products for cleaning heat exchanger

[craig_c]

It's that time of year again.

I've been avoiding it but its time to clear out the gumph in the heat exchanger

Watching a few youtube videos the Americans seem to use a product called salt away or something that destroys all the crud.

What products are available in the UK or which would people recommend?

[Bushrider]

Craig , check for Rydlyme . That's available in the UK .

[beamishken]

Brick acid contains pretty much the same ingredients as rydlyme look up the msds sheet for it and it gives you the acid percentage.
About 1/10th the price of rydlyme

[breezeblock]

cheap vinegar works quite well

[Sutty]

Another one for brick acid

[craig_c]

https://www.jewson.co.uk/building-ma...io-cleaner-5l/

something like this?

or this from BQ

https://www.diy.com/departments/swar...l/81116_BQ.prd

[beamishken]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F192265166348
This is the one I use but its very strong only use it outside with a mask cos it realy takes your breath away
But a few mins with this in your heat exchanger and the brass and copper is like new
Looks like the jewsons one is 10% acid and the bq one less than 5%
The link i posted is 36%

[jeffstevens763@g]

use citric acid harmless buy off ebay cheaper that saltaway basically same thing but in crystal form.

[Sprocker]

I've used RydLyme on various VP heat exchangers for many years now, always done the job well and got me back to correct running temps, so I can recommend it.

Just remember to remove the engine anodes first as it will eat them.

[craig_c]

just wondering how you would run one of these products with an inboard?

Just a big bucked of water with one of them poured in or am I being daft

[Sprocker]

Here's the method that I used on my VP engines:-

Get a large plastic box that will hold around 30 litres.

Pour 10 litres Rydlyme into plastic box.

Remove impeller from pump and replace cover plate.

Get a 12 volt Sureflo type diaphragm pump, suck Rydlyme from plastic box and pump to inlet hose for seawater impeller pump.

Return needs to attach somewhere after gear box cooler, and back to plastic box of Rydlyme. Circulate through for an hour (ish).

Rydlyme will foam up when fresh and less foam as it gets used, it also turns from black to clear.

I used to run two lots of 10 litres through each engine. First one then a fresh batch.

You will need to sort out hoses and adaptors for where need to attach to, and make sure you have plenty of rags available.......

[beamishken]

You can circulate around the tubular heat exchanger and the steering cooler while they are on the engine with a pump.
The intercooler on the yam is prone to the end of the aluminium case corroding between the flanges, they are best taken off every couple of years and the mateing faces cleaned and resealed. You can then pour the acid direct into the water side of the core & also degrease the air side of the core while its out of the case.
Rydlyme is between 5 and 10% hydrochloric acid so similar strength to the b&q patio cleaner

[craig_c]

decided I want to remove everything.

Intercooler is looking a bit grubby from the outside so I want to tackle that

Ordered all the seals anodes gaskets and the antifreeze today.

Had a look at the exhaust elbow which was amazingly clean as a whistle.

not much left of the pencil anodes but ive never seen one come out yet that wasn't knackered

[beamishken]

Not sure about the yam anodes but i get my yanmar ones from asap supplies there not listed for either engine but they do a range of different size pencil anodes which screw into the existing plugs. You just need to go through the list and find ones close enough but there usualy about a fiver or less which is way less than the genuine ones. Sometimes you have to buy slightly longer and trim them.
Its a better job taking the coolers off, you can then fill them with neat acid and they clean up in minutes.
Dont forget the steering cooler at the back of the engine its easy missed

[matata]

I have used Brick cleaner in the form of HCL Hydrochloric acid. We have a heat exchanger thats made of bronze. The end caps where the tubes go into are silver soldered into place. The HCL does the solder no favours as it has lead/silver/tin in it. I'd use Rydlymme. Nik

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by matata

I have used Brick cleaner in the form of HCL Hydrochloric acid. We have a heat exchanger thats made of bronze. The end caps where the tubes go into are silver soldered into place. The HCL does the solder no favours as it has lead/silver/tin in it. I'd use Rydlymme. Nik

The active ingredient in rydlyme is hydrocloric acid @ 5-9% its efectively the same stuff
I have the msds sheet but cant upload it for some reason

[paintman]

RYDLYME Marine Technical Data | RydLyme Marine
Has all the info.

[lordofthepies]

Could this be used for flushing outboards to clean the cooling system?

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by lordofthepies

Could this be used for flushing outboards to clean the cooling system?

Id steer clear of anything hydrocloric acid based like brick acid patio cleaner and Rydlyme as they will attack the aluminium. Citric acid or vinegar often seems to be reccomended but I've not tried it personally

[jeffstevens763@g]

OMO if your talking rydlyme personally I wouldn't in my Suzuki because it's got coatings in the waterways to prevent corrosion which the hydrologic acid might attack I use citric acid because I use it for my marine aquarium to clean the pumps for salt encrustations it does it quickly and it's safe made from fruit. I did some tests on it soaking aluminium strip in a 40-1 solution for two weeks with no affect so confident running my engine now and then with it added to my tub will be ok