Winterizing a Universal diesel?

[Andrew4tv]

Hello forum,
I'm winterizing a Universal Diesel engine for the first time.
It's a M-25XPB, about 10 years old.
I cannot find the coolant drain.... To empty the coolant and fill with antifreeze...
The manual diagram is a different model....
The apparent drain plug yields nothing when opened.
I tried draining from the heat exchanger anode plug, but it did not empty the radiator...
What am I missing?
Thank you,
-a

[Sailmonkey]

The green coolant (or pink) is antifreeze. Is this what you're trying to drain?
Otherwise all you need to do is fill the raw water spaces with antifreeze, the engine will do the work for you, just let is suck up a few gallons of RV antifreeze.


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[tartansail]

Originally Posted by Andrew4tv

Hello forum,
I'm winterizing a Universal Diesel engine for the first time.
It's a M-25XPB, about 10 years old.
I cannot find the coolant drain.... To empty the coolant and fill with antifreeze...
The manual diagram is a different model....
The apparent drain plug yields nothing when opened.
I tried draining from the heat exchanger anode plug, but it did not empty the radiator...
What am I missing?
Thank you,
-a

I don't routinely empty the engine coolant when winterizing my Universal M-50. I make sure it is topped up and that the coolant is still green. I run the non-toxic orange antifreeze into the raw water system after I've heated up the engine to do the final oil change.

If you don't have one, you can download a service manual here -- http://www.westerbeke.com/technical%...hnical_man.pdf

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Andrew4tv

Hello forum,
I'm winterizing a Universal Diesel engine for the first time.
It's a M-25XPB, about 10 years old.
I cannot find the coolant drain.... To empty the coolant and fill with antifreeze...
The manual diagram is a different model....
The apparent drain plug yields nothing when opened.
I tried draining from the heat exchanger anode plug, but it did not empty the radiator...
What am I missing?
Thank you,
-a

The fresh water side (green Ethylene Glycol (EG)) gets checked for freeze point with a tester and the green/EG side stays FULL. The antifreeze tester should indicate a freeze point of -34F or better.

The raw water side gets 4- 5 gallons of propylene glycol (PG) sucked into it for winter freeze protection. If you do not have a refractomter to test PG antifreeze (NOT THE SAME TESTER AS EG) then suck in 5 gallons per Universal/Westerbeke's instructions.There are too many nooks and crannies for water to become trapped to simply drain these systems...


Universal / Westerbeke:
"Sea Water Circuit
Close the thru hull seacock. Remove the raw water intake hose from the sea cock. Place the end of this hose into a 5-gallon bucket of clean fresh water. Before starting the engine, check the zinc pencil found in the primary heat exchanger on the engine and clean or replace it, if required. Clean your sea strainer, if one is installed in the inside of the hull.

Start the engine and allow the raw water pump to draw the fresh water through the system. When the bucket empties, stop the engine and refill the bucket with an antifreeze solution slightly stronger than needed for winter freeze protection in your area.

Start the engine and allow all of this mixture to be drawn through the raw water system. Once the bucket empties, stop the engine. This anti-freeze mixture should protect your raw water circuit from freezing during winter lay-up, as well as providing corrosion protection.
Remove the impeller from your raw water pump (some antifreeze mixture will accompany it, so catch it in a bucket). Examine the impeller. Acquire a replacement if needed and a cover gasket. Do not replace the impeller back into the pump until the Spring commissioning."

[Andrew4tv]

Regarding aforementioned Universal engine, I finally found a document (listed in a reply...thank you..) properly labeling the coolant drain on the heat exchange.

Here's another question: I ran my engine for about 20 minutes to get it up to temperature. I shut it off, but it was about an hour and a half before I got to putting antifreeze into the freshwater system. Outdoor temperature, around 50 degrees.

In that time, would the radiator (drained) thermostat close due to the cooling temperature, thereby NOT letting coolant circulate into the entire engine?

Am I being paranoid, or just cautious?

Thank you,
-A

[Stu Jackson]

Why do you keep mentioning "radiator"? There isn't one.

One of the best sources of M25XPB engine information is the Catalina 310 owners group, here:

http://forums.sailboatowners.com/ind...alina-310.111/

[Sailmonkey]

There is no radiator. There is a heat exchanger.....but this should already be filled with antifreeze. The raw water side has no thermostat in it.
And yes if you shut down the engine for over an hour the thermostat will be closed.

I am at a loss as to what you think you're trying to accomplish here though.


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[MarkSF]

"I tried draining from the heat exchanger anode plug, but it did not empty the radiator...
What am I missing?"

Any understanding of how your cooling system works.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by Andrew4tv

Regarding aforementioned Universal engine, I finally found a document (listed in a reply...thank you..) properly labeling the coolant drain on the heat exchange.

Here's another question: I ran my engine for about 20 minutes to get it up to temperature. I shut it off, but it was about an hour and a half before I got to putting antifreeze into the freshwater system. Outdoor temperature, around 50 degrees.

In that time, would the radiator (drained) thermostat close due to the cooling temperature, thereby NOT letting coolant circulate into the entire engine?

Am I being paranoid, or just cautious?

Thank you,
-A

It appears you have not comprehended what you have read or perhaps simply chose not to listen.?

There are two side of your cooling system:

Freshwater Side - This is identical to your cars antifreeze system only instead of AIR cooling the antifreeze through a radiator it is cooled by sea water/raw water via the heat exchanger.

YOU DO NOT DRAIN THE FRESH WATER SIDE FOR WINTER THIS IS YEAR ROUND ETHYLENE GLYCOL.

Raw Water Side - This is where the ocean water is pumped through the heat exchanger to cool the FRESH WATER side. These two sides are 100% isolated from each ther by the heat exchanger.

YOU DO NOT DRAIN THE RAW WATER SIDE EITHER. YOU SUCK IN 4-5 gallons of PROPYLENE GLYCOL.

Generally I would try and walk you through this but I am afraid it is time for you to bring in a pro...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Andrew.