Salt Water Cooling

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Salt Water Cooling

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LupeLele
Canada
7 Posts

Posted - 28/10/2014 : 00:51:17
I believe our Yanmar YSE12 uses raw sea water to cool the engine. I have heard the salt water will greatly diminish the useful life of the engine. (The first 40 years the engine has been running only in fresh water in lakes. However, as the new owners, we will soon be re-launching in salt water.

The solution, I'm told is a fresh water cooling system, which cycles fresh water through the engine, and cools it by running through pipes in contact with the ocean water, (a heat exchanger). My surveyor suggested a system like that would cost $2,500 CDN. For that price I would likely just put an outboard on the back and take out the inboard altogether, and enjoy the extra stowage space.

My surveyor also mentioned some boats use a keel cooling system, which uses fresh water, mixed with coolant. The heat exchanging pipes are external to the hull, so they do induce extra drag.

How are you folks dealing with cooling your inboards? Any worries about running salt water?
Simon Hayes
United Kingdom
12 Posts

Posted - 28/10/2014 : 22:14:59
My boat has the original yse12 (since 1972). I recently took the top off expecting the cooling waterways to be heavily furred up, but was surprised to find them reasonably okay. I gave it a scrape out anyway, but that was after 40 yrs in salt water, often in silty muddy water. I have however always replaced the anode in the top of the engine as and when it was looking tired. If the old Yanmar runs okay with no overheating, I wouldn't change anything (apart from the anode). Cheers! Simon

Abijak
United Kingdom
11 Posts

Posted - 29/10/2014 : 09:50:59
The 30 year Yanmar 1GM 10 on my old Jaguar/Catalina 25 was also Raw water cooled from salty muddy water and we had no issues with over heating whatsoever. Every now and then I just flushed with fresh water and each year on laying up pulled plenty of antifreeze through. The anode, as mentioned, needs changing on a regular basis. I was going through one every 4 months, which where my boat is moored is not unusual.

I'd go with what Simon said, check the anode is good, make sure it's pumping plenty of water through and out the back and test under various loadings to see if it gets warm. I currently have a digital thermometer attached to the rubber hose connected to the exhaust elbow, which gives me an indicator of any issues before the alarm bells start ringing! I'd also be tempted to stay with the inboard and see how you get on. Whether this is an option or not but I always had an small outboard hung on the back as a back-up in case of any issues with the inboard. Essentially as a get you home engine. This was mainly as where I sail you're lucky/unlucky if you see another boat out all day!

LupeLele
Canada
7 Posts

Posted - 29/10/2014 : 15:05:24
Thanks very much for the advice. I had no idea there was a zinc on the engine.

So that makes two zincs on the Sabre that I know of. One on the prop and one on the engine. If there is another I'm missing, by all means let me know! Cheers and may you have fair winds.

Mikenfi
United Kingdom
40 Posts

Posted - 09/02/2015 : 10:09:21
I am in the process of rebulding my YSE12 which has been used in Salt water in the English channel for the last 10 years or so. I couldn't talk of its use before this but I am sure "nickbd" could offer some information. We had some problems with the engine overheating after an hour or so of running though the shipping channels.

On internal inspection I can see that a number of the cooling holes entering the cylinder head were thick with mineral deposits. These have since been cleaned, and I hope that this along with further work we are undertaking will solve the cooling and compression problem.

I hope this helps.

Mikenfi
United Kingdom
40 Posts

Posted - 13/03/2015 : 13:35:56
Cleaning mineral deposits from cooling system. Use vinegar 10-1 ratio. Run engkne as normal but fill a bucket and use this as the cooling.keep topping the bucket up with both vinegar and water. It now is shiney new.


Bobster
United Kingdom
16 Posts

Posted - 13/03/2015 : 16:27:51
Like Simon my Yanmar uses raw water cooling and has done since 1977.
I replaced the anodes (there are two) but the general condition is good
regards
Bobster
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