This bulletin board, hosted by the CDSOA, Inc., is the on-line meeting place for all Cape Dory owners and groups. We welcome everyone's questions, answers and comments about Cape Dory sailboat
I experienced decreased flow in my Westerbeke. The impeller LOOKED good, but had become flaccid. The water pump could be spun freely by hand. A new impeller took care of the problem. With a water-lift muffler it's hard to dermine the amount of flow -- the temp reading is a better indicator.
Don Sargeant
~~COQUINA~~
John D wrote: OK -First the basics - I have a 16 year old Volvo MD7A that over the past few weeks seems to be running hot and has a less than usual water flow out the exhaust. The impeller is good, the water into the boat through the seacock as well. 2 main questions - could it be a thermostat problem? Perhaps a plugged passage? (It's raw water cooled). I have heard of a product called marsolve (www.marsolve.com) that claims to be able to descale, delime, derust etc, like mauratic (sp) acid, but no harmful side effects. Anyone tried this stuff? The sales guy said you can uses a 5 gallon bucket and suck in into the engine, out the exhaust injection hose back to the bucket for a half hour or so. Wouldn't that cause a problem with the boat exhaust system? Don't you need that injection to the waterlift muffler to avoid major problems? I don't know much about engines, (but I'm about to get a crash course I bet), so any info, insight, prayers etc would be appreciated. Any other information I can provide I'll try, and any ideas of anything else to check I'll try them as well. Thanks a lot folks.
Jody Kaplan wrote: Hi John,I Experienced a lack of good flow out exhaust,mine had a clogged thermostat housing,manifold,hose(pipe)leading to manifold.The passages were well clogged.I have the same engine-1979.Good Luck Jody K
OK Jody, what did you do to clean the passages?
John
HI John I still have to clear mine,but it seems a radiator shop for boiling out is the first choice. Then possibly drilling out a couple of the obvious spots.Good LUck Jody K.
It is a simple plastic fitting, with a screw cap, just like you might see on a car radiator hose of the same diameter. They should be easy to find in any autoparts store, associated with radiator flush materials. I keep a 3 foot length of hose with a suitable hose connector in the engine compartment, so that I can suck up water from a big bucket any time I want to flush the engine.
John D wrote: OK -First the basics - I have a 16 year old Volvo MD7A that over the past few weeks seems to be running hot and has a less than usual water flow out the exhaust. The impeller is good, the water into the boat through the seacock as well. 2 main questions - could it be a thermostat problem? Perhaps a plugged passage? (It's raw water cooled). I have heard of a product called marsolve (www.marsolve.com) that claims to be able to descale, delime, derust etc, like mauratic (sp) acid, but no harmful side effects. Anyone tried this stuff? The sales guy said you can uses a 5 gallon bucket and suck in into the engine, out the exhaust injection hose back to the bucket for a half hour or so. Wouldn't that cause a problem with the boat exhaust system? Don't you need that injection to the waterlift muffler to avoid major problems? I don't know much about engines, (but I'm about to get a crash course I bet), so any info, insight, prayers etc would be appreciated. Any other information I can provide I'll try, and any ideas of anything else to check I'll try them as well. Thanks a lot folks.
John Dupras
S/V Mariah
Intrepid 9M
John,I took a chance leaving the manifold with a mechanic i trust,He drilled some areas carefully,I believe with a press,then powerwashed it.It appears at least to have cleared out the clogged passages.Now Ill just have to fight murphys law reconnecting everything.Again Good Luck with yours.The flush hookup of some sort does seem like a great idea.Jody K