Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

chriscraft254 · May 19, 2012

Splashed the boat today, great day except I have a leak from something behind the motor that I have no clue what it is, maybe someone here will and maybe know where to order a new one.

Its cylinder shape, has a hose coming off it from both ends two other ones coming off ht sides. The one on the bottom goes out towards the outdrive. The hoses are not leaking, I think whatever the cylinder shaped thingmabob is has a rusted through place on the underside. It was leaking water while motor was running to the point that the bilge pump kept coming on.

Once I found the leak, I kept an eye on temperature and I got back to ramp and pulled the boat, now just need tofix it . Temp actually stayed fine.

This is a 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk which now has a mercruiser motor but omc outdrive. The part is obviously something from the old motor which was an omc 5.7 liter.

Any info you guys can give me on what it is for and what its purpose is will be appreciated. Obviously it has hot motor water running through it. Where it was leaking, it looks like someone had already done a half azz repair with some epoxy or something.

Here are some pics of the part in question. Thanks

sam60 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

chriscraft254 said:
Splashed the boat today, great day except I have a leak from something behind the motor that I have no clue what it is, maybe someone here will and maybe know where to order a new one.

Its cylinder shape, has a hose coming off it from both ends two other ones coming off ht sides. The one on the bottom goes out towards the outdrive. The hoses are not leaking, I think whatever the cylinder shaped thingmabob is has a rusted through place on the underside. It was leaking water while motor was running to the point that the bilge pump kept coming on.

Once I found the leak, I kept an eye on temperature and I got back to ramp and pulled the boat, now just need tofix it . Temp actually stayed fine.

This is a 1990 Chris Craft 254 Seahawk which now has a mercruiser motor but omc outdrive. The part is obviously something from the old motor which was an omc 5.7 liter.

Any info you guys can give me on what it is for and what its purpose is will be appreciated. Obviously it has hot motor water running through it. Where it was leaking, it looks like someone had already done a half azz repair with some epoxy or something.

Here are some pics of the part in question. Thanks

That is a heat exchanger. It's a engine oil or steering fluid cooler. Is it leaking water or oil? Mine leaked water from a solder joint and it was a low point in the cooling system and froze at some point.

sam60 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

Here was my leak....

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=538234

chriscraft254 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

mzahn said:
Here was my leak....

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=538234

Thanks so much man, now I understand why it is going to the steering as well. This is basically all french to me. I know just enough about mechanicals to get me in trouble, but i do know how to soldier copper.

It is exactly the same end as yours was, the low side. The water was leaking out. No hydraulic fluid. Guess I will remove it tomarrow and see if i can't get back on the water after fixing it. Do they sell these new?

If I remove this and just fix it, will I need to purge the hydraulic side for air after installed? I don't see how this could have been a winterizing issue. I followed the book on the winterizing, but thats exactly what I had said to my buddy today on the way in, that water must have gotten stuck in there over the winter and froze. Does look like someone had messed with it previously though.

Hope I can just find a new one reasonably cheap.

Kainon · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

yup Power Steering most likely as an engine oil cooler would have larger lines.

When you take it off you'll need some way to plug the 2 smaller hoses, if you're not good at plumbing find someone that is and get it repaired properly, or you could buy a new one.

chriscraft254 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

Kainon said:
yup Power Steering most likely as an engine oil cooler would have larger lines.

When you take it off you'll need some way to plug the 2 smaller hoses, if you're not good at plumbing find someone that is and get it repaired properly, or you could buy a new one.

Plumbing I can do, general remodeling contractor.

I found this one on sleaze bay. http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=...d=-999&icep_cbt=n&icep_msku_flag=n&adtype=pla

Atleast it isn't bust out another thousand,lol 4140 bucks still isn't cheap though, think I will try the repair first or take it to a radiator place first of the week.

chriscraft254 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

I appreciate all the quik responses. Where else can you go and get answers that fast. This is a great forum.

sam60 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

chriscraft254 said:
Hope I can just find a new one reasonably cheap.

Not a cheap part. Repair it yourself if you can sweat a joint.

sam60 · May 19, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

Your nearest radiator repair shop will likely be the cheapest..

chriscraft254 · May 20, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

Got the heat exchanger removed. Sanded it down and it had a pretty large split it it. The inlet pipe had bent also away fromt he crack making it gap worse.

I sanded it down, bent it in to reduce the crack with and fluxed.

Should have tried to get a peice of pipe dope on the back side before I soldiered because with the crack being as wide as it was, it just wanted to keep opening up, but I managed to flow it in there where it stayed. Then sanded it simi smooth.

Someone had put some water weld on it before but it didn't hold because there was no sanding/prep work on it before the install of the water weld. I thought it might be a good ides to go ahead and add some after sanding and degreasing the area. This stuff is good up to 900 psi and can even be tapped. .

Will sand this down smooth once cured and put a coat of high heat paint on it.

definately will be pulling the bottom hose off this for winterizing.

DBreskin · May 20, 2012

Re: Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

The power steering fluid cooler should be installed on an angle so it will naturally drain during winterization. Of course you need to remove the lower hose to allow it to drain.

Water leak from (I don't know what it is!)

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