Fresh Water Cooling

[RUSSELL]

Another question for all those more knowledgable than I on this forum.

I asked earlier about an oil filter, and fresh water cooling was recommended as well. I am on Lake Erie, and don't foresee ever being anywhere but on the Great Lakes (if I ever venture beyond Lake Erie, even). I looked at quite a few boats before I bought my Catalina 30; I have never seen FWC on a boat.

There are 180 boats at my marina; mix of power and sail. None have FWC.

I am getting a Moyer Marine exchange engine; nevertheless, when I pulled my A4 and removed the water jacket side plate I did not see excessive buildup - there was rust and corrosion, but all passages were still sufficently open so that is was clear that water would flow easily.

I am not trying to ignite an argument here - just want to understand what benefit there is in FWC because I have never seen it installed.

Thanks.

[joe_db]

You ALL have FWC. You are floating in it!

Another question for all those more knowledgable than I on this forum.

I asked earlier about an oil filter, and fresh water cooling was recommended as well. I am on Lake Erie, and don't foresee ever being anywhere but on the Great Lakes (if I ever venture beyond Lake Erie, even). I looked at quite a few boats before I bought my Catalina 30; I have never seen FWC on a boat.

There are 180 boats at my marina; mix of power and sail. None have FWC.

I am getting a Moyer Marine exchange engine; nevertheless, when I pulled my A4 and removed the water jacket side plate I did not see excessive buildup - there was rust and corrosion, but all passages were still sufficently open so that is was clear that water would flow easily.

I am not trying to ignite an argument here - just want to understand what benefit there is in FWC because I have never seen it installed.

Thanks.

[edwardc]

Seriously, though, there is some benefit to it in your situation. How much, though, can vary.

The two main problems with raw water cooling are corrosion and organic "sludge" buildup.

In fresh (relatively!) water like Lake Erie, the corrosion problem is much less than salt water, but not zero.

The organic buildup can happen in either salt or fresh water. It depends on your locale.

A FWC cooling system is closed loop, so it completely avoids the organic buildup problem.
In addition, if you fill it with automotive type coolant, it contains corrosion inhibitors.
And lastly, a FWC engine runs a bit hotter (180 deg vs 160 deg typically), which results in cleaner plugs, better mileage, and a happier engine.

Whether any of these are enough to justify it in your situation is a judgment call.
If you do it, however, NOW is the time, while you have a nice, new rebuild with shiny, clear passages.

[hanleyclifford]

When the time comes for you to sell, if you can say "I bought a brand spanking new engine from Moyer Marine and ran only antifreeze in it from day one", the cost of the FWC will come back to you with interest. FWIW

[Carl-T705]

You can also say, I live near the great lakes and never had a block or head freeze and break because I was late winterizing!!! It's a relatively expensive modification up front but it will really pay for itself, IF properly maintained.