Transmission fluid help, please.

[Megan]

I'm pretty sure the steering is not hydrolic, I didn't even know there is such a thing. I have a wheel attached to cables attached to the rudder; which I discovered when I was trying to figure out where all those hoses/flexible pipes go to. At some point I might even really get a feel for all the mechanics on this boat.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Megan

I'm pretty sure the steering is not hydrolic, I didn't even know there is such a thing. I have a wheel attached to cables attached to the rudder; which I discovered when I was trying to figure out where all those hoses/flexible pipes go to. At some point I might even really get a feel for all the mechanics on this boat.

You're way ahead of the curve and experience of your typical owner already.... Replace those soft hoses... wipe everything down... and use the boat! This leak may be annoying, and will most likely be resolved with the new lines... But it probably isn't anything serious....

[Irish rambler]

Hi again Megan, may I respectfully suggest you buy an A4 indexed clip file with indexed plastic pockets. You can enter the pertinent details of your boat in the 'see through' plastic pages as you go along, engine,g/box make, type, model no, fluid type, amount, hose type,supplier, cost etc it will be very helpful for your own future reference. Your steering cables are type 33C, if you ever get a chance measure the length of the cable, look on the outer cable covering for any identification numbers or manufacturers name and record it too. I know your on a very steep learning curve but if you adopt a methodical approach of recording from the beginning you will build a complete reference file which will be helpful both for your own future and if you decide to sell the boat will be a plus selling point.
Hang on in there, Good Luck.

[Megan]

Thank you, that is advice I will take.

[Irish rambler]

Your welcome Megan, always willing to help.
Good Luck.

[Megan]

Oh, happy day :-) So, I finally got the time to do more then peer furtively into the bilge and throw in more diapers and oil sopper pads and I decided before tearing out suspicious hoses at random, I should know where each one goes and what goes through it. This led me to the water heater and below the water heater I found several spare bottles of transmission fluid, two of which were leaking. There was an oil sopper pad under the bottles which had sort of stopped up the drain into the bilge so I was just getting a slow seepage, and the quart and a half of T. Fluid had been contained. Hooray, a bit of cleaning and I no longer have transmission fluid in my bilge. I do consider this a heads up though, and I still plan to replace suspect hoses, but at least I no longer have the sense of urgency. I will also make sure I have secondary containment for my spare fluids. Since there was antifreeze too I guess that means it goes in the engine somewhere, I thought it was water cooled?

[HappyMdRSailor]

Well is that a fun discovery!!! You should march right down to your local convenience store and buy some Lotto tickets!

Antifreeze in the engine cooling system... Exactly like the coolant system in your car... The only difference is that "raw water = sea water" cools your "marine radiator = heat exchanger"

Celebrate and go sailing!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Megan

Oh, happy day :-) So, I finally got the time to do more then peer furtively into the bilge and throw in more diapers and oil sopper pads and I decided before tearing out suspicious hoses at random, I should know where each one goes and what goes through it. This led me to the water heater and below the water heater I found several spare bottles of transmission fluid, two of which were leaking. There was an oil sopper pad under the bottles which had sort of stopped up the drain into the bilge so I was just getting a slow seepage, and the quart and a half of T. Fluid had been contained. Hooray, a bit of cleaning and I no longer have transmission fluid in my bilge. I do consider this a heads up though, and I still plan to replace suspect hoses, but at least I no longer have the sense of urgency. I will also make sure I have secondary containment for my spare fluids. Since there was antifreeze too I guess that means it goes in the engine somewhere, I thought it was water cooled?

Oh happy day is right. Like the day I thought my transmission was leaking and figured I would have to pull it out and replace seals and other expensive projects, and discovered it was only a leaky hose.

So on to your next question, yes boat engines are water cooled but some (most?) have two water systems. Since boats are used in the ocean and salt water is a very corrosive, nasty, rust making liquid then you will have a system of fresh water (with antifreeze) that goes through the engine block that actually cools the engine. Then the fresh water goes into a heat exchanger so the cooling water is also cooled.

The heat exchanger works like the radiator in a car except instead of using air flow to take the heat out of your cooling water, a heat exchanger uses outside water (from the ocean or lake or whatever) to take the heat out of the fresh water system.

So, the antifreeze goes into the fresh water side of the dual water system. You should see a radiator cap somewhere that looks just like the one on your car. That's where it goes, along with more water.

By the way, don't skip the antifreeze because you think it won't freeze wherever you are. Not only is this stuff anti-freeze it is also anti-corrosion IE contains corrosion inhibitors which keeps the water passages inside your engine nice and clean and open for plenty of cooling water.

[hellosailor]

Most boats have raw water cooled engines. That is, they suck in water from outside the boat and do NOT have a heat exchanger and a "closed" antifreeze side.

A heat exchanger would be a sort of prominent "tin can" maybe six to ten inches thick and two or three feet long, with four hoses going into it. Two for the raw water, two for the closed loop on the engine. With bolts to remove the end caps to clean it out.

If there's nothing like that real close to your engine, the antifreeze may have just been used to winterize a raw water cooled engine. At the end of the season, you disconnect the raw water intake, pour antifreeze into the engine to displace the raw water, and then it sits unused until spring without any risk of that raw water freezing in the engine cooling passages. These days "pink" RV/water system antifreeze is usually used, but some folks still use conventional automobile antifreeze because, hey, they've got it.

So if you've got the pink stuff...it is for winterizing. If you've got a heat exchanger, congratulations, it is probably time to change the antifreeze anyway.

[Mr B]

Hi Megan, A few piccys would help of your motor, Then you will get a lot of experience from here to help you,
Glad you got it sorted out,

I get that a lot, Smart alecs that like to con women with mechanicals, I go along with female friends just to make sure they arent conned, A man standing there makes all the difference, Take a bloke with you to buy stuff, The reactions from the salesmen when you have a bloke in tow shopping, is definately to your benefit,

Engine is usually a separate system to the water intake from the sea, It goes through a heat exchanger, So you have two water systems, One for the motor and one to cool the water circulating in the motor,

[Megan]

So if you've got the pink stuff...it is for winterizing. If you've got a heat exchanger, congratulations, it is probably time to change the antifreeze anyway.

Awwwww man....

Yeah, I got a heat exchanger, I don't remember the coolant ever being changed, but I wasn't routinely informed about maintenance as we always thought there would be plenty of time for me to learn later.

Well, if the coolant wants changing that would be an opportune time to change those hoses. They are pretty bad looking, I wouldn't want them on my car, I gues that means; I don't want them on my boat.

[hellosailor]

Well, in for a dime in for a dollar. After you change the hoses and before you put in the new a/f, you might was well run some radiator cleaner through the system to clean out scale and crud that may be in there.

And if the new a/f is not premixed, mix it 50-50 with distilled or de-ionied water, not just tap water. For the extra $5 you protect against long-term problems from minerals and galvanic problems that tap water sometimes bring.

And then of course, there are probably two water pumps, impellers and gaskets for each.

This is how any simple project takes a weekend on a boat.<G>

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Megan

So if you've got the pink stuff...it is for winterizing. If you've got a heat exchanger, congratulations, it is probably time to change the antifreeze anyway.

Awwwww man....

Yeah, I got a heat exchanger, I don't remember the coolant ever being changed, but I wasn't routinely informed about maintenance as we always thought there would be plenty of time for me to learn later.

Well, if the coolant wants changing that would be an opportune time to change those hoses. They are pretty bad looking, I wouldn't want them on my car, I gues that means; I don't want them on my boat.

Its the same set up as a car, The hoses are crap, change them, Drain your motor and refill it with water and anti freeze, same as a car, It will be either green or red anti freeze you put in it, The anti freeze is just an additive to protect the motors internals from corrosion,

The heat exchanger is a separate component, It cools the water that flows through your motor with sea water,
If your hoses are soft and gluey, Change them, Make sure when you change a hose that has sea water going thru it, You dont sink your boat, They are below the water line, So take care when you pull those hoses off, you have another one to whack on it immediately, Two people helps, one to put a finger on the hole to stop the inflow of water, and one to do the pipe work,
Have every thing ready before you do it,

[HappyMdRSailor]

Make sure when you change a hose that has sea water going thru it, You dont sink your boat, They are below the water line, So take care when you pull those hoses off, you have another one to whack on it immediately, Two people helps, one to put a finger on the hole to stop the inflow of water, and one to do the pipe work,
Have every thing ready before you do it,[/QUOTE]


Uh.... Mr. B....

Methinks you need to refresh yourself in the operation of seacocks....

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Make sure when you change a hose that has sea water going thru it, You dont sink your boat, They are below the water line, So take care when you pull those hoses off, you have another one to whack on it immediately, Two people helps, one to put a finger on the hole to stop the inflow of water, and one to do the pipe work,
Have every thing ready before you do it,

Uh.... Mr. B....

Methinks you need to refresh yourself in the operation of seacocks....[/QUOTE]

WHY, A sea cock that hasnt been used in years is probably seized up, and if it does still work, it will more than likely leak water thru it.

Rather than trying to turn the sea cock off, It may break off in your hand, Then you have a permanent hole in your boat,
Cut the hose off and put the new one on, Takes what, a Minute, The extra person puts their hand on the hole for that minute,

Nice new sea cock, Just turn the tap off, replace hoses, Simple,
Old sea cock, Expect trouble, Corrosion in there, ??????????????, Unknown,

Its only a Brass tap, and they do deteriorate in time,