5 bolts] and push each bolt into the cardboard to wait on the bench for reassembly. ... that way each bolt [in the case of airplanes, Chrysler Hemis and 12 cylinder Jaguars. They typically are different lengths ... same bolts into same holes.
Outstanding video angles and lighting. Thanks for showing all the problems and solutions. You are better than all the Yanmar shop manuals I've had, and I'm on Yanmar # 3, all 3 cylinders. I'll spread the word over here in Greece 🇬🇷.
So good to see you post again. I always learn something by watching you work.
Fantastic walkthrough. Very detailed and well explained. Thank you.
thank you for your video. i need to do the same job, in the coming months. waiting for part 2 of your video.
Thank you so much for sharing this- I'm about to do some maintenance on a new to me 3HM35F. (Boat had a fire). The video on your trip to the Broughtons was lovely as well!
Great job ! I have used CLR in the past and it works well .. Boats and planes have no room for error , Gotta take care of them .. ENJOYED
Wonderful job my friend I’ve always found your videos very detailed I enjoyed how you showed the electroless us removal of corrosion thank you very much for taking us along hope you’re well and may God bless you and your family
It's so nice to hear from you, Angela.
Dave
Always a thorough explanation and good information. Sail Safe mate. Ant & Cid
Another excellent video. Thank you very much.
What a great video Dave! Although the components didn’t have much access, I like how you just removed it all to give the heat exchanger a thorough cleaning. Great tip on using phosphoric acid to clean it. And when you said add acid to the water, my days of chemistry starting coming back 😀 Have a great day Dave and it’s about time for me to throw some steaks on the grill. 😀
I’m hooked! I subscribed. Love this sort of thing. You are the TH-cam South Main Auto repair / Rainman Ray for the Yanmar world but a little calmer and cooler. Thanks so much. Would have liked to watch the alternator removal.
Ha ha, we watch the same channels. I'm not in their professional league at all, but I appreciate your kind feedback.
Good insight, thanks for the video!
Cool. :)
We have the same engine and I was prepared to do an overhaul this spring, including the cleaning of the heat exchanger.
Thanks a lot for this video.
That's cool, it's nice to know that some people find these useful. Thanks for the sub.
Dave.
Thank you very much ! I also like the way you presented your knowledge. If I do a youtube video one day, I will use this as a model.
Very useful thank you
I learned stuff. TY.
Man, what a terrific video. It looked like the 1st row of tubes were blocked initially. Great job. Are there zincs to be replaced?
That's a great question, and it took me a few years to figure it out. There are two zincs on my boat, one inside the upper sail drive that you access from the portside aft cabin, and a second that is concentric with the prop, accessed from underneath. Interestingly the prop itself is not grounded to the rest of the engine or to the zinc right beside. Electrical isolation of the prop is part of the design to limit galvanic reactions on the prop. There are no other zincs on the 3GM30FC engine designed for salt water. The reason the topic is confusing is the fact that a different style of this engine, the 3GM30-YEU, and the 3GM30C-YEU, do have engine block zincs! You can tell whether your engine has block zincs by looking at the parts catalog, figure 1 of the engine block, then find the engine zincs, then move your finger down the column for your engine. The reason those other engines do have zincs is because they use lake water to cool the engine, like an outboard motor. Lake water has more dissolved anions and cations, so it is able to conduct and participate in galvanic reactions. Salt water is even worse. Salt water is so bad for galvanic reactions that engineers decided to separate the cooling system into a salt side and a coolant side. On the coolant side, with antifreeze diluted with distilled water, galvanic reactions are so minimal that zincs aren't useful. That's why we don't have engine zincs in cars. What I find intriguing is the way the heat exchanger itself is resistant to galvanic reactions, even though salt water is continuously there, because of the chemical structure of the metal used.
Thanks for the video Dave. They sure pack those engines into tight areas. I complain when I have to work on my outboard and I have plenty of room. At least if you drop a bolt it doesn’t fall into the lake.
How often does work like this need to be performed on a saltwater engine? I’m 1000 miles from any saltwater.
Great to hear from you, Chad! To some extent it depends on usage hours, but this one hasn't been done in at least 5 years. They are much more durable in fresh water. The salt water design, with two water pumps, complex routing, and powerful galvanic reactions, is intriguing.
Thank you for this great instructional video. I've the 2GM20F with 2700hrs. How would I know when I need to descale the HX? Do I go by engine running hours or wait for over-heating?
If you haven't done it since owning the engine, it would be wise to schedule it now. Of course if you have a long trip planned, do it before leaving. This kind of maintenance is something that all boat owners should do, since you may need to do it urgently at a far away anchorage with minimal tools one day. Better to have done it at least once before so you are comfortable with doing it. Understanding how these systems work is critical to understanding how to approach an engine that is overheating. Good luck!
Thanks Dave - Did you ever make part two to this? Could you link to it, I'm having trouble finding it.
Thanks for letting me know. The link is in the video description, and at the end of the video. Title is "How to replace a marine fresh water pump". To call it part 2 would have been too easy, ha ha. I named it differently so that Google would help people find what they are looking for.
Very nice. Please, would you be so kind to comment on the alternator belt(s): what is effectively the difference between "toothed" and "smooth" version (or in the context of a particular Yanmar model)? Thx!
The design shown in this video is a traditional V belt, which is clearly inferior to the more modern longitudinally ribbed serpentine belts on almost all newer engines. There are kits to swap over to a longitudinally ribbed belt, which allows a somewhat lower belt tension, which wastes less energy as heat, which provides enough friction to power more demanding peripherals like high current alternators, and which are easier to tension with a dedicated tensioner. I seriously considered swapping over but the kit I looked at extends the engine on the bow side to the point it would be a very tight fit against the stairs above. Specialty belts with teeth that are at right angles to the direction of movement are used where you can't tolerate slippage, for example in timing belts where the cam and crank pulleys need to stay in sync. Cheers!
Felicitaciones por sus videos, son muy útiles para todos aquellos que tenemos motores Yanmar en nuestra embarcaciones. Me atrevo a solicitarle, si es posible, que se habilite la traducción automática y si es posible en español. Desde ya le estoy agradecido.
Thank you for your kind words. I looked into automatic captions again today. As before, it doesn't seem to be an option for my videos, I don't know why. In the past, automatic language translation of my mumbling Canadian dialect has been checkered with errors, even before trying to translate into a different language!
Every Yanmar marine owner should watch this video and learn some preventative maintenance.
I am a retired heavy equipment mechanic, I have a part time job helping a friend in his radiator repair shop. We do a crazy amount of marine work.
I hate Yanmars, or maybe I should say I hate Yanmar owners. They never seem to clean the heat exchangers until there is an issue. Then they try to take it apart and it is jammed and full of build up. They come in beat to hell from someone beating on the pack with something trying to get it out. Makes my job so much harder and of course the price goes through the roof with the hours, and I do mean hours, I have to spend on it.
So Yanmar owners, do this on a regular basis and you will never have to come see me and have to spend an obscene amount of money
It's always nice to get feedback from a pro who does this for a living. Thanks for stopping by!
Can you offer any suggestions on "regular basis"...? In my case, the boat is on a mooring from May-Oct then hauled over winter. Usage is 2-3 days per week running engine 1-2 hours per week. All is in saltwater environment.
@@borntoroam392 I would pop an end cap off and have a look. FYI, the white build up has much less heat transfer abilities then the copper tubing, so it doesn’t take much to start to affect your cooling.
I would just have a look, if you see a build up, clean it and look again after the season. Do this for a few years and you will get a feel of how long you can go between cleanings.
And don’t forget to change out your anodes on a regular basis. You have no idea how many coolers I have cleaned that have a bunch of broken off anodes in them.
These videos encourage me to work on my Yanmar more by myself and not to ask professionals to service it. May I ask teo questions?
1) Last summer I had big service (fuel injectors changed, heat exchanger cleaned, etc.), and since then I have noticed that the engine tends to shake more at that moment when I turn it off. Was this to be expected?
2) If I don't know which coolant was used (I see it has greenish color), what is the antifreeze/coolant type safe to use (diluted in 1:1 ratio with distilled water of course), without specifically pre-flush/rinse?
Thx in advance!
It's a problem when you don't know what coolant was used before, but green coolant is typically standard antifreeze used on old Yanmar engines that have very little aluminum in the body of the engine. My sail drive is aluminum but it doesn't circulate engine coolant. Prestone make a universal coolant that is compatible with that old version, so in your case I would probably go with that one. More modern coolants have antioxidants added that reduce the chance of acidic oxidative breakdown of engine components, specifically aluminum that is used in some engines, either in the head or the short block. The one I switched to is an OAT version of coolant that is made for diesel engines and it may be a little better, but you always worry about compatibility with older coolants if you're not sure. The main problem with newer coolants is not only compatibility but also the fact that they degenerate over time so need to be swapped out more regularly. The big issue people have is the mistake of using tap water rather than distilled water. How much to dilute is a question that depends a little on how cold it gets, since the antifreeze properties will be needed if your ambient temp drops below about -40 (F or C). Most people dilute to 50%, ie equal volumes of concentrated coolant and antifeeeze. Beware the premixed versions, in which case you don't dilute at all, they are already diluted to 50%. I can't say much about engine shaking during shut down. One cylinder may have a little more fuel in the line before it runs dry. By itself I don't think I'd worry too much about that.
I had a Universal diesal in my Ranger 33 sailboat with an external heat exchanger. I used vinegar to clean out the calcification. I'd be interested in yoru opinion about vinegar. Great videos!
There's a balance between personal safety, convenience, speed of action, and safety of underlying metals. Vinegar is high on safety and cost, but not as fast or aggressive as other options. Muriatic acid (aqueous HCl) is probably the most frequently used agent through the centuries, and it is cheap. If you mess up mixing HCL you could literally die of painful burns, and even splashing is a risk, especially if you make the mistake of adding water to acid. You always want to add the high concentration product to the water since what splashes up is mostly fluid that is already in the container you're adding it to. There is also a risk of a powerful acid eating at underlying aluminum and other metals if it is left on for too long at a high concentration. Lately phosphoric acid (what I used) has been very popular and it is marketed in the marine industry for that purpose. It is certainly less powerful at full concentration and safer than HCL, and proprietary formulations offer simple directions for dilution. Companies that sell phosphoric acid for marine applications say that they add other agents to improve surface tension, penetration etc but I do wonder how much of that is marketing advertising. They also claim it is safe in sea water but of course it will kill anything nearby that is exposed before dilution in the sea.
@5:42 you have two cables are coming out of the water pump housing. Based on the manual, there is only one CW thermostat switch/plug attached to the housing. What is the second one?
There are two extra hoses attached that are the supply and return path for coolant to go to my potable water heater. When engine is on, that water heater exchanges heat with the engine cooling system, so tap water will be warm at my sink if the engine was recently running. There is also an electric water heater option that is AC powered if we are tied up at the dock. I believe that extra device is a temp sensor for the water heater electronics. I don't know if that sensor is tied to an actuator that can close off the coolant flow if heat rises above a set level, or if it is just a temp sensor.
Nothing is ever simple...is it.
I’m having trouble finding the gaskets for the heat exchanger cover plate. As you mentioned, I’m receiving the V shaped gasket but mine is like yours - a straight line across from he core. Any suggestions for sources or part numbers? Thanks
The name and business model may be outdated, but I order parts at my marine chandlery that is the local dealer for Yanmar parts. If you go to the Yanmar website they may be able to hook you up with the local distributor/dealer. I have little doubt it is more expensive and possibly a little slower than online options, but I like the guys who work there and they haven't let me down. As far as part numbers, during the video I gave you shots of most of the seals inside their plastic bags, so just view the video at full screen high def mode and read off the numbers printed on those bags. Yanmar are great in that they offer parts manuals and even full repair manuals in free pdf form online. The curious thing about my engine is that it is the YEU engine, identified by the E that is printed on the engine ID tag before the serial number. The E stands for assembled in Europe, but I think it was only the salt water pump! For the most part the YEU engines used similar parts except the salt water pump, I believe most parts are otherwise identical. Good luck, supply lines are really slow these days.
@@spelunkerd Thank you! I was able to get the part numbers from the list you have at the end of the video and the schematic you have on there. My local Yanmar distributor doesn't have them but I found a place online that does. They didn't have photos online so I won't know for sure until they arrive.
Additional follow-up: The straight strip of gasket inside the heat exchanger cover (Yanmar 128297-44490) is currently on back order from Yanmar and not expected until mid-December 2022 or January 2023. I received this message from two different vendors I ordered from. I was able to use the existing strip for now.
What is the diameter of the tubing using to drain the fluid?
Sorry, I did not measure it, I just selected the largest size that would fit from the kit. The bottleneck is right at the top so outside diameter would be easy to estimate. If you take a few bolts to the boat and select the largest that will fit, you'll get a good idea regarding outside diameter.
Hello "Selunkerd"! You seem to be the only person answering my SOS signal about the Yanmar engine. I was sending replies to your replies, but they somehow disappear. Here is my question: I opened my starboard fitting, and old coolant drained from it. Similar story with the port side: old coolant drained from it. I didn't have to use wire, as you did. This I did before putting some Barnacle Buster, with water, into the fresh-water side of the system. This stayed in the motor for 15 hours, and then I tried to drain it. The port side refuses to drain. The starboard side drains alright. In other words, the port side is dry. I tried putting several different wires up the hole, even removed the long bolt which blocks the hole, and put the wire. No effect. So, my question: when I put fresh water on top of the engine, is it supposed to reach the port side hole? If not, what cools the cylinders? If yes, then how can I clear the path from top to the port side of the engine, so water will gush out (if I open the fitting)? Waiting patiently for you reply...
I noticed that TH-cam is sometimes a little slow to update threads. Your responses are getting to me by email and I'm doing what I can for you. I don't think the Barnacle Buster caused this, but I do think there is something going wrong in your system. Whenever I run into this kind of hair pulling feeling, I try to step back and make sure I haven't made any goofy mistake. In this case the only thing that comes to mind is to be sure the drain bolt you are removing is correctly installed in the right place. I'd double check that in the owners manual. You might have a look at the oil in your oil pan to be sure there is no coolant mixing with oil. If there is a hole blown in the coolant jacket, coolant could drain down to the oil, causing oil level to be too high. The coolant is more dense than oil so if you suck oil up from the bottom of the pan you'll find coolant there if it managed to find a way through, somewhere. Otherwise if it were my engine I'd be thinking about getting a pro involved. Good luck!
Thanks ,👍🇦🇺🦘
Hello "Selunkerd"! I really need your help now. I have tried cleaning my Yanmar heat exchanger. For that, I took out the part with little holes in it, and soaked it in water with Barnacle Buster. And this is fine. But also tried to clean the fresh water part of the cooling system with the same solution. All was fine, until time came to flush out the water. Turns out there is some much dirt that water doesn't come out of the bottom hole, where the engine block is. That is: water comes out of the hole on the opposite side, where the coolant is. But it won't come out out of the hole on the bottom, where the engine block is. If I could, I would send you photos to show you what I mean. Please, explain to me how I can resolve the problem? The reason I started messing with the cooling system was that the engine was overheating, several times last year. And now I think I understand why: the fresh water didn't reach the bottom of the engine, where the cylinders are. Can you help me, please? My name is Gennady.
I haven't looked closely at the drain fitting on the portside of the engine, but the one on the starboard side is threaded into the heat exchanger. If you watched my cooling system video of the Yanmar system you'll recognize that my starboard fitting was similarly blocked, and I showed what it looked like after removal. The brass fitting was attached by tapered NPT style threads. Then I bent a loop of wire and pushed it up into the hole in the engine block. Coolant gushed out and debris was easily cleared (bring absorbent pads, you'll make a mess). I was able to flush it really well when I had the heat exchanger on the bench. Then I reinstalled it, using teflon tape to prevent leaks. In your case I believe you have a similar fitting, and it appears to be very similar to the starboard side in the Yanmar repair manual. If so, I'd try the same thing. If you need better access it would be easy to remove the alternator, after disconnecting battery power.
In your email response to me, you explained that even probing and using back pressure to get coolant to drain there is ineffective. Presumably this was done at a time when the block was full of coolant, which is really odd. I wonder if it had stop leak or some other compound inside that has clogged it up. I'd check the owners manual to be sure you are on the drain bolt, we all make mistakes, ha ha. Assuming there actually is coolant in the block, I'm running out of solutions for you. Perhaps it is time to ask for help from a pro. As you say, overheating could easily be caused by inadequate coolant flow around the cylinder jackets. Even a head gasket leak with exhaust in the fresh water cooling tree should not cause lack of drainage. A pro might be able to check for exhaust gasses in the cooling tree, in which case the decision looking forward would be easier.
@@spelunkerd there is no mistake about the drain bolt. It had a plastic straw coming out of it, as the straw was used to lead the coolant away. I am talking about the port-side draining. When I pour liquid at the top, is it supposed to reach the bottom, the port -side draining hole?
@@tomjoad1060 Yes, fluid should definitely reach there when poured in the top. One thing to remember in these small engines is the fact that you need to have the fill cap at the top of the engine removed when trying to drain fluid out the bottom, because vacuum will hold fluid inside until the vacuum is relieved. Ten minutes ago I published part 2 of the fresh water pump video, and you'll probably be interested to see how the water pump attaches to the engine. If you were to remove the fresh water pump you might find particulate matter in the pump or deeper inside the engine that you can't see from outside. Only thing is, if you remove the pump you'll need to wait for gaskets etc before you can get it together again. You might be able to put a hose on that bottom hose connection, or even backfill it to try and dislodge particulate matter.
@@spelunkerd hi, thanks for reply. My friend from Ukraine called me today, and explained what was the problem. It was that the pipe from heat exchanger was disconnected from the engine, because I put into the heat exchanger the Barnacle Buster. Once I connected the pipe to the engine, the fluid from the top started flowing to the bottom. Too bad it was disconnected, because if it was connected, the Barnacle Buster could reach the bottom of the engine and clean the area around the cylinders. I am now putting in the main cylinder into the heat exchanger, and don't know how to pour in the fresh water coolant, will look at your first video on the problem, again...) Thank you for helping.
I changed out the pipe nipples, too. They corrode more than the other components
Good point.
Fuel filter How to change
Check my channel, I did a video on how to change both fuel filters and purge the system of air.
I always put Permatex Never Seaze on the area of where the hose slides onto the nipples.
That way they can come off easily. And the clamping action in enhanced.
That's an interesting idea. Silicone paste works well for that, and is completely insoluble in water. The only thing I don't like about neverseize is the way some elements are electrolytic, possibly dissolving in the coolant and setting the stage for galvanic corrosion at other locations. On the one hand, part of the way neverseize works is by oxidizing salts in the paste rather than the adjacent metal, in a sense like a local sacrificial anode. When those salts dissolve into their ionized elements in the coolant, they make the coolant more conductive and more prone to galvanic corrosion in other locations. With clean distilled water as a backbone, coolant is immune to galvanic reactions unless contaminated with electrolyte.
Gee! Thank you for response, "spelunkerd". I wander if I could leave my phone number on TH-cam, so that we could talk? If not, is t there another way to speak directly to you?
Please, tell me: is there supposed to be water at the port side draining hole, if I fill up the engine at the top with water? In my case, there is no water at the port side draining hole. There is only water at the starboard side. Is it a problem?
As for getting a pro, can you recommend how to get one? My boat is in Rockaway, New York. I tried contacting Yanmar dealers today, we'll if there is response. I wander if they would come to the marina where my boat is (it is on the ground now).
Yeah, every marina has a group of professionals who will kindly help out, coming right to the boat to assist in repairs. Ask around your marina for word of mouth recommendations. Advice from one of those guys will be far better than from an amateur like myself. They are expensive but everything in a boat costs a lot, and DIY repair can take days out of your life, ha ha. I don't think phoning me will help at all, but I'll continue responding in the threads. I hope it works out for you. Please stop by and let us know what was found, we're all here to learn.
@@spelunkerd my plan for tomorrow is to put back the bolt on the port side, put back all the parts, add some water and try the engine. You talked of air gap. Wander how it's formed. As for pros at marina - believe me I asked. Negative, as we have powerboats with outboard engines...(
It would be really helpful before you started the work to explain the extreme basics of how the anbar fluid system worked for example I'm gathering that it's pulling salt water into a exchanger and then the actual engine coolant is also running through the exchanger so the salt water never runs through the engine. But you're not saying that explicitly. And also before you start pulling things apart you could say here is the hose that goes from the engine to the inlet of the exchanger and here's the exit hole of the exchanger with the engine coolant and the hose goes to the engine again and here is the salt water inlet on the exchange or in the hose and here is the saltwater exit on the exchanger in the hose. Things like that before you even start taking stuff apart with a big wide shot of the engine pointing to those basic systems. And also if you could point out where the injectors are the diesel injectors and any of the other basic components before you start I think it would only take 15 to 30 seconds before you started any video but it would just be a good overview of any engine you're working on before you start getting into the specifics. It really helps someone who is looking at a yanmar engine for the first time and sees this problem and is considering buying a boat with a yanmar etc etc has never seen one before rather than assuming they know the basics about it yanmar or any engine and just diving right into it. That would probably increase your audience by a good 20 to 50% or maybe even more.
Those are good points, thank you for taking time to respond. I did a playlist of Yanmar videos on my channel, some of which covered those basics. One video covered many of the specific questions you ask here, titled "Understanding Yanmar diesel engines, coolant exchange". One of the greatest challenges when publishing to a broad audience is to somehow make it worth watching for everybody, without making it too basic for some and too complex for others. You are absolutely correct to say I consistently assume more background in the audience than most have. You're right, the popular authors on TH-cam manage to do that better, although in some I worry they gloss over steps and make it sound too easy. I'd be disappointed if I walked people into a repair when they don't have the background to cope with complications like broken bolts, shorted wires, etc.
Wow, what a fuss. I have the 3YM30 and it is so much easier to do this.
There are many different ways to approach this. How is it easier in the 3YM30?
✨ ρɾσɱσʂɱ
Why would anyone purchace a YANMAR ,Every part is in the way of everything,( poor desine) , Every salt water fitting is not stainless the cost to fix this is minimal
for YANMAR ,Most are in confined space ,it`s a shame mr jappys dont own boats then they may have a rethink on the desine,Other marine diesels are much better
Think before you buy me Buckos !!
We've got just about 9000 hrs on a pair of 4lh-dte's. Just about everything besides starters and alternators is original. Replaced the turbos preventativly, they weren't bad, but changed them when replacing exhaust elbows. Super reliable engines.