In this episode, I replace the raw water strainer for the engine with a $20 alternative to my old expensive one. Making progress! sailingmoxie www.sailingmoxie.com www.amazon.com...
You probably want to double clamp those hoses. Those clamps fail all the time, and not having a second in line with the first might someday be bad news. Also the strainers are fine for about 15 years, but in 7 to 10 you will have to replace the plastic strainer basket... For some reason they get brittle. I've seen more than a few of them.. The engine intake sea cock looks like it might be corroding inside the shaft. Check it out, it might need some attention. If you replace it do not use Marelon, as plastic derived sea cocks are not certified for use in engine spaces generally.
Based on your video I ordered the sea flow strainer from amazon. It arrived within 3 days and was priced as you said. Worth noting is the inlet and the seal were modified and updated. The inlet inside is almost flush with the bottom of the strainer and the rubber seal fits nicely in the cap. Hopefully your video brought about those new improvements
Interesting that they made those changes, though I doubt it was because of my comments. I hope that strainer is working out for you! In my mind, it was priced so low that it was worth the investment to try it out. Mine worked just fine. I'm having my engine rebuilt now, and I'm itching to get back out on the water.
I need to fix my bronze one. Any idea where I can get new glass for it. I believe it's cracked. Like you, I don't want to waste my time or money putting a new one in when all I have to do is replace the circular glass and put a new rubber seal ring in. I can't find anywhere to buy the parts.
You should consider mounting the strainer in a place where it's constantly visible. Like when you reinstall the counter top you could cut out a back corner and mount it flush so you can see it functioning and make it easy to do your maintenance.
To avoid that gasket problem wipe some valesine around it before installing. This prevents the gasket from being pinchehed and not seating properly. You could also use motor oil.
Hey, good to see you’re back at it! Interesting setup. I have mine plumbed to the 11/2” hose. I guess the previous owner reversed them. I also installed a Vetus strainer very much like the one you have. I’m curious to know if you have any flow restriction by using the smaller diameter hose?
I looked at the Vetus ones as well - very similar to the Seaflo. Since everything on the engine was plumbed with the 5/8" hose, including the pump that I replaced, I just stayed with the 5/8". I did see that Seaflo has one larger size strainer with much larger inlets/outlets. Just a few bucks more for that one. I'll keep an eye on my engine temperature as I use the engine more and at higher RPMs. If I see any issue with the temp, I'll upgrade the pump, strainer, and hoses to larger sizes to increase the water flow. For now, I have seen no issues, but I'm definitely willing to upgrade if necessary. No flow restrictions with the smaller hoses so far.
Sailing Moxie Great... I,ll also share my Hunter 54 pic’s soon. Time is a huge issue for me. Needless to say I appreciate all that you’re doing! Thx for sharing!
I agree. I just wanted to try out a cheaper alternative. It works just fine, but I will have to replace it regularly. I also think I need the bigger size due to flow rate.
Nice to see you posting vids again. Met you when you splashed at Safe Cove. I'm not sure what accepted practice is for placing the strainer above vs. Below the waterline. I've had a few boats and all the engine raw water strainers were just below the waterline. I assumed it was so they would self prime. Having the engine prime the strainer every time might be hard on the impeller. I'm not an expert just thinking out loud. Keep up the great work.
Hi Sailing Wayward. Yes, I remember meeting you at Safe Cove. I placed the strainer above the waterline because I thought it might be a "safety" issue to make sure that if the strainer leaked big time it wouldn't flood the cabin. I thought the strainer and hoses would remain watertight and that water would remain throughout the entire system. However, I was wrong about this. Even with all the seals and the gasket in the strainer, air gets in, and when I run the engine I see some air going through the clear hoses (which I need to replace anyway). So, as you mention, the water pump is indeed having to prime the strainer each time I start the engine, adding undue stress to the system and not maximizing water flow. I may end up moving the strainer below the waterline for exactly that reason. Thank you for the comment. Lesson learned on my end. No engine, strainer, or water pump / impeller damage so far, but this could help reduce wear on the system over the long-term. -M
Go to some use Boat part stores and find the same stainer or better! The strain you bought I would trust for a few hours! Its below the water line and not so sturdy! Rebuild other one! Prevent prevent prevent! No shortcuts on Strainers, Sea Cocks, Hoses, hose clamps And for sure bilge pumps! 12 Volt and one off your engine!
What part of he mentioned mounting it above the waterline a few times did you miss? So long as it is above the waterline and the hoses stay above the waterline...even with the seacock open he's fine...
Hey, thanks. Good to know. I'll keep an eye out for that. I've had it for several years now. It's so inexpensive, I may just replace it anyway. I appreciate the comment.
Oh, I highly doubt it. I don’t know what the CFRs are on that. Moxie is a private vessel and not a commercial vessel. If she were a commercial vessel, I’m sure I’d have to upgrade or at least find the regulation to see if the strainer satisfies the requirements.
Thank you for posting. I was wondering if you have any comments regarding the strainer after you had it for a while? I'm looking to buy the same and I'm wondering if there is something I'm missing as it costs a fraction of what other products cost. Thank you.
You could probably sell the part of the strainer that you do have and get some money for it. People are always looking for old boat parts to refurbish. Someone may have a top for it.
Where did you order your replacement one in the video. Id like to get the same one. When I get the old one off Ill clean up up some and list it for sale. It is robust and in fair comdition
Great video, thank you! I have a groco raw water strainer for the a/c unit and a perko raw water strainer for the engine raw water intake... I need to modernize those. So, can the engine one be above water line but the a/c one must be below water line?
It all depends on how much draw your pumps have and what safety measures you have in place in case the strainers fail. I found this online: "The ideal location for the strainer is slightly above the waterline but on a continuous upward rise toward the engine. That way, water will not pour into the bilges in the case of failure and air will not have a place to become trapped." (Moyer Marine Forum). On a large sailboat I'm working on now, all the strainers are well below the waterline, but we have solid thru-hull valves in place to restrict water flow. I think you want them close to the waterline, perhaps slightly above (in case of failure), and so that you can open and inspect them without having to close seacocks. However, you then have to worry about flooding them to get the air out or at least pushing or pumping the air through the system so that you get rid of it quickly and don't keep air trapped in the flow systems. Hope this helps.
Do you mean a 155 outboard? Most marine engines, either gas or diesel, have some sort of raw water strainer to make sure the water cooling system doesn't get blocked with debris. The strainer could be external to the engine like mine on Moxie and most marine diesel engines, or it could be internal for an outboard engine.
Thanks for the video How did you calculate the height of the strainer above water level and what about the size of the filter? It looks alot smaller and I wonder if the volume flow rate will have an effect at higher rpm's.
For the height of the strainer above the waterline, I opened the thru-hull valve and held the hose up. I lowered the end of the hose until water started to come out. Then I knew I was at the waterline. I wanted the strainer above the waterline, but just barely, so as not to require too much force to get water in. Other people have recommended placing the strainer below the waterline. I wanted it just above the waterline in case the gasket or cap failed, because I did not want the boat to flood while I was away from the boat. The strainer is a bit smaller than I'd like. I will upgrade soon to the larger size for better flow rate at higher RPMs. For now, I don't run the engine too high or very long, so the smaller strainer works just fine. But I will upgrade to the larger one soon. Thanks for the questions.
@@Carolina-cb7zt except the sight glass on my Groco raw water strainer (north of $300) is plastic and that is what cracked...so yeah-I'll replace expensive plastic with cheap plastic thanks...
Yep, it still works just fine. I may upgrade to the larger size strainer soon since I want to get a bigger heat exchanger for the newly rebuilt engine. But the one in the video works perfectly. No issues with it.
Mine also doesn't seem to fill up to the top while the engine is running. But I've had no issues with water flow, as long as the gasket is seated correctly when you screw the top on. My strainer is above the water line. I've considered placing it closer to the water line to see if the remaining air gets sucked through so that it fills completely with water. But so far I've had no issues with reduced flow through the heat exchanger or through the exhaust.
