caterpillar heat exchanger?

[wmfels]

ok heres the deal, this was my fathers hatt and he died,so im always on here searching for answers. first of all im trying to figure out if this has 3160 cats? like the spec sheets say or 3208 like my mom says whats the difference? how do i tell? theyre v8 thats all i know..now heres my big problem i was changing out hoses, the big 1 1/4 inch coming from the sea pump and going to this large approx 3" tube running across the motor. is this the heat exchanger? anyway the hose was stuck on the fitting so i grabbed a pair of channellocks to twist, and YEP!! snapped the f#@%$ thing off.. it looks like i can just unbolt the cap off the side and get a new endcap? i am going to be driving it to key largo from cudjoe key and would like to get it replaced..the good news i think is theres a little bit of nipple left, and it broke at an angle, so i think it will be ok for my journey.plus i used exhaust hose and it was so dang hard to get on there i m pretty sure it wont blow off. any input is greatly appreciated

 

[ThirdHatt]

Never heard of a 3160 Cat, but 3208 Cats were very common back then. I'd bet on those. The "08" means 8 cylinders and the "32" is the series. Newer versions are Cat 3406, 3400 series 6-cyliner, 3412 is 3400 series 12 cylinder. There are 3116 and 3126 Cats first and second generation of the 3100 series 6-cylinder, but those are engines that were popular in 1990's boats and beyond. Those are 6-cylinders anyway and you said you have V8's, so I would be willing to bet those are some variant of 3208s.

Not sure what hose you are referring to, but if you posted a few pictures that would help alot. Cat engines are easy to get parts for as Cat dealers are everywhere. They are proud of their parts, but these days who isn;t.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[SeaEric]

The 3160 is the forerunner of the 3208. Many of the older Hatts, typically Series I 36C's, had 3160's.

 

[ThirdHatt]

The 3160 is the forerunner of the 3208. Many of the older Hatts, typically Series I 36C's, had 3160's.

REALLY? Wow, you learn something new every day. My old series I 36C had Detroit Diesel 4-53T's. I had no idea the Cats were even an option, I thought the Detroits were the only diesel option. Is the 3160 a V8? I assume if so it would be naturally aspirated, but with no "8" in the nomenclature I would be surprised if it were not a 6 cylinder.

 

[SeaEric]

Its a V8. At first glance, looks almost identical to a 3208. They are 210 HP and naturally aspirated. Here's a pic of a 3160- Note the air cleaner and expansion tank.

 

[wmfels]

yep theyre 3160s found the metal tag lying underneath injector lines..ok good to know. now my next question is what should my normal operating water temps be?

 

[jim rosenthal]

That depends on what thermostats were installed. Your normal operating temps should be in the 175-180 range for those engines. If you want a contact point for a reliable Caterpillar dealer, for parts and advice, call T&S Marine Engines in Crisfield MD and ask for Steve. He is the 3160/3208 guy. They are reasonable on parts, and great on service; he has overhauled literally hundreds of those V8 Caterpillars. IMHO, the best engine they ever built.

 

[DeeRow]

I buy my 3208 parts from Kelly Tractor in West Palm Beach. They are closer to Key Largo than Crisfield, MD. I use a mechanic that recommended Kelly over Pantropic. If you call Kelly, the switch board operator will ask "what kind of parts do you want?" The answer is 3160 parts. DO NOT mention it is for a boat or they will transfer your call to Pantropic. I tried Pantropic once! I won't go back. PM me if you want the details.

Mark

 

[wmfels]

well, the hose is holding on the bonnet but i took it out and got on em hard for a couple minutes and the right engine boiled over, the water is rusty too what are some possible issues? when its running i can see the water circulating in there, its been sitting for a looong time. also how do i drain it to flush out and add coolant? if i run at cruise speed its ok

 

[wmfels]

sorry "in there" meaning the coolant reservoir

 

[DeeRow]

...how do i drain it to flush out and add coolant? ...

There are drain plugs in the block just above the oil pan on either side of the block. In South Florida, you can run with treated water only. The water treatment is a rust inhibitor. Here are a few threads about cleaning the cooling system:
http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6730&highlight=online

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15064&highlight=online

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9883&highlight=online

 

[wmfels]

im a little scared to put any kind of treatment /acid in there, its pretty scaly and id hate to get a hole in it. what do you yhink? im leaving back for mn. today but when i come back down in a month i am definately flushing...can i get by with just pulling those two plugs to drain it out?

 

[Avenger]

Look at the other coolers, there should be 1/8" pipe plugs to drain them too. You could try a heavy freshwater flush to get the mud out first, but chances are you'll need to do a chemical flush.

If it's only overheating when it's on the pins you probably need to get the heat exchanger cores cleaned.

 

[wmfels]

if i do the chemical flush what are my chances of damaging the heat exchanger ? i have no clue how compromised they are internally and id hate to spring a leak or something, have you ever heard of that? idk this part is really new to me. if i remove the h/e and have it cleaned, what is that process, is it more harsh than using chemical? what about cost? idk maybe i'll try flushing out with fresh water first. i need to go 100 miles to get it on the transport, then i can worry about it when i get it up north?

 

[Avenger]

Without knowing its service history or being able to see it I can't tell you if the exchangers are at risk or not. But if you're breaking parts off trying to get the hoses off I'd be cautious. If I was in your shoes I'd do a freshwater flush and refill with antifreeze for the trip and treat it gently. Once it's safely home you can explore your options.

If the mud doesn't return you may be able to do an on-line chemical cleaning which will clean the freshwater side of the system, but I would still recommend pulling the exchangers apart to clean the raw water side and inspect the integrity of the cores.

On mine I did the heavy-duty off-line chemical flush and then tore the heat exchangers completely apart for inspection and acid cleaning. You can read more about better living through chemistry here:

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6730

 

[Blaine Thorpe]

If you’re going to try to flush them out, install a 3/8”ball valve on the drain on one side of the block. They are located near the bottom of the block toward the rear of the block. That will allow you to use a drill driven pump and pump out the coolant into a couple of 5 gallon buckets. The capacity should be around 12 gallons. This helps keep the mess out of the bilge.

To install the valves, relieve the pressure on the cooling system then put the cap back on the expansion tank. That should give you time to remove the plug and install the valve.

If you have a lot of build-up in the block, the drains might get plugged while you're trying to pump it out. You can use a long screwdriver and poke it through the ball valve to loosen it up.

The 102-8392 thermostat is the 180 degree stat, and has a start to open temp of 172-181 degrees.

The 7C2190 thermostat is the 190 degree stat, and has a start to open temp of 186-192 degrees.

I run the 190 degree stats to keep the engine up to temperature at lower rpms.

It does sound like your heat exchangers need cleaning. Cat has their own cooling system cleaner. It’s pretty mild as cooling system cleaners go. The part number is 4C4609.

Good luck.

Blaine

 

[wmfels]

thanks guys! yep i think i will just do freshwater flush a couple times and see the results. and good call on the ball valve, i read that idea on here and i just glanced at the plugs was thinking 1/2" but 3/8 sounds right,,..do i need one for each side though? or will one side suck everything out? one other thing, the raw water pumps, are they rubber impeller, or what? its been sitting so long i think i should overhaul,are they replaceable?

 

[rtrafford]

Salt water pumps are rubber impeller, and you can get them just about anywhere...and buy an extra set while you're at it. Feel around inside of the housing before replacing them...look for wear and any sharp edges...

 

[Avenger]

I would try to drain both sides if you can. All the sedimant will have settled in the bottom of the block and will flush out much easier if you use both drains.

 

[wmfels]

will do thanks for all the help!