Coolant quantity for Elton Moss 58 Semi Trad

[BrendanO]

Hi all, we have recently purchased our first Narrow Boat, an Elton Moss 58 semi trad with a Canaline 42 engine. It is looking like the coolant should be changed this year but I am having no luck in finding what the capacity of the system is. Does anybody on here know?

 

Thank you

Brendan

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Welcome to the forum. If your boat is keel cooled, then a lot of the coolant will be in the skin tank. The total quantity will depend largely on the size of the tank, as well as the volume in any hoses to and from a calorifier. Narrowboats are one off products, so each will be different, hence why you've not been able to find out. Elton Moss still exist and might be able to help, but the easiest would be to measure the volume you drain out, then base the quantity you add on that.

[cuthound]

Coolant quantity will vary from boat to boat, even with the same engine type.

 

When I changed my engine coolant (and central heating fluid), I pumped it out into 5 litre containers and measured what I took out.

 

My Alexander shell has a Beta 43 with PRM 150 gearbox and took 45 litres of 50%/50% antifreeze and de-ionised water.

 

The Webasto central heating system with 3 radiators and a heated towel rail took 25 litres of 25% antifreeze/50% de-ionised water.

[magnetman]

5 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Coolant quantity will vary from boat to boat, even with the same engine type.

 

When I changed my engine coolant (and central heating fluid), I pumped it out into 5 litre containers and measured what I took out.

 

My Alexander shell has a Beta 43 with PRM 150 gearbox and took 45 litres of 50%/50% antifreeze and de-ionised water.

 

The Webasto central heating system with 3 radiators and a heated towel rail took 25 litres of 25% antifreeze/50% de-ionised water.

Is this because it has 3 radiators rather than 4 ?

 

[cuthound]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Is this because it has 3 radiators rather than 4 ?

 

 

No, its because when I filled the central heating system with a 50%/50% mix the radiators didn't get hot...

 

[Ewan123]

12 hours ago, BrendanO said:

Hi all, we have recently purchased our first Narrow Boat, an Elton Moss 58 semi trad with a Canaline 42 engine. It is looking like the coolant should be changed this year but I am having no luck in finding what the capacity of the system is. Does anybody on here know?

 

Thank you

Brendan

The only way to really know is to find out how much comes out of your system when you drain it to be honest, draining into known volume containers as cuthound suggests. Someone could have the boat that was made the day after yours by the same builder and have a totally different answer.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Ewan123

[Tracy D'arth]

So what was the other 25%?

[Slim]

58 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

So what was the other 25%?

An airlock😇

[Ex Brummie]

Anti freeze in a central heating system is not as conductive as water.

[Quattrodave]

5 hours ago, Ex Brummie said:

Anti freeze in a central heating system is not as conductive as water.

 

Indeed, many years ago when working with a race team we didn't use anti freeze as the water cools better.  I dare say they use something different these days...

 

Edit

IIRC it was 'pure water' I believe its free from impurities, calcium, chlorine, electrolytes etc etc...

Edited September 29, 2023 by Quattrodave

[BrendanO]

Thank you all for the replies.  I think I will have to pay somebody to do the coolant change, as much as that will hurt.  I had seen on other posts the sort of quantities of coolant involved and I cannot see any way of disposing of the old stuff, our local tip will not take it so not sure what others do.