Perkins 4-154 Overheating - Freshwater Side ?

[boatbum10]

I have a Perkins 4-154 with overheating challenges. Last season it was getting warm when cruising, cleaned main heat exchanger, replaced failing impeller, replaced antifreeze. All was good.

This season it's been running progressively warmer to the point where at 1,000rpm it runs up to 230F and I shut it down. Gauge seems accurate, at idle steadily rises then stops at 195-200 like normal. Good raw water flow out the exhaust, water gently warm like normal. Zincs been replaced annually with plenty of zinc left.

Freshwater circ pump belt snug still. I pulled the main heat exchanger today, a little bit of junk in it but nothing like when I pulled it last time. I'm going to replace the thermostat and clean the exchanger (both sides as well as I can). Suggestions of what else I should do while the system is drained and apart? Does anyone know of a good cleaner for the freshwater side that won't eat the hoses? I'm hoping I don't have to pull the oil cooler and make a mess, but if it has been a problem for other people I can.

Thanks for any suggestions instructions directions or other info to keep this thing cooling properly.

[Stillraining]

Iv got the same engine...its a bugger figuring these things out to be sure.

I would doubt its the oil cooler alone but it must be ruled out as it is with any diagnostic procedure..the next thing is plugged block passages after your listed checks..a partially clogged mixing elbow should not affect temps to that degree as long as you still have good exhaust flow which you say you have..but is another check off your list of possibilities...as one issue can piggy back on another and add up to problems.

There are several product you can soak the FW side with called descalers that are worth a try as well...some will say they will harm your engine ..Im not in that camp if you adhere to directions. We are your one-stop solution for marine engine overheating, heat exchanger cleaning, engine cooling system cleaner, heat exchanger cleaner, marine descaler, heat exchanger descaler and boat engine overheating!

[gettinthere]

Are you sure of the temps? Buy a laser heat gun (cheap). Easy to spot check various places on the engine for temps. On my 4.154 I check the thermostat housing and it always reads about 180. Oil filter reads over 200. Part of the mixing elbow gets to 400.

[DeepFrz]

Check your mixing elbow. At least that would be my next move.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by gettinthere

Are you sure of the temps? Buy a laser heat gun (cheap). Easy to spot check various places on the engine for temps. On my 4.154 I check the thermostat housing and it always reads about 180. Oil filter reads over 200. Part of the mixing elbow gets to 400.

Gettinthere:

What does your head temp reading say?...mine runs around 210 to 219 on top just wondering...as my thermostat housing will get 195
Thanks

[gettinthere]

"head", be more specific please.

My Bowman runs about 190d, my injectors run about 160d, The flange at the input to the mixing elbow gets to about 400d but the mixing elbow itself runs high 200d. Can't remember all the readings exactly. Need to write them down!

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by gettinthere

"head", be more specific please.

My Bowman runs about 190d, my injectors run about 160d, The flange at the input to the mixing elbow gets to about 400d but the mixing elbow itself runs high 200d. Can't remember all the readings exactly. Need to write them down!

Im with you on the need for writing things down ...I cant remember where i set my beer down anymore...

OK more specific......."head" = "Cylinder Head" as in that big hunk of metal your injectors go through and your valve cover is bolted down to..

Shooting a reading on top of my cylinders right on the head itself ...I read those temperatures mentioned under load...just wondering what yours was if you knew.

[SV Demeter]

The original poster mentioned a zinc. I have not seen one on my 4-154 with a bowman heatexchanger. Any suggestions on where to look? I have read somewhere that bowman heatexchangers dont come with xincs due to something about nickle or some blah blah blah so I stopped looking...

[gettinthere]

Still
The injectors read (at the base) around 157 to 165 depending on how I'm running the engine

I've been told there are no zincs on the 4.154

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by gettinthere

Still
The injectors read (at the base) around 157 to 165 depending on how I'm running the engine

I've been told there are no zincs on the 4.154

OK Thanks...I don't recall shooting the injectors themselves thanks anyway.

And to whomever asked...no zincs in my 4-154 heat exchanger either....Im no zinc guru but my heat exchanger sure could have benefited from one. IMO

[Chief Engineer]

On your raw water side, check upsteam and downstream of the pump.

Sometimes a stray piece of impeller can lodge in there. You will get waterflow but at higher speeds the volume will be restricted.

If a water heater is plumbed into the system, you may have an airlock on the fresh water side.

[Seahunter]

Isolated (rubber fitting mounted) exhaust heat exchangers do not require a zinc nor bonding.
A plugged air screen at the intake also causes overheating (I had this problem) as indicated in the troubleshooting section of the 4-154 manual.

[Destany]

I just had the same problem with my Westerbeke W58 which is a perkins 4-154 that Westerbeke uses. I had an overheating problem, changed new salt water bump, no difference. Cleaned heat exchanger, no difference. Tested thermostat in boiling water, worked good. Checked all hoses, all good.
Fresh water pump belt was nice and snug but pump pully had a little play in it but there was no water leaking from the pump weep hole.
Finally removed fresh water pump and the shaft that holds on the metal impeller had shared completely off so pump did not pump any water.
These pumps are well built with three sets of bearings so even with the shaft broken the belt was still snug so the only way to check it is to remove the pump.
These pumps are very difficult to find, Westerbeke no longer sells the pumps but they sell a kit that include the shaft bearings and seals but you have to use back tour casting body, impeller and pully flange.
To make things even more difficult there are two types of perkins 4-154 and although the water pump for both look exactly the same they will not interchange because the taper on the outside of the impellers are different. Everything else is the same. Mine is the later perkins 4-154 series 200 and I can tell because the engine have glow plugs, the waterpump has only one weephole and there is no casting number on the pump.
Today I fould a supplier who just started carrying the pumps for the Perkins 4-154 200 series (later version) after months of trying to find a replacement, they are JTServices in Minneapolis and the cost is $120.00

[gettinthere]

FYI, you mentioned the later series 200 have glow plugs...not necessarily. Mine does not.
My understanding is that the series 200 is the mazda version and you can usually tell by the Diesel Kiki fuel injector pump. Different injectors and lift pump than the American version too.

thanks for the JT lead.

[Destany]

I was told today by Tim at JT Services that only the 200 series 4-154 had glo plugs and that the earlier series did not have them. He seemed very knowledgable on the perkins 4-154.
Perhaps none of the earlier series had glo plugs and some of the 200 series also do not have glow plugs.
Thanks for the heads up on your engine.