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Overplating & Skin Tank - the Kedian way :)


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Having been the crew on the trip down six weeks ago, I'm glad to hear that Tichitoro has been successfully repaired, and trust that Mr & Mrs Ratkatcher are enjoying the return journey.

It was very much a case of "nice boat, shame about the hull" but the boat should now give many years of enjoyment.

As I remember it, the overheating was happening seemingly at random; some days we motored along for hours with no problem, others we'd have to moor up at the first available spot because the water temperature soared rapidly, but a rest would generally make the trouble go away. Our best guess, bearing in mind that engines are not my strong point, was that some object or sludge in the cooling circuit would occasionally get stuck and block the circulation, and stopping for a while would get it unstuck. 

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14 hours ago, cuthound said:

Won the the baffles get in the way of your "sucky thing"?

You may have to pull of the bottom hose to drain it.

Not  on the Kedian design as long as you choose the correct hose.

No bottom hoses on the Kedian job, both at the top as far as the I could see in the photo.

If its not  like the Photo it may have vertical baffles, some do.

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16 hours ago, reg said:

It is a good point. I have 2 skin tanks one internal and one, added later, external. The internal has an drain but it is obscured by the engine bearers. Could I suggest that if you do provide one on future jobs  that it is situated half way along the tank so that it is accessible even with the engine mounted? 

Just a thought could make what appears to be an excellent job into excellent plus. 

Note to add my later addition, for clarification not by you, did not have a drain incorporated the addition of one would make life a lot easier as I am due to drain the system and may need to use my sucky thing to get to the bottom of the tank. 

 

I would have thought this issue applies to loads of narrowboats.  I have twin tanks and I can't see how either can be drained from the bottom without taking the engine out or employing a small contortionist.  Draining the tank from above is like the vast majority of boat owners change the oil and personally I would have both connections at the top as Martin has done it.  Ok it doesn't really matter on a n external tank where presumably the boat is out of the water anyway but with an internal tank -  let's just say I live in fear of one of my skin tank bottom connections starting to leak.   

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In many boats its fairly easy to drain from the bottom. Just take the hose off the engine end and then push the hose ontp the top of the base plate, manipulating as required. You do not have to get at the bottom fitting.  If the hose was too long to do that easily I would find a suitable hose joiner (even a short length of copper with Yorkshire fittings at each end), cut the hose at a point that was easy to get at the join afterwards.

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On 18/10/2017 at 08:42, Tony Brooks said:

In many boats its fairly easy to drain from the bottom.

 

Given the drain tap at the bottom of a skin tank is going to be hard against the baseplate (so you can't get a container underneath it), the only way to use it is to open it and let the coolant flood the bilge. Then devise some way of pumping it out (other than the bilge pump), e.g. a Pela-type suction pump.

Easier I'd have thought to just use the Pela-type suction pump to suck it directly out though a top connection in the first place.

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15 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Given the drain tap at the bottom of a skin tank is going to be hard against the baseplate (so you can't get a container underneath it), the only way to use it is to open it and let the coolant flood the bilge. Then devise some way of pumping it out (other than the bilge pump), e.g. a Pela-type suction pump.

Easier I'd have thought to just use the Pela-type suction pump to suck it directly out though a top connection in the first place.

Remove Bottom Hose from Engine end then Suck out with Wetvac.

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27 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Given the drain tap at the bottom of a skin tank is going to be hard against the baseplate (so you can't get a container underneath it), the only way to use it is to open it and let the coolant flood the bilge. Then devise some way of pumping it out (other than the bilge pump), e.g. a Pela-type suction pump.

Easier I'd have thought to just use the Pela-type suction pump to suck it directly out though a top connection in the first place.

Take bilge pump hose off skin fitting, direct into container, use bilge pump. No different to draining vie hose bosses or the hose.

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1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

In many boats its fairly easy to drain from the bottom. Just take the hose off the engine end and then push the hose ontp the top of the base plate, manipulating as required. You do not have to get at the bottom fitting.  If the hose was too long to do that easily I would find a suitable hose joiner (even a short length of copper with Yorkshire fittings at each end), cut the hose at a point that was easy to get at the join afterwards.

You can't do that on my boat as it's not flexible hose but I couldn't do it that way on the previous boat either, I can't remember why.  In any event presumably you're still going to have to flood the bilge then you have the laborious process of emptying/drying it.  You won't be able to completely empty the bilge with a pump you'll need a wet vac and probably a load of towels as well.  That's why I'd rather suck it out of the top connection.

Also I've never really thought about this, but what if your bilge is painted - doesn't anti freeze attack paint? 

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On 18/10/2017 at 09:40, cereal tiller said:

Remove Bottom Hose from Engine end then Suck out with Wetvac.

Stick the wet vac straight into the top connection of the skin tank. Saves getting your nice clean bilge covered in antifreeze.

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20 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Stick the wet vac straight into the top connection of the skin tank. Saves getting your nice clean bilge covered in antifreeze.

As I said undo Bottom Hose (with Wetvac removing any Drips ),Butt the Engine and the Vac Hoses together and Lower the Engine hose to Baseplate level

Remember to loosen Top Engine Hose first.

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Post note. Found out on our boat, after filling and draining the coolant a few times (and suffering air locks after bleeding) that if we rocked the boat violently whilst topping up (fill up with a litre/rock boat hard until gurgles stopped then repeat) we got loads of air out of the system.

Edited by mark99
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2 hours ago, mark99 said:

Post note. Found out on our boat, after filling and draining the coolant a few times (and suffering air locks after bleeding) that if we rocked the boat violently whilst topping up (fill up with a litre/rock boat hard until gurgles stopped then repeat) we got loads of air out of the system.

Used that technique when draining my bilge prior to painting it. Passing couple said they had been wary of passing me as they thought at first I might be a mad man. Once explained had a pleasant conversation. 

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