Beta Diesel Engine cooling system cleaned\snaked - 2017

Beginning of January 2017 - Tied up in Marina Mazatlán, Mexico 

We unfastened the return heater hose from the engine space.

So what happen (we described in an earlier post) was we left San Diego with 50/50 antifreeze. We did not realize that the 38 hp Beta Marine Diesel engine we have wants 40/60 in the tropics. If I had looked at the manual close enough I would have seen the chart. But who reads manuals any way?

 So the antifreeze coagulated in spots and we have covered how we cleaned it up in the engine. However last season we noticed we were not making hot water when we ran the 38 hp Beta Marine Diesel engine. So this season we had to remove the Mermaid HVAC unit and decided to find and repair the problem if we could with the hot water heater.

With the 12000 BTU Mermaid Marine HVAC unit out we

were able to get to the engine out heater in hose.

We disconnected it.

After removing the hose we immediately saw the problem.

The heater was clogged with coagulated antifreeze.

So was the heater hose. Not, as it turns out, solid all the way but in sections.

Clogged heater hose.

First with the hot water hoses removed,

 we tried to blow the clog out with the Dewalt air compressor.

That did not work at all. So next was snaking it. 

Attempting to blow air through the heater pipe. 

The clog went from the engine hot water out just past the check valve up to the hot water heater and then from the hot water heater to the accumulator tank. From the accumulator tank to the engine it was clear.

Hoses on the accumulator tank. 

Removing the hose from the heater with the heat gun. 

Hose off. 

Hot water heater area. Running the snake into the hot water heater.

 

Snake going in one side of hot water heater and coming out the other.

More snaking. Once we were satisfied we cleared the hot water heater,

 we moved on to the hoses.

We removed the clogged heater hoses and took them out to the dock.

 

We snaked the hoses out on the dock, clearing the clogs.

 

Snake running through the hot water heater hose.

Hoses cleared!

Re-snaking the heater hose return to the engine so it is better aligned.

Replacing the out heater hose from the engine to the heater.

Hoses all back together. We tested this cleaned out system with water we ordered from the tienda (5 gal bottles of water) and it worked fine. Now to move onto the next project, removing the 38 hp Beta Marine Diesel stack tube in the heat exchanger and cleaning it, replace the seals and fill the 38 hp Beta Marine Diesel back up with 40/60 antifreeze. (That's another post!!