FW Cooler Leak

[ken_23434]

Can anyone guide me on finding out what tubes are leaking in the heat exchanger and how you go about plugging them?

I have confirmed I have a leak in my cooler. I called a local radiator shop for a "ball park" estimate to plug a tube and he said "it normally runs about $250".

I was thinking more like $50.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: FW Cooler Leak

Howdy,


There's really not a good way to determine it except to remove the end caps and look....if you cannot see anything it's very hard to plug to the leak. And besides, if one is leaking how long will it be before another starts leaking? and it strands you someplace.....


I would consider getting a replacement heat exchanger if it were mine.....


Regards,



Rick

 

[ken_23434]

Re: FW Cooler Leak

My cooler only has a cap at one end. I have taken it off already. There are about 100 1/4" diameter tubes. I assume the problem is somewhere along the u-shaped tube. There is nothing obvious from the end with the cap off.

Just cause one has a failure, I don't think that means that the rest are about to do the same thing.

The cheapest I have been able to find a new heat exchanger is $800. From what I have heard, it is not very common to find a 3.0 with a freshwater cooling system on it.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: FW Cooler Leak

That's pretty expensive for a heat exchanger I would think. I paid less than that a few years ago for a complete, "full" San Juan System for my 454!! They're more expensive now but not by much.....

http://www.oceaneastmarine.com/freshwater.html

You might have a look on ebay for used one maybe or contact San Juan for a replacement. A complete half system for a 3.0 is only about $500 or so....

Your other choice might also be to just pull it and go back to raw water cooling unless you're running in salt....

 

[ken_23434]

Re: FW Cooler Leak

I found a radiator shop that does this work more frequently.

The one end of my heat exchanger has a cap that you can unbolt. The other end is brazed in place. The shop is going to unbraze (is that a word) the other end and then check to see how many tubes are leaking.

This shop said it would be in the $90 range. MUCH better price than the previous shop at $250. This shop was recommended to me by one of the local Mercruiser marinas, too.

So, for anyone that stubles across this thread with a similar problem. You need to have some skills with brazing to do this job as you will need to undo the one end of the heat exchanger and then braze it in place once you are done.