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Closed Cooling - Does that scare you?


Ndawg12

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I've got my eye on a boat with less than 150 hours, but probably 50 of those were in salt. The boat has closed cooling. How does this system work, what's different with winterizing, and would this scare you away from a good deal? Owner says there's really no glaring evidence that it was ever in salt water.

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Closed cooling is the bomb. After getting it with my 2001 response ... Needed because of the aluminum block ... I just ordered my 2013 with closed cooling.

Love the fact that it uses antifreeze ... Less corrosion issues with engine ... Real easy to winterized ... Much easier than raw water cooling. Plus heaters are run with antifreeze (no winterization)

I'd never get another inboard without it personally. The heat exchanger is easy to deal with and is a cheaper part to replace than manifolds as raw water naturally does its thing.

In 2001 I don't seg out to purchase closed cooling. After driving the response with the ls1, I just knew it was the boat for me and it had all the bells and whistles I was looking for. It wasn't until a few years down the road that I fully appreciated the closed cooling. Having grown up helping winterized a 1974 skier 16 CC, and seeing the corrosion even with using antifreeze in the winter ... And comparing it to my boat. Plus as mentioned half the effort to winterized the engine.

I personally believe that being original car engines, they are manufactured to run and be cooled with antifreeze. Even with the conversion, IMHO, I think nothing is as good as original design where feasible ... My 2001 has 12 years of Canadian winters and 2000 hours and still pulls strong. Only issue I had was with a tranny cooler where a weld failed, but that was pretty easily replaced.

If u get a boat that was used in salt water, spend a little $$ and get it professionally cleaned. That will help prevent any future corrosion issues.

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i believe in a closed cooling system you have circulation just like in a car, with a water / anti-boil mix. Since their is no air movement, the radiator is replaced with a heat exchanger that uses lake water as the coolant for the system. Lake water into the exchanger, cools the engine water then the lake water returns to the lake.


I would think this would be a better system for the engine (but more expensive( since you always have clean water running through the block. The dirty lake water only flows through the heat exchanger.

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Closed/partial closed cooling is the way to go. Have it and love it.

Another advantage is if you have a heater, the heater cores on raw water cooled boats tend to either get eaten up by the lake water and fail or don't get drained enough when winterized and fail. With closed/partial closed cooling it is all coolant through it and no issues at all.

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I would really want to know in those 50 hours of use was the boat kept near salt water or just used there. That salt air is nasty.

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exhaust manifolds will still always pass salt, though, right?

They have half open systems which have raw water cooling the exhaust manifolds but also have fully closed systems.

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exhaust manifolds will still always pass salt, though, right?

Partial closed cooling = yes.

Full closed cooling = no.

I thought holden's post was odd mentioning that he doesn't have to worry about the manifolds on his LS1 Response, since my LS1 is partial closed cooling and raw water still goes through the manifolds.

The Indmar Saltwater Specific option is a fully closed cooling setup.

Edited by Nitrousbird
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So there is no water flowing through the manifolds and out of the exhaust on these fully closed systems? Would like to know the path of the salt water through these type of systems.

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Don't let the salt water scare you away. I've had my Bu in salt water many times but have always been picky with cleaning.

For salt corrosion look at hinge point and bolts as corrosion will work into the cracks so-to-speak. You'll be able to tell if its been taken care of.

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Coolant would go through passages in the manifolds and back to the heat exchanger. Raw water only goes to the heat exchanger in a fully closed system.

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Coolant would go through passages in the manifolds and back to the heat exchanger. Raw water only goes to the heat exchanger in a fully closed system.

But where does the raw water go? It must exit somehow, right?

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But where does the raw water go? It must exit somehow, right?

I'm not 100% sure (haven't seen one in person), but I believe there is an exit port (probably stainless steel) after the manifolds that the heat exchanger ties into that goes into the rubberized side of the exhaust before it exits the boat. So water still exits the exhaust.

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You'll be able to tell if its been taken care of.

For something like this, I would want to take a look at the previous owners garage to see how he/she takes care of things in general. I would think maintenance would be a huge part of mitigating any saltwater damage on an inboard boat (regardless of open/closed cooling system), and if the guy/gal has a beat up old rusty a$$ lawnmower and a rusted out Chevy in his/her garage, I would be more worried.

Does that make sense to anyone?

  • Like 1
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I would really want to know in those 50 hours of use was the boat kept near salt water or just used there. That salt air is nasty.

He took a few trips to the coast, is how they put it, 50 might be high actually, I don't believe the boat resided near the ocean.

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For something like this, I would want to take a look at the previous owners garage to see how he/she takes care of things in general. I would think maintenance would be a huge part of mitigating any saltwater damage on an inboard boat (regardless of open/closed cooling system), and if the guy/gal has a beat up old rusty a$$ lawnmower and a rusted out Chevy in his/her garage, I would be more worried.

Does that make sense to anyone?

I take way more time and money taking care of my Response then anything else I own, the truck is second, and last is the honey do list.

  • Like 2
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I take way more time and money taking care of my Response then anything else I own, the truck is second, and last is the honey do list.

Haven't we all heard

"if you took care of the house like you take care of that boat...."

My lawn/landscaping has been a study in decay since we got the boat.

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My lawn/landscaping has been a study in decay since we got the boat.

LOL, mine started to become "that" yard in the neighborhood so I finally broke down and paid someone to come out and fertilze/weed kill. Found someone to do it cheaper than I could have done it myself (he did it for $145 out the door per application) so it was worth it. Otherwise, I did river rock so I never have to mulch again. :) Mow/trim/done.

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Not sure why everybody panics when they hear salt water use. I've always run my boat in salt water. Never had a single issue. All hardware and hinges are stainless and wont rust. Just flush the boat when taken out of water for about 10 minutes. Yes you will have to change the manifolds eventually maybe but compare the price of a full closed system compare to the price of 2 manifolds. My old Moomba was a 2003 and always used on salt water and never had a problem and no rusting anywhere. It's the oxygen that will make it rust. If the boat is kept in water, you dont have to flush as no oxygen is entering the system. When taken out this is where the rust can occur because of the air. The importance here is how was it taken care of ? Stainless wont rust in salt water but will show some pitting (corrosion on stainless that will look like a white powder). Just look around where the salt water can drip on the engine and just rinse it after use and while your flushing activate the bilge pump. Everybody here runs in salt water and no one has any problem. It is for sure more work than a lake I have to agree. The trailer which was a Boatmate did take the hardest hit as it was in and out of the water and was hard to reach in some area with the boat on and the bunks will always leaks salt water on the cross beam. 3 years and the rust was everywhere on the trailer but I took care of that by sandblasting the whole thing and Line-X the whole thing :) Just trade the Moomba on a new Wakesetter VTX and engine looked very good. Some signs of surface rust on some spots where the factory paint had come off by screwing/unscrewing. And the boat was 11 years old. But sorry about the rambling but a Closed Cooling system would be a good thing if its already on it. Justifiy the cost for a new install from the factory, not worth the extra dough for me. Thats a personal opinion and sure some will chime in more.

Edited by Kojack
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I thought holden's post was odd mentioning that he doesn't have to worry about the manifolds on his LS1 Response, since my LS1 is partial closed cooling and raw water still goes through the manifolds.

The Indmar Saltwater Specific option is a fully closed cooling ...

Well called out. My bad. Meant block ... Partial closed cooling on the response. Didn't mean to mislead. My prev statements still stand ... I'd order it factory cc from now on. Everyone I've talked to in my neck of the woods (ok, only 3 with cc) but all say they'd never go back.

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