Short hose tactics

[MurrayM]

Hi there; this relates to a Yanmar 4JH2-UTE with 2,100 hours.

I've got a drip from the sea water hose connecting the air cooler to the lube oil cooler. What I hope to do is take the offending hose off, and put a replacement piece on without taking off the neighboring parts that are inhibiting access.

From other clamp related threads someone mentioned the AWAB flexible clamp driver, so I'll look around town for one.

Are there any tricks for getting short pieces of hose (looks to be 1" inside diameter and about 6 inches long) into position for clamping when it's really hard to get at?

Here's a photo from the service manual...it's the short, straight, stubby bit of hose "hovering" above the air cooler;

 

[DavidM]

First of all, have you ever cleaned your air cooler. Now would be a great time as that short length of hose will be much easier to get off and on if the air cooler is dropped a few inches.

Here is a link to a posting I made with pictures to boatdiesel of servicing the after coolers on my Yanmar 6LY http://boatdiesel.com/Forums/index.cfm?CFAPP=0&Forum_ID=718&ShowTopic=49151&Search=2. Yours are much smaller but the issue is the same- time builds up oil and soot on the fins of the air cooler and scale and possible corrosion on the water side. Removal, disassembly, cleaning, generously lubing, reassembly and possible pressure testing are required every 5 years or so.

But I have done what you want to do. Fold up the hose so it will begin to go in place. Get it on one nozzle and then with a long screw driver or preferably a blunt tool, work it around so that it drops down on the other nozzle.

David

 

[MurrayM]

Thanks David...I think you nailed it on the head.

The engine starts up and purrs along beautifully, but no, I've never taken a peek in the air cooler, or the heat exchanger either. Best to get it done now, or I'll have that little annoying voice in the back of my head saying, "What's going to go wrong because you didn't take the time to do the job right when it was obviously time to get it done." I hate that voice...

The maintenance log of the PO is thin on details, so not sure when these jobs were done last.

 

[DavidM]

Even though you have to disassemble the air cooler to clean the fin side, you do not have to do so for the heat exchanger.

For the heat exchanger, first remove the inlet and outlet caps to the water/tube side. If all of the tubes have at least some daylight opening then continue. Otherwise rod them out with a brazing rod or similar.

Then reinstall the caps and temporarily block off one of the outlet nozzles with a wood plug or similar. Then set it upright with the blocked end down and pour in a 50/50 mixture of Rydlime, CLR or Barnacle Buster. Let it sit for a few hours. Try and pick it up and agitate it several times during this period.

Then drain out the spent solution and flush it out with a garden hose.

Reinstall it and the cleaned air cooler and you should be good for another 5 years.

David

 

[MurrayM]

Thanks for the tip. With the help of this forum and my brother-in-law (retired diesel mechanic) I'm slowly making my way up the learning curve

 

[Ski in NC]

It may help to loosen the supports for the aftercooler and/or oil cooler and move them slightly to open up gap to fit the hose. Should not have to disturb any other plumbing on the coolers to do this.

 

[jlplatts]

I have found that a .17 caliber rifle cleaner works well for rodding the heat exchanger. The rod for a .17 caliper rifle cleaner is smaller than the typical cleaning tool. You can get a .17 caliper brass wire brush cleaning tip, but I suggest getting several of them for the job.
.

 

[MurrayM]

Success!

Tried to weazel the piece of hose through the little gap, but it wouldn't go. Solution was to take off part of the air cooler that had the pipe attached, clamp the stubby little bugger on with the other clamp in place, then squirm it into place on the other pipe leading to the oil cooler.

No blood, my knuckles are intact, but it was one serious test of patience!

 

[Capt.Bill11]

I find applying some dish soap to the hose and fittings can really help in those situations.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I see a pressure point on the upper right end of the hose. See the bump in the hose or where it's puckered up?
May not be a good idea for some other reason but I would explore the possibility of cutting several inches off the pipe on the left and finding a form fit hose off the shelf that has the right bend for the span and using that. The parts guys won't like to do that as they usually just deal w numbers .. just be nice but push'em and the'll probably find one meant for a truck or tractor or ??
Your'e replacing the hose because it failed? I'm not surprised considering the very soft Yanmar engine mounts, the short span and how the engine can move around on those soft mounts. I think a longer hose should be there to gracefully accommodate all that engine movement especially at idle speed and when the hose is cold and stiff it won't like it.

 

[MurrayM]

Tried dish soap, but it didn't help.

Eric, the 'bump' in the hose is because the two pipes don't exactly line up...will address that when I do an overhaul of the heat exchanger / air cooler / lube oil cooler system. Stopping the drip was job number one.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Your'e replacing the hose because it failed? I'm not surprised considering the very soft Yanmar engine mounts, the short span and how the engine can move around on those soft mounts. I think a longer hose should be there to gracefully accommodate all that engine movement especially at idle speed and when the hose is cold and stiff it won't like it.

Maybe I'm missing something. But aren't both those two fittings that the hose attaches to attached to the engine? If so, they would be moving with the engine as it vibrates and soft or hard mounts would make little difference in the stress on the hose.

 

[hollywood8118]

For a great lubricant when fitting new hoses try KY Jelly.. I know what your thinking but it really works.

Recently when redoing the sanitation system on the Ocean Alexander I gave it the test and it passed with flying colors.. and water soluble and non staining.. and I like products that have more than one use aboard!.

So funny story.. when I bought the KY I purchased it at the local super market from a checker I see often.. she passed it through the scanner without batting a eye. When I went back a hour later for another tube she looked at the KY .. then at me.. then at the Ky.. shook her head and smiled a sly smile..

I didn't have the heart to tell her what I was using it for.. and that I had inadvertently squished the tube while wrestling with a 2" sewer hose.. I figured she would get a lot of mileage out of it with the other checkers while on her break.

All kidding aside .. it really works!
HOLLYWOOD

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. H. So you can only use jelly from Kentucky? Not FL, NH or WA?

 

[Nomad Willy]

Maybe I'm missing something. But aren't both those two fittings that the hose attaches to attached to the engine? If so, they would be moving with the engine as it vibrates and soft or hard mounts would make little difference in the stress on the hose.

Yes I think your'e right. Would the short hose be just a hair above the dead center of the dwg? If so you are right but the misalignment is considerable and I'd want a longer hose anyway.

But I'm a bit anal about mechanical stuff. I put long radius 90s where 95+% of skippers have abrupt or hard 90s.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Yes I think your'e right. Would the short hose be just a hair above the dead center of the dwg? If so you are right but the misalignment is considerable and I'd want a longer hose anyway.

I agree it would be better to get those fittings lined up if possible. Or some how use a offset hose.

 

[FF]

PULLING HOSE,

The local auto parts stire will have a tool that looks like an screwdriver handle with an ice pick with a 90deg bend near the end.

The technique is to slide it in between the hose and fitting and slowly work it arround the fitting.

I recently got one and it actually works , and does not destroy the hose .

 

[Capt.Bill11]

It's called a cotter pin removal tool. And they work get for both jobs.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Yup,
Gonna get one. Then maybe I can get my riser to lift muff hose off.
Ten years old and stuck on there real good. Was going to call in the mechanic but perhaps I can do it w that tool. Thanks.

 

[MurrayM]

Yup, me too. With that little puppy I should be able to make a wee bit of extra coin in isolated anchorages by doing emergency dentistry and proctolagical procedures.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

An old butter knife works well too. Well maybe not for dentistry.

 

[MurrayM]

Two hour test romp...nary a drop

 

[Shoalwaters]

. . . .maybe I can get my riser to lift muff hose off. . . . . Ten years old and stuck on there real good. . .

I use an old screwdriver with the end 1" or so bent at 90 degrees and corners filed down. Work tool under hose, squirt of WD40, repeat, leave to soak in, try again - works for me.

 

[hmason]

Have used Kentucky Jelly (KY) for many purposes but have found that "Astroglide" is an all around better product for all those purposes that you might be imagining. Not just for hoses, but if you ever need to get a "lift the dot" snap fitting over the post, this stuff is amazing.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Have used Kentucky Jelly (KY) for many purposes but have found that "Astroglide" is an all around better product for all those purposes that you might be imagining. Not just for hoses, but if you ever need to get a "lift the dot" snap fitting over the post, this stuff is amazing.

Astroglide! The number one choice of porn stars and mechanics the world over.

 

[hmason]

One out of two ain't bad.