Sand in my pants

[srokag44]

The river I boat in is only about 4 feet deep in most spots. The channel is around 10 feet deep but if you venture out of it at all you are liable to encounter some shallows. So while leaving a nice beach spot on Saturday I sucked some sand up into the port engine raw water intake. The engine temp started shooting up so I shut it down and motored home on just the starboard engine. When I pulled the raw water pump to inspect I immediately discovered what had happened.

IMG_1763.JPG (66.49 KiB) Viewed 10604 times

I noticed the pump was leaking from the bearing/hub side so I figured the seal was destroyed as well. Found the pump was pretty much clogged with sand. With the pump apart I found the bearing was also clogged with sand and had started corroding from the saltwater getting past the seal.

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I pulled the oil/transmission cooler as well figuring that quite a bit of sand got pushed into it. There wasn't any sand noticeable in anything downstream of the cooler so I think that's as far as it got. My plan is to rebuild the raw water pump with a new seal and bearing. While I've got the cooler out I figure now is as good a time as ever to replace all my hoses and flush the cooler.

Can anyone recommend what exactly I should use to flush the cooler? Is there something available at Lowe's or Home Depot that will do the trick?

[todd brinkerhoff]

How did your sea strainer look?

[srokag44]

Sea strainer? You mean there's supposed to be something keeping crap from getting sucked into the engine??!?!?!

There wasn't a strainer on either engine's intake when I bought the boat... just clamshell thru-hulls. You can bet I will be adding one now.

[sehord]

Oh Man you absoulutely need to add see strainers to both your mains and genset. It will allow sand to pass.... for that your just going to have to navigate better, but shells, seweed, rope, plastic bags and any other trash you can imagine will be caught and save you countless hours tyring to find it and then remove it. Once you get her on the hill go ahead and install those, youll be glad you did.

[srokag44]

Any recommendations for strainers for the engines? Will these do the job?

http://www.marinepartssource.com/partde ... ARG-1250-P

Kinda pricey!

[sehord]

Boating aint a cheap mans game thats for sure.... but with a raw water pump at over $400... and all the man hours youll save paying labor to look through your engine finding the cause of its overheating to only determine you have a scallop shell blocking your port youll be happy you have them. Im sure you came with them fromt the factory.... maybe not, but my guess is someone broke or sold them off prior. If you have any bone yard boats around you may get some used ones a little cheaper..

[Commissionpoint]

For the money I like Buck Algonquin better. Groco is good though.

http://www.fisheriessupply.com/buck-alg ... r-strainer

[Landlocked]

My 11 Meter did not come with, and still doesn't have, strainers for any of the engines. Fortunately, being lake people, it hasn't been an issue (yet). Still seems like there would be leaves or little sticks, etc sucked up in there on occasion.

The other odd thing about this boat is that the factory didn't plumb the holding tank to the toilet. No hoses, no fittings no y valves - It was just running it straight out the bottom of the boat. (I corrected that)

[sehord]

Wow that is odd. I have been on a lot of boats... I ran boats in the oil fields off Louisiana, missississippi, Texas, Florida and Brazil and have yet to run across one with no strainers... But, all have also been salt water with sea weed and such. I have actually pulled some large crabs and fish out of some, and have had engines ovrheat due to them being too clogged with crud after a few days running. I guess in the good clear fresh water it isnt as much of an issue, dont you guys have weeds and such up there in those rivers?

[Commissionpoint]

I run no strainers. Nothing to really get in there in these waters unless I go aground. Any weed that gets sucked up around here doesn't go in the cooling system thats for sure.

[srokag44]

Water pump rebuilt and ready for installation. Replaced the bearing ($14) and seal assembly ($25). Also faced off the cover plate because it had a pretty deep wear groove in it. New coat of paint and it's ready to go!

[prowlersfish]

You may want to change the cam also .

[srokag44]

I had just done a complete rebuild of this pump a few months ago and replaced the cam then. The carbon bushing in the cover plate was replaced at that time as well.

[srokag44]

I reinstalled the water pump and oil cooler. Water pump was completely rebuilt and I back flushed the cooler and got all the sand out of there. Put on all new hoses as well. Started up the engine and it immediately overheated again. Risers got very hot. Engine is raw water cooled. I think the hot risers would indicate an issue with the raw water flow, am I correct? What should I check next? Can sand clog the thermostat and cause a constriction of raw water flow?

[srokag44]

Well disregard the previous post. I was going to check raw water flow leaving the cooler. When pulling the raw water hose off the outlet of the oil cooler the braze at the U broke so now my oil cooler is in two pieces. Turns out there was a lot of sand still in there.

Looks like I will need to buy a new cooler. I think I want part number 97878 but it looks like the zinc was moved horizontal instead of vertically into the bottom of the U as it is on the one I just broke. Also the one I have has the water outlet at 90 degrees to the oil ports. Looks like 97878 is at a 45 degree angle to the oil fittings. Can anyone explain this for me?