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How to drain the heat exchanger on an Indmar partial closed cooled LS3?


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I know there is a 11/16" bolt with a sacrificial anode on the bottom side of the heat exchanger for draining water out of the heat exchanger tube. There is no way I can get a tool down there. I was told that if I couldn't reach the drain bolt on the bottom (which I can't), I could remove the end cap of the heat exchanger tube and drain that way. I removed the bolt in the middle of the end cap of the heat exchanger tube, but the end cap plate is not coming off.

How do I drain the water from the heat exchanger tube on a 2015 Indmar LS3?

Thanks

Edited by Cory
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The cap is just stuck. Use a wood block and hammer to get it loose. Basically, just try to shear the cap off of the end of the exchanger.

Personally, I like the raw water hose idea better, like oceanbu said. That way you won't tear the rubber gasket under that end cap.

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Can't you just disconnect the hose that is feeding it raw water? That's what I do

The feed line is on the top side. The water exit line is high also... I'm gonna call the dealer on Monday and find out what they do.

Edited by Cory
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The feed line is on the top side. The water exit line is high also... I'm gonna call the dealer on Monday and find out what they do.

My feed line enters on the bottom of the exchanger. Could you blow compressed air into yours to force the water out?

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Gary, I wasn't feeling good plying on that gasket. I'll try Oceanbu's suggestion later today.

If you do end up knocking that end cap off, the gasket should be very thick. A new one should be cheap if you wreck the old one. I really doubt you will have trouble, though.

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If you do end up knocking that end cap off, the gasket should be very thick. A new one should be cheap if you wreck the old one. I really doubt you will have trouble, though.

I played with this some more last night. I think my only real option is to knock that end cap off. You are correct, that gasket is about 3/8" thick. My gut is that once I remove that end cap the first time (and break the paint seal), it will be a lot easier in the future.

Thanks for the feedback Gary.

Edited by Cory
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I'm going to be winterizing soon, hoping to get another day or two in, but it was cold last night!

This is my first semi-closed system.

Just to confirm the block and heater are the only items that have antifreeze in them?

Need to drain water ouf of the manifolds, heat exchanger and ballast system?

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I'm going to be winterizing soon, hoping to get another day or two in, but it was cold last night!

This is my first semi-closed system.

Just to confirm the block and heater are the only items that have antifreeze in them?

Need to drain water ouf of the manifolds, heat exchanger and ballast system?

Remind me what engine you have?

I have the Indmar LS3, and do the following:

1) change engine oil, tranny fluid, and oil filter (change v-drive fluid and raw water impeller every other year)

2) remove bottom front (large) bolt on the v-drive (this will drain water out of the v-drive and tranny cooler)

3) disconnect the cross-connect line for the exhaust manifolds (push them low to allow complete drainage)

4) disconnect the line that extends back to the raw water pump (if you have a perko transom flush kit, it will extend from the backside of the perko towards the raw water pump, disconnect closer to the raw water pump so the drainage point is downhill from both perko and raw water pump)

4b) if you do have a perko flush kit, blow air in the transom bib while item 4 is disconnected

5) drain heat exchanger per the above discussion

6) dump sea strainer (if you optioned one on your boat)

7) lift bow high and drain all ballast pumps

8) run hot water shower

9) get all this drained water out of the bilge so it is dry for storage (I run a box fan over the v-drive opening with the mid-ship bilge panel removed for a couple days)

10) top off coolant (use Sierra Green--can be purchased at NAPA)

11) put fuel stabilizer in gas (preferably run your last tank of gas with stabilizer), but try to run the tank low for winter storage. These are plastic tanks so no need to worry about moisture sweating into the tank

12) turn battery switch off and plug in the float charger

13) remove most of your stuff, crack all cushions, put an RV air circulator fan (http://www.amazon.com/Caframo-Limited-Stor-Dry-Warm-Circulator/dp/B0009L675W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442941727&sr=8-4&keywords=RV+storage+fan) on the floor, and drape cover over boat to keep dust out

Edited by Cory
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Remind me what engine you have?

I have the Indmar LS3, and do the following:

I am LS3 as well.

Sounds good, those are all things I did on my last boat, thanks for the clarification on where the antifreeze is not.

I had a checklist at one point, will be printing that list to replace it, thanks!

PS. May need a third on my last few outings if you're around(and since you've winterized yours)! Flag me down!

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  • 1 month later...

Follow up. I was able to get to the drain bolts on both exchangers to drain them. Due to lots of wires in the way I could not get the port manifold cross over to lower enough to drain. Plus with how many hoses there are on this system I decided to just run antifreeze through the raw water side. Was pretty easy to do once I got things set up right. Did the same method on each ballast tank.

Speaking of the ballast tanks I noticed at each thru hull the brass fittings on the bottom of the boat have threads on them, almost like you could screw a fitting up into it with a hose on it to get your antifreeze in. I could not for the life of me figure out the thread size so in the end I used a fake a lake, but if anyone knows it would be pretty handy to have for this purpose or if you ever needed to run water into the ballast system while on your trailer for some reason.

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Remind me what engine you have?

I have the Indmar LS3, and do the following:

1) change engine oil, tranny fluid, and oil filter (change v-drive fluid and raw water impeller every other year)

2) remove bottom front (large) bolt on the v-drive (this will drain water out of the v-drive and tranny cooler)

3) disconnect the cross-connect line for the exhaust manifolds (push them low to allow complete drainage)

4) disconnect the line that extends back to the raw water pump (if you have a perko transom flush kit, it will extend from the backside of the perko towards the raw water pump, disconnect closer to the raw water pump so the drainage point is downhill from both perko and raw water pump)

4b) if you do have a perko flush kit, blow air in the transom bib while item 4 is disconnected

5) drain heat exchanger per the above discussion

6) dump sea strainer (if you optioned one on your boat)

7) lift bow high and drain all ballast pumps

8) run hot water shower

9) get all this drained water out of the bilge so it is dry for storage (I run a box fan over the v-drive opening with the mid-ship bilge panel removed for a couple days)

10) top off coolant (use Sierra Green--can be purchased at NAPA)

11) put fuel stabilizer in gas (preferably run your last tank of gas with stabilizer), but try to run the tank low for winter storage. These are plastic tanks so no need to worry about moisture sweating into the tank

12) turn battery switch off and plug in the float charger

13) remove most of your stuff, crack all cushions, put an RV air circulator fan (http://www.amazon.com/Caframo-Limited-Stor-Dry-Warm-Circulator/dp/B0009L675W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442941727&sr=8-4&keywords=RV+storage+fan) on the floor, and drape cover over boat to keep dust out

You just saved yourself $1,600 by doing it yourself instead of the BU dealer in Seattle..

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  • 6 months later...

sorry for bringing up and old thread, but for those that have taken apart the end caps on their heat exchanger, do the seals separate the coolant from the raw water?

 

I have a problem of loosing coolant. I pressurized the system and it proved I had a leak. Ive checked the oil and the spark plugs, I'm not burning it or its not getting into the oil. I have a feeling its the heat exchanger or the tube manifolds. More so the heat exchanger. If it's just bad end cap seals, I will be beyond stoked.

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  • 4 years later...

Hey Cory, 

 

Can you send me a photo of what your sea strainer connection looks like? I want to install one on my 2015 LS3. 

 

Thanks!

Tyler 

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