Please help with a problem

[One Love]

I've just had a chance to get to the boat since it was hauled out in October. At that point I winterized it or at least I thought so. We have suffered some pretty major cold weather in Ontario in the minus twenty five degrees celsius range since then. This morning I have noticed that I have some anti freeze in the bilge and on further inspection when the radiator cap was removed the level of anti freeze was down consideratbly.

Any ideas where to look and are there any frost plugs or blow out points on the Westerbeke 35B that I should look for. I tried a quick look but it is currently too cold to even spend ten minutes looking seriously, however I see a trickle of antifreeze that is coming from the back of the motor area towards the bilge. I'm talking about the anti freeze from the closed portion of the system.

As soon as it warms a little I will need to address this problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

Reno Viola
#1427 One Love
905 571 3223
rviola@barklays.com

[Ted Pounds]

Reno,

I can only speculate, but my guess would be that maybe some residual water on the raw water side of the heat exchanger froze.  This may have put a crack in the freshwater (anti-freeze) side, causing it to leak.  I don't think the anti-freeze in the closed part of the system would freeze up unless it was severely watered down.  What type of anti-freeze did you use to winterize your raw water system?  Any chance you might have a leak in the raw water system and that's the anti-freeze you're seeing?  That would assume the closed part of the system is not really down and only appeared that way.  I don't know if there's a blow out plug or not.  It's been just as cold here in Chicago.  Hopefully it'll warm up soon.  Good luck.

Ted

[dsavary]

Chances are the engine block didn't freeze enough to blow out a freeze plug, or a sealing plug, found on the port side rear, hidden by the exhaust manifold. The first area to freeze would be the exposed areas, hoses and fittings. Check these out first. Next is that the pan below the engine does not go into the bilge so any antifreeze in the bilge suggests that a hose or possibly the heat exchanger end cap leaked, doesn't mean it froze.  As metal gets colder it shrinks and gaskets can leak as well as fittings. Your exhaust manifold may not be torqued correctly and coolant is leaking out.  I suggest you put oil absorbant material in the engine pan to see if you see any leakage and where. My guess it is a fitting or hose connection. I know what cold feels like I am in New England and are having a record breaking cold January.
Doug "Shana"

[dsavary]

Now after looking at the parts manual it can't be the heat exchanger end plate leaking because this has all raw water on the sealed side and this should of been winterized using the "pink" anti freeze" because of the connection to the hot water heater. It is a serious mistake to have the green (poisonous) antifreeze running in a portable water tank such as the hot water heater. It is very hard to see how the closed engine coolant (green antifreeze) could end up in your bilge for in my case it would of been captured in the engine pan.  You did use the "pink" antifreeze to winterize your engine raw water system??

[hdevera]

I and others have had a similar problem with the radiator cap being the culprit.  The leak is from the spring not working properly in cold weather.  I cleaned my cap and replaced it without further problems until just recently.  This time when I clean it, I plan on rinsing it in the antifreeze.  Hopefully it will not be a continued issue.

[One Love]

Thanks to all of you who replied and for your input, I'll see if I can find the culprit this Sunday as it is suppose to warm up to about FREEZING.

Reno Viola