How to clean the coolant side of a Sen-Dure heat exchanger?

sdowney717

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 16, 2011
Messages
237
It has a coating of slightly sticky dirt which I can scrape off with a finger nail
This is the coolant side of the unit, not the raw water side.

Looking down into the coolant side exit there is this buildup on the tubes, which I scraped off with a fingernail. It is very soft, not scale.
1752534998562.png

Whole thing. I removed it to silver solder the drain plug pencil zinc holder. I then JB welded the ends, and will repaint it. I notice when feeling inside at the cap, it also has a coating of the same stuff, so I think it is all over the inside of it. I may use spray on oven cleaner (lye) to clean it. I know this is made with copper-nickel tubing. All the rest is copper and brass. Mostly copper.

1752535067132.png

Silver soldered this in. Sen-Dure oem had silver brazed this on, but it came loose and looked to be poorly done. This heat exchanger is from 1970, and it works without leaking. But the buildup I think will interfere with the cooling ability.
1752535146691.png

1752535186397.png
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
51,129
Best and nearly only way is to take it to a radiator shop and have it hot tanked and flushed

That will remove some, but not all of the deposits. Normally the glycol side is not cleanable
 
Top