Coolant Resevoir or overflow

[Anonymous]

I’m thinking about this at my desk at work away from my engine manuals.

During our test sail the engine over heated and the heat exchanger was boiled refinished and remounted. Since then we’ve used the boat and the temp stays at 180F when warmed up and we have good water flow through the exhaust.

The other day I pulled the cap off the coolant reservoir in the port lazerette because it was looking old and tired and that tank was empty. I was expecting it to be full like the radiator or coolant reservoir in my car. Anyway, now I’m confused as to what that tank actually is and what I should be seeing. Anyway, I was just pondering this and thought I’d ask since I don’t have my manuals at hand.

Thanks!
-p

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s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 | http://www.DeepPlaya.com
Patrick’s Sailing Blog | http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

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[john stevenson]

Patrick,
I'm not sure how your external or overflow coolant reservoir works. I didn't have one on my old W60. I filled the coolant through the cap on the engine reservoir. On my new Yanmar there is an overflow reservoir. I have been told to keep the coolant level on a cold engine between the “Low” and “Full” marks on the overflow reservoir. I add coolant to this reservoir not directly into the engine reservoir.
So if yours works the way mine does, you should add coolant to that reservoir – to what level I don't know. Are there markings on the reservoir?
This appears to indicate you are low on coolant, but probably not much. The cooling system will probably maintain a normal engine temperature until the coolant level gets real low.

John

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 4:09 PM, Patrick Walters < ([email][/email])> wrote:

I'm thinking about this at my desk at work away from my engine manuals.

During our test sail the engine over heated and the heat exchanger was boiled refinished and remounted. Since then we've used the boat and the temp stays at 180F when warmed up and we have good water flow through the exhaust.

The other day I pulled the cap off the coolant reservoir in the port lazerette because it was looking old and tired and that tank was empty. I was expecting it to be full like the radiator or coolant reservoir in my car. Anyway, now I'm confused as to what that tank actually is and what I should be seeing. Anyway, I was just pondering this and thought I'd ask since I don't have my manuals at hand.

Thanks!
-p

---

s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 | http://www.DeepPlaya.com
Patrick's Sailing Blog | http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

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[unabated]

When you refilled you system, you probably had a
“bubble” in there. After a fashion the bubble works
it’s way up and out….and was displaced by some
amount of fluid. Refill the reservoir. Keep checking
it though, mine has never needed any more fluid.
alan
— John Stevenson <> wrote:

Patrick,
I’m not sure how your external or overflow coolant
reservoir works. I
didn’t have one on my old W60. I filled the coolant
through the cap on the
engine reservoir. On my new Yanmar there is an
overflow reservoir. I have
been told to keep the coolant level on a cold engine
between the “Low” and
“Full” marks on the overflow reservoir. I add
coolant to this reservoir not
directly into the engine reservoir.
So if yours works the way mine does, you should add
coolant to that
reservoir – to what level I don’t know. Are there
markings on the
reservoir?
This appears to indicate you are low on coolant, but
probably not much. The
cooling system will probably maintain a normal
engine temperature until the
coolant level gets real low.

John

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 4:09 PM, Patrick Walters
<>wrote:

I’m thinking about this at my desk at work away

from my engine manuals.

During our test sail the engine over heated and

the heat exchanger was

boiled refinished and remounted. Since then we’ve

used the boat and the temp

stays at 180F when warmed up and we have good

water flow through the

exhaust.

The other day I pulled the cap off the coolant

reservoir in the port

lazerette because it was looking old and tired and

that tank was empty. I

was expecting it to be full like the radiator or

coolant reservoir in my

car. Anyway, now I’m confused as to what that tank

actually is and what I

should be seeing. Anyway, I was just pondering

this and thought I’d ask

since I don’t have my manuals at hand.

Thanks!
-p

---

s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 |

http://www.DeepPlaya.com<http://www.deepplaya.com/>

Patrick’s Sailing Blog |

http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

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[quent]

Patrick-
Assuming you have the Westerbeke 58 engine, and no obvious leaks in the cooling system, it is likely that some air was trapped in the engine cooling passages when they reworked the heat exchanger. If your boat is like ours (#132) there is a water heater at the forward end of the port lazerette. The hose for the expansion tank branches off the hose from the engine to the hot water heater.
I would add a couple inches of water/coolant to the expansion tank, and see if it again goes away. If not, then you just displaced some air. If it does empty again, look for a leak around the hose connections.
You might also carefully, with the engine running, try venting any remaining air from the petcocks on the upper thermostat housing, and the exhaust manifold.
Quent

[Anonymous]

When the system finally becomes air free, the reservoir should always
have room in it for fluid expansion, so don’t fill it more than aobut
half full when the engine is cool. Of course, if the reservoir becomes
empty, air will just be sucked back into the engine as it cools. So it
is kind of a balance between too much fluid and too little.

Pete

alan P wrote:

When you refilled you system, you probably had a
“bubble” in there. After a fashion the bubble works
it’s way up and out….and was displaced by some
amount of fluid. Refill the reservoir. Keep checking
it though, mine has never needed any more fluid.
alan
— John Stevenson <> wrote:

Patrick,
I’m not sure how your external or overflow coolant
reservoir works. I
didn’t have one on my old W60. I filled the coolant
through the cap on the
engine reservoir. On my new Yanmar there is an
overflow reservoir. I have
been told to keep the coolant level on a cold engine
between the “Low” and
“Full” marks on the overflow reservoir. I add
coolant to this reservoir not
directly into the engine reservoir.
So if yours works the way mine does, you should add
coolant to that
reservoir – to what level I don’t know. Are there
markings on the
reservoir?
This appears to indicate you are low on coolant, but
probably not much. The
cooling system will probably maintain a normal
engine temperature until the
coolant level gets real low.

John

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 4:09 PM, Patrick Walters
<>wrote:

I’m thinking about this at my desk at work away

from my engine manuals.

During our test sail the engine over heated and

the heat exchanger was

boiled refinished and remounted. Since then we’ve

used the boat and the temp

stays at 180F when warmed up and we have good

water flow through the

exhaust.

The other day I pulled the cap off the coolant

reservoir in the port

lazerette because it was looking old and tired and

that tank was empty. I

was expecting it to be full like the radiator or

coolant reservoir in my

car. Anyway, now I’m confused as to what that tank

actually is and what I

should be seeing. Anyway, I was just pondering

this and thought I’d ask

since I don’t have my manuals at hand.

Thanks!
-p

---

s/v Deep Playa | Pearson 424 #152 |

http://www.DeepPlaya.com<http://www.deepplaya.com/>

Patrick’s Sailing Blog |

http://www.shipsrecord.com/blogs/patrick

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

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[Anonymous]

This reminds me of the Saturday Night Live skit about Three Mile Island, the plant manager is going on vacation nd tells his staff. “Its simple. Just remember there can never been too much water in the reactor.” Next seen is them trying to decide to empty or add more water to the reactor and then the mushroom cloud. 😉

This helps me a lot. I’m going to pull that reservoir, refinish it, remount it and reFILL it.

Thanks!
-p

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[RichCarter]

My old W60 didn’t have one either. There was a tube connected to the overflow vent on the top of the coolant tank. Any excess would run down the tube and drip on the top of the fuel lift pump. This eventually caused the lift pump to corrode. When problems started to show up in the lift pump, I added an overflow tank and an external 12v fuel pump. You can get both for short money at an automotive store.

—
Rich Carter

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