Cooling system leaks, what to worry about?

[sailingunity]

We just made it to Fort Lauderdale, our last stop before crossing to the Bahamas, and I guess I've put this off long enough. We have a number of small leaks that are not huge, but concerning to me. I'm not sure what merits concern and what doesn't, but it seems like any fluids should stay inside the engine.

Engine is a Westerbeke W80.

-Heat exchanger appears to be leaking from the bung weld
-Mixing elbow, might have some micro-fractures that are leaking, right onto the engine mount, ouch! I've already tightened the hose clamps up as much as possible and it still appears to be leaking.
-Coolant reservoir appears to have a small leak as well.

I imagine any one of these small leaks could turn into a big leak with time. The heat exchanger I imagine I would take to a radiator shop. I'm not sure what to do with the mixing elbow (repair or replace?) or coolant reservoir (is there a seal kit I can buy for it)?

[DeepFrz]

I think its time to give your cooling system some much needed maintenance. You are right when you say the coolant and sea water should stay inside their containers.

[seahag]

Good pictures! Can't pinpoint anything but in general it seems like the connections don't look fabulous. As DeepFreeze said, some maintenance would be good now, like changing some hoses and clamps and just by redoing some of that it may fix a few minor leaks. Pull them off and see/feel what is going on inside the hoses and fittings, clean things up. I've heard of using dyes to trace leaks but haven't tried that myself.

It looks like a lot of the hoses are pulled too far in general.

[sailingunity]

I've pulled everything off now, and there are no gaskets anywhere, it looks like the PO used sealant or formagasket. There is a westerbeke dealer in Ft Lauderdale, is it worth it to buy the original gaskets or just use sealant?

[jamhass]

Do it right and fix all and any leaks before any major passage.

I had a small drippy leak I couldn't find, until the oil cooler failed catastrophically. Managed to save the engine, but barely.

[Lepke]

You can make a gasket with a ball-peen hammer, using the round end and putting the gasket material over the fitting and tapping. It will trace, maybe even cut the new gasket. You Tube probably has a video.
The hose with 2 clamps is either too big for the fitting or shot. Hoses don't last forever. When the hose ends stretch out from clamping pressure, you're nearing the end of life.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Lepke

You can make a gasket with a ball-peen hammer, using the round end and putting the gasket material over the fitting and tapping. It will trace, maybe even cut the new gasket.

This, if you can glue one side of the gasket to a part first, cutting a gasket with a hammer works astonishingly well. Glue wise I have always used 3M weatherstrip adhesive, which is nothing really but contact cement.

[Diesel Bill]

Yes, looks like time for new hoses and end gaskets. Not really to bad of a job. I just did both of mine when I put the new manifolds on. Good time to rod out the cooler tubes and renew the anode on the salt water side in the cooler.

[sailingunity]

Thanks guys. I sent the heat exchanger to a radiator shop here in FLL, the mixing elbow to a machine shop.

Meanwhile, I'm having the windlass looked at too, why not?

I'll make sure to pick up some of that gasket material - the gasket for the manifold to HX is discontinued, so I may have to use that. I ordered a gasket for the manifold end, that seemed important (given the exhaust pressures).