Where is the sacrificial zinc located within the seawater cooling system? How frequently should it be replaced?
gammy@eatel.net
Sacrificial zinc on MD4-108 Perkins diesel
Moderator: Jim Walsh
Re: Sacrificial zinc on MD4-108 Perkins diesel
My Westerbeke 10-two has the original tag from Cape Dory hanging on the heat exchanger stating the zinc should be changed once a month! -- seems a bit much. The zinc itself was a 2 1/2" pencil with a square-headed, threaded plug about 3/16" square located in the bottom of the HE. The replacement has hexagonal head about 3/8"
Don Sargeant
~~COQUINA~~
CD25D #189
Greenwich Cove
don@cliggott .com
Don Sargeant
~~COQUINA~~
CD25D #189
Greenwich Cove
Dick Upton wrote: Where is the sacrificial zinc located within the seawater cooling system? How frequently should it be replaced?
don@cliggott .com
Some models don't have them
Dick,
Not all Perkins 4.108's had them. If you have the thin skinned round heat exchanger that sits across the back of the engine then you have one. If you have the heavy rectangular heat exchanger that is mounted fore and aft on the port side then you probably do not have one. I asked the same questions of a Perkins mechanic and he assured me that my engine did not have one. It is rather discomforting to not have one, but the heat exchanger is very heavy.
matt
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
Not all Perkins 4.108's had them. If you have the thin skinned round heat exchanger that sits across the back of the engine then you have one. If you have the heavy rectangular heat exchanger that is mounted fore and aft on the port side then you probably do not have one. I asked the same questions of a Perkins mechanic and he assured me that my engine did not have one. It is rather discomforting to not have one, but the heat exchanger is very heavy.
matt
Dick Upton wrote: Where is the sacrificial zinc located within the seawater cooling system? How frequently should it be replaced?
mcawthor@bellatlantic.net
Re: Sacrificial zinc on MD4-108 Perkins diesel
Dick,
As noted, if you have the small exchanger mounted on the back of the Perkins 4-108, you have a zinc. On my CD36, the unit was mfg by Sen-Dur. However, there was no way to get to the zinc without taking the exchanger off the engine. I don't believe that mine had every been changed.
I did not trust the small size of the Sen-Dur and " engineered" the placement of a larger exchanger for the engine that worked great. Got three times the heat exchange area.
Brewer Ezzell
"Blackberry", a Morris Frances 26
bezzell@murphyfarms.com
As noted, if you have the small exchanger mounted on the back of the Perkins 4-108, you have a zinc. On my CD36, the unit was mfg by Sen-Dur. However, there was no way to get to the zinc without taking the exchanger off the engine. I don't believe that mine had every been changed.
I did not trust the small size of the Sen-Dur and " engineered" the placement of a larger exchanger for the engine that worked great. Got three times the heat exchange area.
Brewer Ezzell
"Blackberry", a Morris Frances 26
bezzell@murphyfarms.com