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Thread: What can anyone tell me about a closed coola

  1. #1
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    Closed coolant system ?

    Gonna be running my boat in salt a bit

    Growing up around it I know it's the Devils piss

    please show me some systems and tell me the best route to go

    thank you

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    What motor are you running? I run a full cooler with stainless risers. Some times you can pick up the cooler on e-bay for short money. You'll need a cold water tee to feed the risers, elbows to feed the exhaust manifold with coolant, a duel chamber thermostat housing, about 10 feet of blue wire hose and block off gaskets for the risers. There's a few different types of brackets for mounting it on the engine. The easiest method is the bracket that mounts to the thermostat housing. Totally worth the money and aggravation Merc made a long and short bracket that bolts to the heads accessory hole. You can mount the cooler on the front or the back of the motor with them. It depends what cooler you have so be aware of that. Those brackets are no longer made and the Power steering and alternator bracket wont work with it mounted on the front when using center riser manifolds.
    machinist ,bore it deeper,ream it bigger, and lap it to a fine finish



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    Quote Originally Posted by joseph m. hahnl View Post
    What motor are you running? I run a full cooler with stainless risers. Some times you can pick up the cooler on e-bay for short money. You'll need a cold water tee to feed the risers, elbows to feed the exhaust manifold with coolant, a duel chamber thermostat housing, about 10 feet of blue wire hose and block off gaskets for the risers. There's a few different types of brackets for mounting it on the engine. The easiest method is the bracket that mounts to the thermostat housing. Totally worth the money and aggravation Merc made a long and short bracket that bolts to the heads accessory hole. You can mount the cooler on the front or the back of the motor with them. It depends what cooler you have so be aware of that. Those brackets are no longer made and the Power steering and alternator bracket wont work with it mounted on the front when using center riser manifolds.

    Blue motor




    I ve maintained a lot of motors in the salt and I am able to flush very quickly so I'm debating wether it's worth it

    my last big block boat that I only ran in the salt I would hang on davits and flush after every run and I was always fine

    I also ran big Yamaha 2 strokes for many years in the salt and flushed them after every use and they were always fine

    the Yamaha OX 66's were a salt water series so I know they were meant for the salt but still like I said salt water is an sob

    this boat will probable be run 50/50 fresh salt and it will always be pulled and flushed

    so I'm just wondering if is worth it with the proper maintanence

    blue motors don't come cheap

    thoughts ?

  4. #4
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    On a higher horsepower engine you might have to run a half system. It will cool the block and raw water will go through the manifolds and risers. Monitor makes a nice half system for around 1000 dollars. I installed one on mine and am very happy. George Carter may chime in. He has a lot of good info on the conversion. I ran mine in freshwater for several hours and then did the instal. I only used distilled water the first 5 or 6 times out , draining each time and refilling. I then used a non silica antifreeze at about 50/50. If the engine has been in salt water it is important to run distilled water and then the non silica antifreeze. It is less prone to turning into a gel if exposed to left over salt in the block.
    better to die on your feet, than live on your knees

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    Quote Originally Posted by smokediver View Post
    On a higher horsepower engine you might have to run a half system. It will cool the block and raw water will go through the manifolds and risers. Monitor makes a nice half system for around 1000 dollars. I installed one on mine and am very happy. George Carter may chime in. He has a lot of good info on the conversion. I ran mine in freshwater for several hours and then did the instal. I only used distilled water the first 5 or 6 times out , draining each time and refilling. I then used a non silica antifreeze at about 50/50. If the engine has been in salt water it is important to run distilled water and then the non silica antifreeze. It is less prone to turning into a gel if exposed to left over salt in the block.

    Thanks Smoke

    this engine has not been run in salt

    I was on CP performances web site checking out units

    i will ill check out monitor

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by JParanee View Post

    I ve maintained a lot of motors in the salt and I am able to flush very quickly so I'm debating wether it's worth it

    my last big block boat that I only ran in the salt I would hang on davits and flush after every run and I was always fine
    You answered your own question. Not worth it IMO.
    I've been adapting an aftermarket closed cooling system to my new motor because the original motor had CC from the factory and I liked not having to winterized the block. That's the only reason I have it, but I now wish I hadn't started.

    My previous boat didn't have CC and I boat 50/50 like you will be doing. As long as you flush right away there is absolutely no effects from the salt on the engine.
    All the fears of salt corrosion is because of poorly maintained boats and boats that are moored in salt water. CC is really an unnecessary expense for anyone that flushes right away.

    Save your $ for gas and beer.
    Why is faster never fast enough.

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    Respectfully, I have to disagree on this one. I think antifreeze is substantially better than even fresh water for corrosion prevention. Salt is, of course, horrible. Also, in my experience, closed-cooling engines usually run at better operating temps. You can't accidentally suck sand or other debris into the block. The easier winterization is a nice bonus.

    I don't know, but suppose some some boats may get very little use, where religious flushers get away without closed cooling for years. But I'm betting if you use the boat a lot, far better to have it. I wouldn't be without it. It's really not very expensive for a half system. (Add Stainless Marine manifolds on the seawater side and it's a really solid, trouble-free setup for many years.)

    FWIW
    "I don't have time to get into it, but he went through a lot." -Pulp Fiction

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    Now I have to respectfully disagree.
    I had 18yrs of use on my last boat without CC and I truthfully have to say that you could not tell it was ever run in salt. Both the aluminum intake/exhaust and cast iron block were super clean.

    It's all related to regular flushing. I don't like the extra real estate CC uses or its aesthetics. It makes it harder to work on the engine and has no real advantage for the regular flusher.

    The only time I experienced corrosion from salt was when I stored my boat in the driveway of a waterfront property. Boat wasn't in the water but the salt in the air started to corrode the metal surprisingly quick if I didn't stay on top of it. Moving only a mile away from the water solved that issue.
    Why is faster never fast enough.

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    Merc actually makes closed cooling systems for their own engines . How do I know ? I have one on my 502. Works and fits just fine.
    Now people who direct you to other sites may not know this , I'm not sure .
    Where we boat boats stay in the briny for the duration of the season , so flushing isn't an option unless you have that cool little setup that the newer Volvo's utilize but I do know that if you have closed cooling with anti-freeze the winterizing procedure is a lot more simple .
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  10. #10
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    For peak performance, hot engine, cold fuel. For the past 15 yrs had CC on all my engines. I installed a 180* stat and engine runs at its peak. After a hard run will see 185-190*. That is one big advantage when running in the salt. Rinse the exterior and your good to go.

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    Quote Originally Posted by yeller View Post
    Now I have to respectfully disagree.
    I had 18yrs of use on my last boat without CC and I truthfully have to say that you could not tell it was ever run in salt. Both the aluminum intake/exhaust and cast iron block were super clean.

    It's all related to regular flushing. I don't like the extra real estate CC uses or its aesthetics. It makes it harder to work on the engine and has no real advantage for the regular flusher.

    The only time I experienced corrosion from salt was when I stored my boat in the driveway of a waterfront property. Boat wasn't in the water but the salt in the air started to corrode the metal surprisingly quick if I didn't stay on top of it. Moving only a mile away from the water solved that issue.
    Agreed that it takes up space and makes it harder to work on. It also adds considerable weight, for those who are shedding every pound.

    It is cheaper and easier to winterize with CC. I know as a rule, the increase in reasale value is substantial. Where I am, it's probably enough to cover the cost, probably even with the value of money over time.

    I don't believe there is no difference in degradation of the block and manifold. The question is, of course, how much difference. I suppose there's another consideration with how one uses the motor. If it's a hopped up racing tune, any longevity difference might not matter--it's going to get worn and bored and rebuilt until the block is a throwaway.

    Yeller, any idea how many hours you put on yours over 18 years? Sounds like you were very disciplined and did really well with it. Kudos on that.
    "I don't have time to get into it, but he went through a lot." -Pulp Fiction

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    I apreciate all the info gentleman and I am an anal flusher

    ive been doing a lot of research on the topic

    question

    on a motor like mine which is the best way to go .... Half system or whole ?

    I do know from my experience growing up if you flush immediately after every salt water use you can get by for years ......but this motor has never been run in salt and I just hate the thought

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    If I'm correct , on your setup your manifolds are alloy , your risers are s/s.
    If you have a 'full system' your manifolds will be FWC and you'll need a larger heat exchanger to handle the load . But no doubt you'll still flush after running anyway so the risers which are always vulnerable will still be taken care of .
    But if you get the 1/2 system your manifolds AND risers will still be safeguarded by flushing and you'll have a slightly smaller and lighter heat exchanger .
    In terms of the benefits of FWC I wouldn't get too carried away worrying about the weight of the system , whether it's 'full' or 'half' .
    I'd guess that the system on my 502 probably only weighs 15 pounds in total , if that .
    Worth every penny , especially if you ever re-sell and your prospective buyer is knowledgeable .
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

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    <aside: Steve, don't forget the weight of the water in the system. >
    "I don't have time to get into it, but he went through a lot." -Pulp Fiction

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    I run full cooler in my Minx and one in my Penn Yan Avenger. After dumping $5,000 in to my 400, I wouldn't chance it to flushing salt water or any raw water. I guess if it's a Merc why bother But personally I would never ever run non propylene glycol liquid through my Dart block nor through the aluminum heads, intake and exhaust manifolds it has. I also retro fit the existing closed cooling on my cruiser from log style to center riser exhaust manifolds. So even my Merc is worth enough for closed cooling. It's true Merc does make an out of the box plug and play cooler with everything you need. Almost all of that stuff can be found on e-bay for pennies on the dollar, if you know what to look for. It is not that difficult to put on a system if your struggling have a professional step in. sure you can run a block for years with flushing. But you can run a block and manifolds forever with closed cooling never flushing it once. then when needed you can rebuild the block and put it back in the boat and run it forever again.
    machinist ,bore it deeper,ream it bigger, and lap it to a fine finish



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