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Old 26-06-2014, 07:02   #1
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Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

Hi Everone,

I have purchased a 1993 Beneteau 370 two years ago and would like to do a coolant change since I am unaware when it as last done. I haven't done a coolant change before so was looking to get some good advice.

From the schematics of the engine there is a coolant drain cock with a nipple to attach a hose. I assume I would attach a hose to the nipple and turn the drain cock and drain the coolant into a bucket.

The engine has a heat exchanger and it also runs the coolant to the hot water heater.

Question 1: How do you insure you get most of the old coolant out of the engine, heat exchanger and hot water heater?

Question 2: Once everything is drained, the only way to add coolant is through the expansion tank or force it back through the drain cock. If the engine isn't running to pump the coolant around, how do you get the coolant back into the system? Should i run the engine with no coolant initially and immediately start pouring the coolant into the expansion tank?

Thanks for the help.
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Old 26-06-2014, 07:28   #2
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

Drain old coolant. Drain coolant from the hot water tank and hoses. Close drain and reattach hoses. Don't obsess about getting out every last drop of old stuff. You could flush with fresh water if you feel it necessary.

Put in as much coolant as it will take before starting the engine. Don't over fill the expansion tank. Your biggest problem may be getting the coolant to flow to your hot water heater. Run the engine up to temp, run at high speed for a few minutes. Add coolant if necessary. If you have an IR Thermometer use it to check all cylinders and different areas of the head and block. Once the system doesn't need any more coolant you are done.
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Old 26-06-2014, 07:35   #3
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

If the coolant hasn't been changed in awhile, the drain cock may be blocked. Unscrew it and stick a piece of wire up it to free the junk. The engine coolant system is supposed to be self bleeding, but it can take a bit of effort to bleed the air out. Run for a short while till the coolant tank goes low and refill. If the hotwater heater lines are high relative to the engine, you may have to bleed at the goes-in line to the hotwater heater.
I used radiator flush every 3 or 4 years on my old 2003 to clean the system.
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Old 26-06-2014, 08:25   #4
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

Radiator flush is not recomended by any major vendor. That is an obsolete practice from when coolants weren't so good, and it should end. Modern procedures recomend nothing more than a freshwater rinse, and only when brands are changed. With a modern coolant, 5-year changes and that's all. The flush chemical are not good for corrosion protection.

Dilute coolant ONLY with DI water, just as for a battery. The manufacture specs for blending water now require DI. Even a few ppm of chloride, sulfate, or calcium hurt.

Sure, a few sell the products, but that is only because the marketing department pushes it. Speak with the chemists and they will all tell you it is a bad idea. (I am on the relavant ASMT committees)
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Old 26-06-2014, 08:35   #5
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

Thinwater
The 25+ year old Volvo I had would get its coolant side filled with junk and rust. Not sure how to clean it out without some kind of cleaner. After I started changing the coolant at least every 2 years, it stayed cleaner. Without the flush, it would overheat. On a newer engine, you are probably right. On my old Volvo, it needed help.
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Old 26-06-2014, 08:37   #6
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

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Dilute coolant ONLY with DI water, just as for a battery. The manufacture specs for blending water now require DI. Even a few ppm of chloride, sulfate, or calcium hurt.
Anymore, I find it most convenient to simply buy the premixed antifreeze. I would have to carry around the DI water anyway, and it isn't like I'm wasting lots of money adding/changing antifreeze constantly.

BTW, finding DI water outside the US can be quite the challenge! Often times the only source is a pharmacy that sells it in little tiny bottles at outrageous prices. The stuff sold in autopart stores, etc for batteries usually has acid in it! And they are still small bottles.

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Old 26-06-2014, 08:50   #7
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

What engine? Watch for an air lock on Perkins.
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Old 26-06-2014, 09:05   #8
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

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Dilute coolant ONLY with DI water, just as for a battery. The manufacture specs for blending water now require DI. Even a few ppm of chloride, sulfate, or calcium hurt.
Yikes!

Brief thread drift; not a hijack.

I ran my generator with seawater leaking into the fresh water coolant side through a bad heat exchanger -- for about a year. It made a rusty mess in the fresh water side.

I finally figured it out last winter and changed the heat exchanger, flushed it dozens of times, and it has worked perfectly since.

But if you say even a few PPM will hurt, then what will a bunch of sea water do? Is there something else I should do to it? I am planning to change the coolant again this weekend. BTW, de-ionized water is no problem to get in the UK -- sold at Halfords in 5 liter jugs.
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Old 26-06-2014, 09:46   #9
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

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What engine? Watch for an air lock on Perkins.
whoops... missed the Volvo in the title!
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Old 26-06-2014, 11:57   #10
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

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whoops... missed the Volvo in the title!
But it is made by Perkins…

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Old 26-06-2014, 12:03   #11
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

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But it is made by Perkins…

Mark
I love being wrongly right!
Anyway... if all coolant is out of the engine, on some perkins when you fill there might be an air pocket in the Thermostat. The hot coolant wont transfer to the thermostat and it wont open causing overheating. I resolved it by removing the t-stat housing and manually filing with coolant.
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Old 26-06-2014, 12:05   #12
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

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But it is made by Perkins…

Mark
The 2000 series (2001/2002/2003/2003T) is Volvo built. It isn't a Perkins block.
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Old 26-06-2014, 12:07   #13
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

Whoops, my lysdexia read it as a 2030!

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Old 27-06-2014, 04:59   #14
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

Depending on your winters, be careful with the pre-mixed. Where I live the stuff that's available in the stores is only good to minus 27 centigrade. Last winter it went down to minus 29 !! Fortunately no damage. I'm changing to concentrated which is good to minus 67 !!
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Old 30-06-2014, 18:01   #15
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Re: Coolant Change Guidance - Volvo Penta 2003

OK, you are up where it's REALLY cold in the winter. You should make changing the coolant part of your annual routine. You want plenty of glycol in the winter - 100% maybe. But only 30-50% in the boating season. Water exchanges heat 250% better than glycol - too much can lead to overheating.
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