Perkins 4.108 Over Heating

[MV-Romnya]

Thanks forsailbyowner, please see picture and yes I am loosing coolant so where could it possibly go - the oil looks OK and is the sort of set up in the picture you know about

[Chasing Summer]

After reading all these posts I am truely amazed ... here you have an engine, a very simple engine, and some one mentioned that the bolts had not been loosenin 30 years. No wonder you have engine problems. It needs regular inspection and maintainance: 6months or yearls for major stuff. Can't believe you haven't dissasembled your freshwater pump in 30 years. If you're going to live aboard and have an engine then you need to become proficient in that engine; you should know where every hose goes and why; you should be able to feel the hoses and tell if they're the correct temperature. Maybe you have way to much crap attached to your engine. Get rid of it and go simple.
Here's my basic philosphy for cruising ... If I can't fix or do without it then I don't need it aboard. That goes for my engine as well.
Hope I didn't tromp on any ones toes; that's just the way I think.
Happy cruising.

[MV-Romnya]

Thanks Chasing Summer, good advice and that is exactly what I am doing - wait till you all see the finished product - I only purchased the Boat in mid Autumn (Southern Hemisphere) this year and trying to get it ship shape for the coming Summer. Yes I am trying to learn everything about that boat and this forum (only joined last month) has given me so much information of which I could not have learned out of an encyclopaedia in months. My big problem is that the boat is a long way from any experienced mechanics and the previous owner is somewhere overseas enjoying the freedom from the boat. He and the previous owner rarely used the boat and then only to go up river chasing the Big Fish at night, Thanks for the advice and lip serve – every bit helps – keep in touch - MVR

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Chasing Summer

After reading all these posts I am truely amazed ... here you have an engine, a very simple engine, and some one mentioned that the bolts had not been loosenin 30 years. No wonder you have engine problems. It needs regular inspection and maintainance: 6months or yearls for major stuff. Can't believe you haven't dissasembled your freshwater pump in 30 years. If you're going to live aboard and have an engine then you need to become proficient in that engine; you should know where every hose goes and why; you should be able to feel the hoses and tell if they're the correct temperature. Maybe you have way to much crap attached to your engine. Get rid of it and go simple.
Here's my basic philosphy for cruising ... If I can't fix or do without it then I don't need it aboard. That goes for my engine as well.
Hope I didn't tromp on any ones toes; that's just the way I think.
Happy cruising.

I know we stand in the wake of your greatness but for the life of me your claim that loosening bolts that should not be loosened is some how engine maintenance. Inspection of the usual suspects fine. Let us know how sailing without an engine works for you.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by Chasing Summer

After reading all these posts I am truely amazed ... here you have an engine, a very simple engine, and some one mentioned that the bolts had not been loosenin 30 years. No wonder you have engine problems. It needs regular inspection and maintainance: 6months or yearls for major stuff. Can't believe you haven't dissasembled your freshwater pump in 30 years. If you're going to live aboard and have an engine then you need to become proficient in that engine; you should know where every hose goes and why; you should be able to feel the hoses and tell if they're the correct temperature. Maybe you have way to much crap attached to your engine. Get rid of it and go simple.
Here's my basic philosphy for cruising ... If I can't fix or do without it then I don't need it aboard. That goes for my engine as well.
Hope I didn't tromp on any ones toes; that's just the way I think.
Happy cruising.

Why would you ever disassemble a freshwater pump on a Perkins 4108? Do you have any idea what sort of pump this is or how it works? If you are not familiar with this gentleman's specific engine you might want to consider witholding your precious advice.

[Chasing Summer]

oops ... I did step on some toes ... sorry sorry sorry :-)
I know exactly what freshwater pump he has in his 4-108 because I have a 4-107.
Go ahead and blast me all you want. I know my engine inside and out. I've disassembled scrap engines to learn how it comes apart and goes together and the intricacies of it working. .... and yes, Celistialsailor it is possible to do world cruising without an engine. It's only there for a convenience. If you "depend" on it to get you out of trouble you're depending on the wrong thing.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by Chasing Summer

oops ... I did step on some toes ... sorry sorry sorry :-)
I know exactly what freshwater pump he has in his 4-108 because I have a 4-107.
Go ahead and blast me all you want. I know my engine inside and out. I've disassembled scrap engines to learn how it comes apart and goes together and the intricacies of it working. .... and yes, Celistialsailor it is possible to do world cruising without an engine. It's only there for a convenience. If you "depend" on it to get you out of trouble you're depending on the wrong thing.

No hard feelings. It just that there is nothing serviceable about the fresh water pump that would make any sense for one to take it apart every 6 months or year as your original post suggested. As Im sure you know these pumps are much like automotive water pumps in that they start to weep coolant when they are failing or make noise and simply removing the belt and turning the pump by hand is normally all the inspection you would need. When it comes to figuring out how things like engines work I prefer to read shop manuals over simply taking stuff apart. You comments on self reliance are spot on I guess I just have a different approach to getting there.

[Celestialsailor]

I just rebuilt my Westerbeke W46...myself. I have worked on Marine diesel engines for over 30 years. Usually in the owners manual there is a schedule maintenance chart. Oil, coolant, belts and so forth. No ridiculous statements in the manual regarding the removal of bolts. Before I run up after the engine has sat for weeks at a time. I do a visual inspection. Then run it up for 5 minutes or so and do another visual. Check the gages and good to go.

...and I will say...you better damn well depend on your engine on a lee shore. You're human...you will eventually make a mistake. Now a days it is foolish to sail without an engine not just for maneuvering but for charging, water maker and so on.

[Chasing Summer]

... oh for the simplistic sailing of the ledgends like Joshua Slocum, Eric Hiscock, Hal Roth, and Lin & Larry Pardey.
Sailing doesn't have to be complex to be safe and fun.
I'll bet you use GPS on your boat, too.
Rule of life ... if you depend on it will fail when you need it most. Learn to live and sail without them. Enjoy them as a luxury not a necessity.
Anyway, just my 3 cents worth. There are as many different sailing philosophies as there are people ... but it did get a titillating conversationn going.

[MV-Romnya]

Keep chatting folks, I'm learning heaps. Now I know who to turn to for expert advice on my 4.108. Spoke to my mate who run the boat aground and the area he got stuck is real silty mud so I got mud in the HX the pump and all the pipes. Question... anyone know what is in that round HX and also SV Demeter mentioned weeping of the coolant - where does it usually weep - remember I am a novice at marine inboards and big boats. My past experience is sailing and outboard motors - MVR

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by MV-Romnya

Keep chatting folks, I'm learning heaps. Now I know who to turn to for expert advice on my 4.108. Spoke to my mate who run the boat aground and the area he got stuck is real silty mud so I got mud in the HX the pump and all the pipes. Question... anyone know what is in that round HX and also SV Demeter mentioned weeping of the coolant - where does it usually weep - remember I am a novice at marine inboards and big boats. My past experience is sailing and outboard motors - MVR

The freshwater pumps have a small weep hole at the hub where they will start to drip as they are dieing, but you liklet cant see this unless the pulley is off. Also if there is a problem with your freshwater side it is purely a coincidence as running a bunch of mud through your heat exchanger should not have any impact on the freshwater circuit. Inside the heat exchanger is a tube comprised of a bunch of small tubes. You should be able to remove that tube stack and either clean it yourself with a careful mixture of muriatic acid and some small diameter brushes or send it to a radiator shop, you want to get each of those tubes cleaned out they are about 3/16" in diameter. You will need to drain the freshwater side first then pull off those big rubber caps at the ends. Others I think have suggested this already but now is a good time to flush out and clean the ENTIRE raw water circuit, and as chasing summer suggests get to know your cooling system. Check the exhaust mixing elbow too. Do you have a good shop manual for your 4108? I have a 4-154 which is similar but not the same.

[MV-Romnya]

Thanks SV Demeter, will do all the flushing and cleaning I can possibly do with the resources I have down there. I am trying to get a replacement HX any suggestions - have a look at the picture I posted - some of the local dealers think that HX is home made - I believe them because of the remoteness of the boat - 95% of pleasure craft in Southern Australia are out-boards. Thank You I do have a shop manual I downloaded from the www - let me know what you think is in that
Cylindrical contraption called prentending to be a Heat Exchanger (I am being a bit nasty to the poor thing) - MVR

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by MV-Romnya

Thanks SV Demeter, will do all the flushing and cleaning I can possibly do with the resources I have down there. I am trying to get a replacement HX any suggestions - have a look at the picture I posted - some of the local dealers think that HX is home made - I believe them because of the remoteness of the boat - 95% of pleasure craft in Southern Australia are out-boards. Thank You I do have a shop manual I downloaded from the www - let me know what you think is in that
Cylindrical contraption called prentending to be a Heat Exchanger (I am being a bit nasty to the poor thing) - MVR

Sorry not seeing any photo.

[onestepcsy37]

chasing summer - i'm the guy who hadn't loosened the fresh water pump bolts in thirty years (partially because i've only owned the boat for nine years). truth be told there's nothing to maintain on a fresh water pump, so no need to remove it for service. there is, however, a belt which drives it and that does require inspection and replacement when necessary. there are a number of parts on a diesel which do not need maintenance, just inspection on a regular basis. but you are correct; i regularly inspect the engine and perform all maintenance functions, the most important of which are changing oil and fuel filters as well as engine oil. i make sure i feed it clean fuel, triple filtering it. i'm certain you meant no personal 'toe stepping' and i take no offense.

although i've got a 37 foot cutter and regularly do the bahamas my boat is not overly equipped, which irks some people who think you can't cross the gulfstream without radar, ais, chartplotter and single sideband. my nav station has a vhf and a navtex (useful for getting near-offshore weather when out of vhf-wx range). depth is a humminbird fish finder; gps are three cheapo garmin units without charting capabilities. i still rely on compass, charts, hand bearing compass, binoculars, and mark I eyeballs, which i find more useful in the bahamas than gps.

it's been my experience that the most overequipped boats are usually the ones holed up in port waiting for parts or in trouble when something minor goes awry. so i keep things simple; i gather you do the same, and in that we agree...

[MV-Romnya]

Thanks onestepcsy37, I am still trying to figure out where the coolant leaks out or does it simply evaporate ?