Draining Coolant from Beta 43

[umpire111]

Have a Beta 43 in my NB. Tried to drain engine coolant for first time today in order to change it. I attached  a plastic pipe to the outlet drain valve on the engine and dropped  it down to a container in the bilge, removed cap on expansion tank on engine. Opened drain valve and it started to drain out albeit slowly. When there was about 7 litres in the container it stopped draining. By blowing down the plastic pipe it was evident I have drained all liquid above that level. Unfortunately the skin tanks are lower and there is still coolant in those. I removed the bleed not  hoping to get a small pipe to the bottom of the tank and to use a small pump to remove the contents. The hole is about 3mm wide and not big enough to insert a effective pipe. The only way I can see to get the coolant out of the tanks is to remove the main inlet pipe at the bottom of the tank. I cannot get a container underneath it as it sits on the bilge bottom. I could ley the contents go into the bilge but that would mean I would have, estimated, 7/10 litres in the bilge form each of the 2 skin tanks.

Am I missing a trick here?

[nicknorman]

5 minutes ago, umpire111 said:

Have a Beta 43 in my NB. Tried to drain engine coolant for first time today in order to change it. I attached  a plastic pipe to the outlet drain valve on the engine and dropped  it down to a container in the bilge, removed cap on expansion tank on engine. Opened drain valve and it started to drain out albeit slowly. When there was about 7 litres in the container it stopped draining. By blowing down the plastic pipe it was evident I have drained all liquid above that level. Unfortunately the skin tanks are lower and there is still coolant in those. I removed the bleed not  hoping to get a small pipe to the bottom of the tank and to use a small pump to remove the contents. The hole is about 3mm wide and not big enough to insert a effective pipe. The only way I can see to get the coolant out of the tanks is to remove the main inlet pipe at the bottom of the tank. I cannot get a container underneath it as it sits on the bilge bottom. I could ley the contents go into the bilge but that would mean I would have, estimated, 7/10 litres in the bilge form each of the 2 skin tanks.

Am I missing a trick here?

 

Depends on you installation. We have Beta 43 with just the 1 skin tank. The bottom of the skin tank is well below the engine drain. So having drained whatever came out of that, I removed the hose going to the bottom of the skin tank at the engine end. Not much fluid came out, and we have an area under the engine to collect that sort of thing without polluting the canal with it. I then inserted some garden hose down the skin tank hose until it got to the bottom of the skin tank. I then used the spare Whale Gulper shower drain pump that we have, to pump it out into a bucket. Once that was emtpy I used same pumpt to extract the bit of fluid that had ended up under the engine. A bit faffy but I couldn't think of an easier way of doing it.

Edited November 5, 2023 by nicknorman

[system 4-50]

I never understood why my cooling system (for a Beta 43) didn't have a T with a valve for draining puposes.  The professional I got to do the job on occasion just dropped it all into my otherwise dry bilge which I did not like.

[umpire111]

59 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

 

Depends on you installation. We have Beta 43 with just the 1 skin tank. The bottom of the skin tank is well below the engine drain. So having drained whatever came out of that, I removed the hose going to the bottom of the skin tank at the engine end. Not much fluid came out, and we have an area under the engine to collect that sort of thing without polluting the canal with it. I then inserted some garden hose down the skin tank hose until it got to the bottom of the skin tank. I then used the spare Whale Gulper shower drain pump that we have, to pump it out into a bucket. Once that was emtpy I used same pumpt to extract the bit of fluid that had ended up under the engine. A bit faffy but I couldn't think of an easier way of doing it.

Tx, can’t get any pipe down the bleed valve. Tx for response but I think there’s quite a bit in both skin tanks

41 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

I never understood why my cooling system (for a Beta 43) didn't have a T with a valve for draining puposes.  The professional I got to do the job on occasion just dropped it all into my otherwise dry bilge which I did not like.

I agree re drain valve! How did he get it out of the bilge?

[nicknorman]

4 minutes ago, umpire111 said:

Tx, can’t get any pipe down the bleed valve. Tx for response but I think there’s quite a bit in both skin tanks

I agree re drain valve! How did he get it out of the bilge?

Just for clarity I wasn’t proposing to put a pipe down the bleed valve. What I did was to disconnect the main 28mm pipe that goes to the bottom of the skin tank, at the engine end. I could then push the garden hose down the 28mm pipe far enough to reach the bottom of the skin tank, and then pump it out.

[Tracy D'arth]

Why mess about? Drop the lot into the bilge and use a wet vac to clean out. It will soon dry out and antifreeze has a rust inhibitor.

If you play at sucking it out you risk leaving the sludge behind.

[umpire111]

Just now, nicknorman said:

Just for clarity I wasn’t proposing to put a pipe down the bleed valve. What I did was to disconnect the main 28mm pipe that goes to the bottom of the skin tank, at the engine end. I could then push the garden hose down the 28mm pipe far enough to reach the bottom of the skin tank, and then pump it out.

Understand, tx. May seem a daft question but I couldn’t just replace the 7 litres I e got out and repeat process more regularly?

[nicknorman]

1 minute ago, umpire111 said:

Understand, tx. May seem a daft question but I couldn’t just replace the 7 litres I e got out and repeat process more regularly?

Yes you could do that of course. Not ideal but probably adequate! 

[Sea Dog]

23 hours ago, umpire111 said:

Have a Beta 43 in my NB. Tried to drain engine coolant for first time today in order to change it. I attached  a plastic pipe to the outlet drain valve on the engine and dropped  it down to a container in the bilge, removed cap on expansion tank on engine. Opened drain valve and it started to drain out albeit slowly. When there was about 7 litres in the container it stopped draining. By blowing down the plastic pipe it was evident I have drained all liquid above that level. Unfortunately the skin tanks are lower and there is still coolant in those. I removed the bleed not  hoping to get a small pipe to the bottom of the tank and to use a small pump to remove the contents. The hole is about 3mm wide and not big enough to insert a effective pipe. The only way I can see to get the coolant out of the tanks is to remove the main inlet pipe at the bottom of the tank. I cannot get a container underneath it as it sits on the bilge bottom. I could ley the contents go into the bilge but that would mean I would have, estimated, 7/10 litres in the bilge form each of the 2 skin tanks.

Am I missing a trick here?

 

Be wary - my skin tank is closer to 30 litres. Overkill I think, but it is what it is.

 

In your situation the first time around, I undid the top hose and used a Pela type pump, which worked but it was when I found out the hose and spigots were mismatched and the "seal" was a bodge by the reputable boatbuilder's "plumber". Took me ages to stop the repeated weeping  leaks and I only sorted it properly when I eventually replaced all my hoses as preventative maintenance at 10 years and did a proper job. 

 

Antifreeze does have a corrosion inhibitor in it, but it's the degradation of this that means it needs changing, not the anti freeze properties. Trouble is, AF is also a bit nasty on paintwork, so I'd not be keen to drop it in the bilge. If you do get it in there, rinse and wet vac would be my course of action.

[umpire111]

35 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Be wary - my skin tank is closer to 30 litres. Overkill I think, but it is what it is.

 

In your situation the first time around, I undid the top hose and used a Pela type pump, which worked but it was when I found out the hose and spigots were mismatched and the "seal" was a bodge by the reputable boatbuilder's "plumber". Took me ages to stop the repeated weeping  leaks and I only sorted it properly when I eventually replaced all my hoses as preventative maintenance at 10 years and did a proper job. 

 

Antifreeze does have a corrosion inhibitor in it, but it's the degradation of this that means it needs changing, not the anti freeze properties. Trouble is, AF is also a bit nasty on paintwork, so I'd not be keen to drop it in the bilge. If you do get it in there, rinse and wet vac would be my course of action.

 Much appreciated…..not looking forward to doing it