Cat C-12 Heat exchanger & Gear Cooler Cleaning

[Northern bay]

Hi Guys - Engine is starting to run a little warm and I am thinking about cleaning (acid wash) the Gear Cooler and Heat Exchanger bundles. Has anyone ever done this on a C-12 (compact version). If so, do you have any tips or tricks before I break our the wrench's?

 

[CaptDave]

Never done it on a CAT but about four times on my Deere, imediate results getting rid of that scale by acid dipping.

Dave

 

[traditions]

I used the acid wash when I had green coolant and it worked great.When I started with the premixed red coolant the acid wouldnt touch the greasy film on the tubes.After contacting Shell,they told me to run Prestone radiator flush thru my engine.Not wanting to do that I removed the heat exchanger and put it in my lobster cooker with 3 bottles of the prestone and brought it up to 190 degrees and let it perk for a while and then pressure washed it and it cleaned up nice.I believe a radiator shop has the stuff that cuts the red coolant also in thier tanks.Its the same formula as what GM uses in thier vehicles.

 

[MDI45]

Traditions,i have a Cat also and have to clean the exchanger..is there any reason you didn't want to use the flush...i would like to try something so i wouldn't have any down time now(winter ok)

 

[traditions]

I didnt want to get the flush all thru the system.My boat was in the water and a supply of good clean fresh water isnt available to flush the cleaner out where I am.I can remove the heat exchanger core on my Deere in about 15 minutes,so that was the easiest way.I think if you flushed the entire system it would clean out everything,block ,coolers,heaters and whatever else.I have heard of alot of scale being loosened up when flushing systems,but that was on older 3208's.I also always find barnacles and seaweed on the sea water side of the core.Old zincs also find thier way to the core. The manual says to rod the core with a 3/16 th brass rod. If you decide to run the cleaner thru the system,you must remove your thermostats.Me and my son both had the same engine,one with green coolant with fleetgaurd DCA additve and the other with premixed rotella.I cleaned both with sizzle acid,and the acid wouldnt touch the rotella,but cleaned the other one perfect as always.That was when I contacted Shell,and they recommended the Prestone flush.I have always just had a 5 gal bucket of sizzle that is used to clean furnaces,that I submerge the core in and then blast it off with a pressure washer.I have been told that a radiator shop that has a tank can clean the core as well.

 

[Pedlyr]

Lately we use this stuff.

http://www.trac-online.com/pdf/TDS-Barnacle_Buster.pdf

I have also mixed oxialic acid with muriatic acid and water for a component bath. A little air for bubbles does help.For the CAT Heat Exchanger plates, I like to also use kerosene with a softer brush.

 

[MDI45]

Thank you Guys for the info

 

[Boat Doc]

In a rush and not wanting to remove the intercooler and heat exchanger, I have used the Barnacle Buster. On a CAT 3126 I was able to rig up a bucket with a 12V bilge pump and looped in through the heat exchanger and intercooler only (so as to keep the scale and such out of the rest of the system). Let it run in a loop for a few hours then switched to clean water to flush out and then re-connect to the cooling system. I worked great until such time as I took it all apart and had a radiator shop dip it...

 

[Nighthawk]

This is what the Navy has been cleaning coolers with for about 15 years now. http://www.rydlyme.com/home.html

I made a flush rig and flush the entire raw water side in one shot (5 coolers). I have never once taken a cooler apart on either engine, ten total coolers, engines are 2001.

Best place to buy Rydlyme I have found is Mack Boring.

 

[captainlarry84]

flush

I did my Yanmar the way Boat Doc did. It worked out excellent with no dismantling of parts. Make sure you remove all zinc pencils first and also if you have a water feed for your dipless crimp it off. I put the solution on a five gallon bucket and reversed flushed the raw water side for five hours. Amazing what came out and more amazing was the results. I tapped the pump from the bucket into the hose that cools the exhaust elbow. Next the hose from the raw water pump was diverted back into the five gallon bucket to return the solution. Very simple to do. You can also use Rydlyme the same way