Uh Oh, Engine Trouble Again

North Carolina

Before departing New York, we stopped in Whitehall to hire our favorite mechanic, Kieth, to do some work for us.  We needed to install a new raw water pump, and to clean the heat exchanger.   He did it, but he screwed up.

During our outside passage, we had to run the engine for 45 hours straight before arriving in Virginia.  Along the way I did a visual check.   I found water in the pan under the engine, but there was no visible signs of leaks.   Worse, the engine and the compartment seemed to be encrusted with salt.  Not being able to remedy it while at sea, I continued running.

Once tied up in the DSC, I inspected closer.   I found that the expansion tank was full of salt water.  Aha,  there must have been salt water leaking from the secondary side of the cooling system to the primary side (where there should be only anitfreeze).  That would not impair the cooling ability short term but it is extremely bad in terms of corrosion.

I drained the salt water,  washed the engine and interior with fresh water, and put in fresh andifreeze (which has lots of anticorrosion stuff.)   However, that does not fix the base problem.  I have no fresh o-rings to redo the heat exchanger installation.   We will stop at Sailcraft in Oriental to have their mechanic do it, and to show me what Kieth did wrong.   I have two more gallons of antifreeze with us, so that each day I can drain water and replentish with antifreeze.   The waters we will be travelling are only brackish, not too salty.