3208 Port engine still getting salt water into the coolant.

[RickyD]

Ok, after a happy vacation I'm back. So I used oily UV dye and found nothing coming out the exhaust after pressurizing the system and leaving it for days. Pressure diminished over time but still nothing in the exhaust. I thought maybe the oily dye was not getting distributed so I bought UV dye for water systems. Took the boat for a spin in the evening and then checked for UV in the exhaust, nothing. Then I repressurized up to about 25lbs and left it for 3 days. Nothing in the exhaust when checked at night with the UV light. Only added a very small amount if coolant to the recovery tank and I changed the radiator cap. Now it is holding pressure so even though is was a new cap, it was defective. I think I have solved the water incursion by redoing ( for the third time) the coolant bundle cap/"0" ring assembly very very carefully. Why is Elmer Fudd's voice suddenly in my ear? Now looking at the parts book the turbo is water cooled and that comes from the gear cooler which does not carry coolant, only water from the pump. I believe that is the source of the water into the turbo. My Cat mechanic will join me tomorrow or the next to continue my quest and remove the turbo for repair. Parts are now in stock.

 

[RickyD]

To respond to OC Diver, my temp gun shows the engine temp to be normal. I will be changing the port pump impeller soon. I had both pumps rebuilt in about 2020 so I replaced the easy Stb side recently and the impeller was not bad in the slightest still flexible with very minor markings so I haven't jumped on doing the cramped port side. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[luna]

Now looking at the parts book the turbo is water cooled and that comes from the gear cooler which does not carry coolant, only water from the pump. I believe that is the source of the water into the turbo.

Are you saying that the turbos on your 3208s are raw water, not jacket water cooled? Are there any zinc anodes ports in your turbo housings?

 

[RickyD]

Well after a having my Cat Mechanic aboard yesterday the turbo cooling is from coolant not sea water. Since no matter how hard I try I can't get UV dye to show up in the exhaust so I don't believe there is a leak. I'm sure the salt water incursion into the coolant was solved the last time I put the stb end cap back on so carefully. My mechanic found that the turbo is not wrecked, it became jammed by a build up of carbon on the exhaust side. I thought there may be water getting into the turbo because I was getting a little steam and the company who would rebuild it said water would kill it so I made some assumptions and this may still require additional investigation. It took a while to chip and scrape out the carbon until I could get the turbo to spin freely. Now I need to wait for my mechanic to be available again to put it back together. I could do it but I think it best to let him finish it and then we will test drive.