I am looking to add a raw water Y-valve to my cooling line and am looking for input as to how to approach it.
I have a '78 Catalina 27, raw water cooled, and sailed in the Great Lakes. The existing water line is 5/8" ID hose, running straight from the existing through-hull valve to the A4. I assume that the existing system was sized at 5/8" for a reason (could be a bad assumption).
Options for a T-valve seems to be 1/2" or 3/4". Would using a 1/2" valve cause restriction problems (using 1/2" NPT x 5/8" Barb fittings, and the 5/8" hose)?
If I go with a 3/4" valve and fittings (at West Marine) I would need to add reduction fittings to the T-Valve, then add the barbed fittings to the 5/8" hose. This seems like a lot of potential for leaks.
I did find brass 3/4" NPT x 5/8" barb fittings at Home Depot (no reducers needed) -- can these be safely used on a boat? Is there any issue with using brass fittings on a bronze valve?
I could also just use 3/4" throughout, assuming that I can find bigger fittings for the through-hull and the A4 - though I suspect that I will need reducers to get from 3/4" hose to the size of the threaded opening at the A4 and the through-hull.
I am thinking of mounting the valve in the engine compartment, on the starter motor side of the compartment, just inside the engine room door. This would roughly double the run of the cooling line, from about 3 foot to about 6 foot. Is this getting too long for the pump to cool the engine?
Am I over-thinking this?
Thanks,
Tim
I have a '78 Catalina 27, raw water cooled, and sailed in the Great Lakes. The existing water line is 5/8" ID hose, running straight from the existing through-hull valve to the A4. I assume that the existing system was sized at 5/8" for a reason (could be a bad assumption).
Options for a T-valve seems to be 1/2" or 3/4". Would using a 1/2" valve cause restriction problems (using 1/2" NPT x 5/8" Barb fittings, and the 5/8" hose)?
If I go with a 3/4" valve and fittings (at West Marine) I would need to add reduction fittings to the T-Valve, then add the barbed fittings to the 5/8" hose. This seems like a lot of potential for leaks.
I did find brass 3/4" NPT x 5/8" barb fittings at Home Depot (no reducers needed) -- can these be safely used on a boat? Is there any issue with using brass fittings on a bronze valve?
I could also just use 3/4" throughout, assuming that I can find bigger fittings for the through-hull and the A4 - though I suspect that I will need reducers to get from 3/4" hose to the size of the threaded opening at the A4 and the through-hull.
I am thinking of mounting the valve in the engine compartment, on the starter motor side of the compartment, just inside the engine room door. This would roughly double the run of the cooling line, from about 3 foot to about 6 foot. Is this getting too long for the pump to cool the engine?
Am I over-thinking this?
Thanks,
Tim
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