Cleaning and repairing a boat heat exchanger

[@mashrien]

Stu's the kind of dude I'd call broke down in the middle of the ocean.. Guaranteed I'd be driving myself home shortly after. I mean it may be a flaming wreck /when/ I get home, but he's gettin' me home. And he just costs a pack of coopers. Best kind of bloke to know.

[@DangarMarine]

There is nothing more heroic that arriving at your home port in a flaming wreck and stepping off onto the wharf as someone hands you a beer. ;)

[@chrismccartney8668]

Very clear and realistic down to earth video incliding tv and working in the lounge....

[@bloodyeyeful]

Gladly sit through 1/2 hour of labor to see your chickens. Thanks for sharing.

[@PhotogNT]

I love the bum vice to hold the exchanger when you undo bolts.

[@djmjr77]

Was gonna say the same thing.. lol 😆

[@DangarMarine]

Bum vice combined with the rally handbrake turn. ;)

[@flick22601]

It's been awhile since I used it but the DEVCON epoxy putties have always worked great for me. Their technical support people are extremely knowledgeable and have given me a lot of tips to make the jobs easier and better over the years.

[@DangarMarine]

I've always had great success using Devcon too, great stuff!

[@billmoran3812]

Reminds me of my younger days, crawling around in the bilge of a wooden boat fixing engines.

[@whotknots]

When you mentioned 'a big flathead' I immediately thought of deep fried beer batter chips and thousand island sauce.

[@markolav70]

Great vid Stu and nice fix.. I had a "temporary filling"once that lasted from 1984 to 1993...that's what I call value for money. Have a great trip mate...enjoy !

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks Mark, you certainly got your moneys worth! Hope to catch up for a fish before the year gets away from us.

[@lightingautomationelectric3314]

Stu I use a rifle cleaning brush on my VP heat exchanger found .22 brush is perfect size. Brush is brass/bronze type material and pushing rod is fibreglass with brass joiners. You need to push brush all the way though before pulling out

[@redlock4004]

"Nothing is as permanent as a temporary repair". Old Russian Proverb.

[@DangarMarine]

If it ends up working well enough to be permanent that would be a definite win!

[@spinaway]

Great fix Stu, if i lived on a tiny island with a boat moored nearby, i would think i am on holiday permanently.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate. It is a nice place to live, it's true but getting away is the only way to not look at all the work that needs doing.

[@KitLaughlin]

I hope Coopers sponsors you, Stu. You are indeed a loyal customer!

[@JohnnyRizon]

A Little taste of home for me in this Video, Devcon Headquarters is in my town here in Danvers, MA. - You're the best Stu--- Keep on truckin and thanks for all the great videos to help us poor boys running!

[@DangarMarine]

Glad you enjoyed it! Devcon certain is great stuff.

[@mattpalmer5890]

I was thinking Vicki's obviously not at home or even in the same state because Stu's got the heat exchanger sitting on the carpet in the loungeroom ..... and then I notice the top of Vicki's head in the background! You are a very lucky man mate :)

[@DangarMarine]

She just rolls her eyes. :)

[@mattpalmer5890]

@@DangarMarine I got in trouble when I left a genset on the deck..... admittedly it was for 3 years and not my deck .... but still :)

[@ImnotChuck.]

A hundred years ago when I was 7 years old, I went to the movies every Saturday and watched a cowboy or soldier flick or two, and then came my favorite part...the cartoon. That's the way I feel about the chicks' bit at the end of your videos. Daffy and Daisy always make me smile. Thanks.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate, they make me smile too. :)

[@Royden58]

I once refilled a magnetic compass with a huge bubble in it, with Vaseline hair tonic in 1982. Still working today.

[@robertdegraaf5215]

I have to have the beer to solve the problems too. Love the show Stu.

[@iain1969]

Great job Stu. Can't wait to see how long the 'temporary' fix lasts.

[@DangarMarine]

I'll be interested too. I'm sure we'll still be planning to fix it up properly in 10 years time. ;)

[@Fibs4Tibs]

@@DangarMarine nothing more permanent than a temporary fix.

[@codylapoint]

Well it will only be on there until it doesn't work anymore.

[@strasbertos]

Teasing us with those big fishing reels. Let's see some action!

[@DangarMarine]

Soon! :)

[@russseff1246]

I see a Sammy Hitzkie collaboration coming

[@ApprenticeGM]

You're in fine form Stu! "Could have gone longer and stronger . . . " "That's the Ghostbusters 'slimed me' stuff" "I gave it the Blue Steel look . . . " good video & repair too, but top class entertainment. Looking forward to your upcoming docco on a WWII sea mission!

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate, I'm looking forward to getting back and working more on that video.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

That Devcon F epoxy putty is good stuff....Over it was called Marine Tex....l have used it A BUNCH OF TIMES IN THE PAST....Thanks mate...Your friend in Kentucky.....

[@omieyouknowme]

Great video. I've had to clean tubes to, one trick I learned. Use one of those cheap engine pressure washers thru your air line. The venturi tip sucks in fluid. You can force cleaning solution thru passages rather well. For on road diesel trucks we have coolant filters, with or without sca additives, would a filter help him out in the long run. It's amazing the crap they catch, and I just replace the filter every other year. It's help my radiator and pump last oh going in 20 years.

[@DangarMarine]

Interesting to hear about the coolant filter. Make sense to have something like that.

[@wmac3306]

I'm really impressed by your innovative repair. Hope it holds. Way better than shelling out a ton of cash for a new one. Years ago I did a "temporary" repair on my Ford Lehman's cast iron exhaust elbow using plastic steel & then went long distance cruising for a couple of years without a hint of a problem.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate. It's a amazing how long repairs like on your exhaust elbow can last.

[@dizzywilliams3557]

Not a 'ton' of cash for new vetus $800 clams for new housing and O rings and gaskets(+exhaust) I went new! I only got 1 motor,,😉

[@sidvak9700]

Epoxying on the lounge rug without a drop cloth - that's Danger Marine!

[@adam56usa]

Learning a lot from you. I once repaired an outboard using JB Weld.

[@KingGraver]

I've got twin 671's in my boat. They were installed new in 1945 and are running great! Currently have less than 2,000 hours but the meter may have been reset after a major overhaul in the 80's.

[@OFCbigduke613]

I love this channel but man your workshop gives my OCD a jolt. Might be time for a general clean up. Good times. Be safe Stu.

[@pslny]

3,000 RPM Stu, 30.9 KW. Great video, nice work!

[@RoadhogRNA]

Enjoy your vacation and great job on the exchanger!!!!

[@DangarMarine]

Thank you! Will do!

[@mashrien]

Enjoy the time off man, you've earned it a couple times over. We''ll all be here when ye get back.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate!

[@mjodr]

Love the mechanic's juice they are sipping on =)

[@scale2tail]

That putty looks like its good stuff. Fantastic work!

[@DangarMarine]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@stuartkeegan2291]

I've had similar issues with a heat exchanger on my old Vetus M4.14. Mine was leaking between raw and cooling water, and also out of the end bonnets, so the core *had* to come out. I removed the bonnets and bolts, screwed in some threaded rod until it bottomed out and then used a car jack to press against the threaded rod and force the core out. Done with the heat exchanger still in the boat of course. Once the heat exchanger was out, the core rods were silver soldered back to the end caps, the heat exchanger was built up using aluminium welding and then linished down to size. 2 years later and no issues. Surprisingly it wasn't hideously expensive, I found a local boiler maker skilled rebuilding old boilers to do the work. If it happened again though, I think I'd take your approach to building it back up with epoxy. Although I really do think it's worth getting the core out if you can - mine had a diverter on its sleeve which ad come loose and needed tacking back into place, and also, although the heat exchanger core tubes were clear, the voids between them were packed with silt, so raw water wasn't able to effectively flow past the tubes, limiting the cooling capacity.

[@DangarMarine]

Since work on getting the core out in the boat. It's weird to have silt between the tubes as that is the coolant side, the raw water flows through the tubes, but I guess if there was a leak the raw water was getting into the header tank. Glad you got it fixed for a good price!

[@donaldsayers4967]

I have always used heat to sweat oil, moisture and impurities out of castings before using Devcon as the thermal reaction from the 2pack makes the metal sweat and causes pockets under the coating. As you are heating it you can see the material dry out.

[@DangarMarine]

Good tip, will definitely do that next time.

[@ckm-mkc]

That devcon is amazing stuff - I've used the titanium devcon for fixing a bunch of stuff, even a cylinder head.

[@DangarMarine]

Sure is.

[@bikemessenger7]

man each time I see a part in that condition I think "oh man, thats trash now!" but you just dive in and fix it up. amazing. have a great vacation.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks Earl. :)

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

Where I worked they used some type of Devcon on aluminum casting that leaked oil because of porosity. Worked great.

[@lemmy9996]

Good "quick and dirty" repair Stu!!

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate.

[@tonysargent1699]

Stu, there is a Yamaha motorcycle yellow like that called middle chrome! Nice and bright! Thanks for sharing, great viewing.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks for the info!

[@djmjr77]

Awesome job!! Way to make due with what you have. Those epoxies and things like JB weld can fix more things than people would dare to. I fixed a cracked water jacket in a head with JB weld, held up perfectly fine an no need to remove/ replace .. Have a great holiday!!

[@DangarMarine]

People don't seem to understand just how strong a lot of these modern metal epoxies are. If you can get them to bond well to the base metal you are in good shape.

[@lpd1snipe]

I first used Devcon about 30 years ago when I was still working in the Marine industry. If you can't weld it, or braze it and you're in a pinch, it'll do the job.

[@DangarMarine]

It is amazing stuff so long as you can get it to adhere to the base metal.

[@johncorderoy4437]

We have yanmar engines on our centre pivots for irrigation and they still are going after 20000 hours, only thing that’s been replaced has been the alternator

[@kevgermany]

Good job. Love to see it running. Guess you'll be doing the other one soon, just in case.

[@DangarMarine]

Yep, get this one running and then do the other so there is always at least one engine usable.

[@JeffinLowerAlabama]

Looking good on the Heat exchanger fix, Best to you all on your holiday, Jeff in LA USA

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

We have to wait for the real stars at the end of the video!!!!! Thanks!

[@graves3919]

Stu, I used to use vinegar to clean out the copper heat exchangers in My Trawler. Turned the calcium to Blue vinegar. Rinsed it and was good to go. DON"T know what it did to the copper but it wasn't much

[@DangarMarine]

The acetic acid in vinegar can do a good job for sure.

[@michaelthorpe9560]

@@DangarMarine yer, but it leave's your bag of chip's tasting like crap!

[@Harrybollox]

Love the ubiquitous stubby of coopers

[@randallsnyder1003]

Love the Zoolander reference. Blue Steel Nice

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks. :)

[@user-ym9wb2mk5e]

Glad to see your channel is still going strong!!!! Haven’t watched any content since my boat projects have been on hold this year. Cheers mate, from Texas, appreciate all your vids and knowledge sharing!

[@DangarMarine]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@lvlndco]

That's a very spiffy looking repair.

[@desolatemetro]

Wow, pretty impressive given what you started with. Can't wait to see if it works. Enjoy your holiday!

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks, I'm keen to see how it goes too.

[@andykent5569]

Enjoy the break Stu, cheers 👍

[@ericfranklin2064]

Have good and safe trip!

[@DangarMarine]

Thank you! Will do!

[@BentTreeFarmPa]

Hey Stu, have fun on vacation! A little trick I have always used on flat surfaces like those is to use a flat file like a mill or bastard file. Hold it flat and use it to make a nice mating surface.

[@DangarMarine]

Good tip, they give you a nice straight surface.

[@scharftalicous]

Thats a good looking fix, I'd buy it new on eBay! Always a pleasure to see all the different adventures and boats.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks Phillip, hope you are doing well. Still need to make that boat together!

[@AlisonFort]

Nice lizard and lovely birds - Daffy looking good😀

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks 👍

[@keithsmith4236]

Thats a quality bodge. These epoxies really are a game changer these days. Great vid as always mate

[@jaybdvm]

What you referred to a drain plug - could be a sacrificial "pencil" zinc which had eroded away. I had one on my gas engine heat exchanger.

[@johngiam]

At 13.41 he did remove the plug and clarified it was a drain plug, not a pencil anode. Anyway, isnt this a exhaust manifold heat exchanger,? Meaning the seawater circuit is in the 2 pass tube stack while the exterior is flooded with coolant? If it is the case, shouldnt any form of anode be on the lid cover on both ends of the tubestack?

[@randyhilton6629]

@@johngiam I have a 4.15 Vetus, there are no anodes for the HE. I believe Beta is the same, but not entirely sure.

[@johngiam]

@@randyhilton6629 oh, so its the anode plug without the pencil anode?

[@randyhilton6629]

@@johngiam I thing the bolt he took out is used for installing a lifting ring. It shows in their parts book. Looks like the drain plug is on the exhaust side and the lifting ring would be on the other side. I wish I could find a service manual book.

[@randyhilton6629]

@@johngiam These HEs are designed with no anodes.

[@jerryf609]

Wow. Its amazing what you can do with the epoxy .

[@DangarMarine]

Sure is!

[@209turtleboy]

"Barnicle buster" works great on cleaning out those tubes.

[@jaquigreenlees]

CLR as well. Not sure if it's available in Aus though. Calcium, Lime, Rust remover that is safe for copper ( you can pour it at 100% through copper pipes with no damage ) It dissolves calcium and lime deposits and removes rust stains.

[@dimitrikuburlis9277]

@@jaquigreenlees yes CLR is available in Australia.

[@fulltimber]

Come on Pete , just spring for a new one . You would hate that you’re way of shore in a storm when in let’s go

[@soflo_justin934]

Rydlyme marine does too

[@DangarMarine]

Boat isn't going offshore, only in the river and has two engines.

[@rodneylee4026]

That chicken loves you, she follows your every word. Sweet creatures.

[@DangarMarine]

She is a lot of fun to hang out with. :)

[@dermotevans206]

I so want to tidy that workshop !

[@manuelcastro6737]

Very Good Job, Stu! Looks like that is going to do the job.

[@DangarMarine]

Hope so!

[@samwhite9894]

Rifle cleaning kit good for cleaning the exchanger

[@gilesbowdery1914]

Stu, had a very similar issue with my 3 cylinder Vetus but not a bad. Always wondered why these engines have no anode fitted!

[@DangarMarine]

I'm suprised there is no anode too.

[@fachu2]

Good old Devcon, that stuff is great. sets so hard its machinable. I used it on a Yamaha V6 cylinder head, then drilled it and taped it to hold the water jacket cover on. Then a bit of paint to make a Job what it ain't.

[@DangarMarine]

It is amazing stuff. As long as it bonds well to the parent metal it can last a suprisingly long time.

[@TheNockingPoint]

@3:05 Stu your delivery is amazing. Love the subtle humor that you put into your videos. Well, it's subtle compared to American humor. :-)

[@DangarMarine]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@TimsWorkshopTJY]

Hi Stu, I had one boat years ago that had a heat exchanger on it. Every year as part of my winterizing I drained and clean it. It was a 470 mercruiser inbd/outbd. Allot of torque on low end but not much for top speed. 35 approx. Cabin cruiser with a nice cuddy and head with door. Little sink with white gas stove. Tried to boil water for cooking a crab and gave up. Haha

[@DangarMarine]

Regular maintenance goes a long way Tim!

[@michaelmcclure8673]

Stu 1st have a great holiday 2nd loved it when the chicken took care of the food thief.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate!

[@michaelmcclure8673]

@@DangarMarine Oh on a side note, my Girlfriend just named new hatchling fuzzy foot chic Daisy. 🤔😁🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐔🐔

[@gavinb9627]

Enjoy your break Stu, the world will be just the same upon your return.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate!

[@zechthompson7688]

Great video without even watching it

[@DangarMarine]

Legend!

[@JOHNJONES-qo3fh]

Nice job Stu, looks good hope the pressure test goes ok, have a good break m8 .

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks 👍

[@rogerdeves1511]

Enjoy the break mate, I hope you still have the sunnies for Sleazy...they are gold. Ingat kuya

[@DangarMarine]

Sleezy is the natural habitat for those sunnies. ;)

[@USMMCE]

When cleaning our Cooler Tubes, we used a Truck Speedometer Cable. They worked because it was made of aluminum which is softer than what the tubes were made of. Now I know that the tubes on this cooler are much smaller but maybe you could try a copper wire next time to "Rod Out" the tube. then try the same wire on a Drill to whip around and clean the interior of the Tube Passages.

[@DangarMarine]

I like the idea of the soft wire in a drill, that's an interesting technique.

[@USMMCE]

@@DangarMarine It is about this only way to really clean the tubes out. Now my coolers were just a little larger that that one, about 16' in diameter by 12' long. We had a flange with a hookup for a Firehose that we would put on one end then flush it but it still didn't do as good as putting something in the tube and spinning it around.

[@kltpep]

Now we all know Stu your going to do some video recording on your vacation. Can't wait to see those videos....

[@darrylmcleman6456]

I did a similar thing with a product called JBWeld on a 9.9 outboard to build up the thermostat housing and as far as I know it is still holding after 8 yrs. Cheers from Canada

[@DangarMarine]

It is amazing how long this stuff lasts.

[@paintnamer6403]

Those rudder control rods need cleaned and inspected. Some lumber, fish plates and lashings for back up reinforcement. And nice video!

[@DangarMarine]

Steering definitely need to be 100%

[@Dan_C604]

“Ahh good looking boat” :)) That was a great episode Stu. I enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to see how it works out. Enjoy your holidays!

[@DangarMarine]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@iantyler4045]

Got claustrophobic watching you remove that exchanger.

[@HughJazz69696]

have fun on holiday mate.

[@DangarMarine]

Thank you!

[@peterg.8245]

We need to work on getting “release the shmoo” into the Aussie lexicon

[@kz4506]

Usually the core is brass and comes out to soak in acid or vinegar for a couple of days l replace the O rings and whalla all done

[@TheBuckthat]

Reminds me of what we tried with our tamd 40s, nothing worked at full revs, probably ok if your just putting around and not in outside waters.

[@johnduffy7502]

A knife sharpening stone!! Of course, great idea.... I can think of a few situations where that would come in useful.

[@chrisk8208]

Yeah, at $275 a pop, a diamond honing plate isn't a cheap option but they last forever and are very flat. www.thewoodworks.com.au/shop/equipment/honing-diamond-plates/plate-diamond-double-sided-75-x-200mm-detail My goto supplier for woodworking is Timbecon. They do a single sided version for $179. www.timbecon.com.au/eze-lap-200-x-75mm-diamond-plates

[@johnduffy7502]

@@chrisk8208 Interesting! Stumpy Nubs is my woodworking guru and he says to avoid the cheaper plastic laminated diamond stones. But DYOR. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHOxdWmbotiGe5Y I bought a Trend 300/1000 as per his recommendation (c GBP90) and it does seem very good. Let's face it you are not going to buy two, and there is no reason I can see why a stone that can put an edge on a chisel without damaging the face is going to have a problem with a manifold.

[@chrisk8208]

@@johnduffy7502 Yes, I'd take his advice on anything woodworking, except using a shaping tool on an angle grinder:) The link he has to a double sided metal plate diamond stone is only AU $172 so good deal. www.amazon.com/Trend-DWS-CP8-Double-Sided-Extra-Coarse/dp/B0762WW55W/ref=pd_lpo_469_t_1/147-5894243-7282641?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0762WW55W&pd_rd_r=e52b114a-b748-454c-8248-be5122fe20fc&pd_rd_w=Dx3W6&pd_rd_wg=IsB9g&pf_rd_p=eba84458-d862-45eb-bb57-06592e30f645&pf_rd_r=12K3J53JJTQ4TYNGNC9J&psc=1&refRID=12K3J53JJTQ4TYNGNC9J

[@chrisk8208]

@@johnduffy7502 My goto guy is William Ng. He isn't missing great chunks of flesh and doesn't appear to be so sponsor oriented. kzbin.info/door/cdLKZkv7kY0Ov5RxjyrZAw

[@johnduffy7502]

@@chrisk8208 Yes, I like William Ng. He doesn't put much material out these days though...

[@miguelfatman6066]

Gee’s Stu, log in started watching and suddenly just a beer on the boat table, thought you has vanished in the bundaberg triangle

[@anthonywall5227]

Thank you

[@DangarMarine]

You're welcome

[@SkypowerwithKarl]

I’ve found that one of the worst surface for paint or epoxy to stick to is a wire wheeled or wire brushed surface. I like to scuff it up with 60/80 grit sand paper after using wire to get the crud off. I’ve been so impressed by JB weld that I rarely use Devcon anymore. Just try to get it fresh, old stock may be disappointing.

[@DangarMarine]

This corrosion had so much texture that I'm expecting the mechanical bond to be quite strong. Good point about getting fresh epoxy. I also keep it in the fridge once bought too.

[@SkypowerwithKarl]

@@DangarMarine You etched it too, so that’ll help tons. Have you ever noticed it too? That sheen that a wire puts down? Sometimes water drops even bead up instead of spreading out(an old painters trick to test for paint adhesion) as if an oil or wax is on it. It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s steel or stainless wire and it seems to only get worse when the wires are used (wire ends rounded) or laid over.

[@lefty940]

Great work guys very impressive love the vox too

[@DangarMarine]

Glad you like it!

[@MrKb1959]

Enjoy your holiday fella .Thanks for the content. 😁

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks!

[@retiredfederalie178]

I have similar setups on my Hino EH700 diesels. They called them “manicoolers”. Mine are cast aluminum and don’t like galvanic corrosion or rather they do and you have to protect them as best you ca.

[@chrisskelhorn5727]

Excellent video Stu! Learning lots of stuff that I'll never get around to doing, like Kluk Fu Fighting, lizard rescue, and the like! :-) I hope you both have a great holiday! :-)

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks Chris!

[@zetacon4]

Nice job!

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks!

[@antonisantonis655]

Instead of acid baths you can try viacal bath, it is doing very good job on removing salts and it is not as dangerous as acid for the parts

[@russw5301]

Nothing dodgy here, I would give it a 3 year warranty. Well done! Enjoy the break.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks, will do!

[@loganadler0]

Love these videos always good knowledge shared.

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks for watching!

[@Royden58]

Stu’s Dangar safety boots

[@MrBugsier5]

these parts are widely available here in Schiedam, the Netherlands.. (Vetus-Den ouden) .

[@samwhite9894]

See this all the time...anodes never get replaced.

[@nicholasboatright41]

There aren't any anodes on a vetus. At least not one I've found on mine. I have the same corroded heat exchanger with only 250 hours on the engine.

[@mumblbeebee6546]

A 3MW plant fixed with epoxy, isn’t modern life glorious ;) Good fun video, thanks for the procrastination value!

[@mumblbeebee6546]

P.S. have a good time on your break!

[@DangarMarine]

Thanks mate, will do!

[@wrav47]

my kind of boat repair beer in one hand wrench in the other..