6BTA maintenance?

JK · Post by JK » Feb 26th, '08, 16:19

I'm about to enter season 4 with my Cummins and was wondering what is recommended for maintenance? Belts are in good shape, oil changed, etc but is there anything else i should look to do? Is there a gasket kit for removing the aftercooler? Temps have never been high and these engines run awesome but I was just wondering if there is anything to be added to the spring to do list before launching in April.

Thanks.

--JK

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Feb 26th, '08, 17:51

JK - as I remember you have the 300s, so the aftercooler is sea water cooled and Tony A says it should be cleaned on a regular basis, go look at boatdiesel.com and you will find his interval. The only other thing is the valve lash needs to be adjusted about every 1,000 hours, altho my Cummins dealer gently told me after the first adjustment at 1,000 you can pretty much forget about it for 3,000 hours.

Keep the raw water pumps in good shape and there ain't much else to go wrong with them.

UV

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Feb 26th, '08, 18:05

In reference to your questions about aftercooler gaskets.. I have not yet removed my aftercoolers, so I am only saying what I have read but not found out first hand, but I read something posted by Tony Athens on the Boatdiesel forum that there are actually three different types of seals for the aftercoolers.. actually I believe they are "O" rings rather than gaskets. Be sure to take a sample to wherever you get your Cummins parts to be sure the counter guys sell you the correct ones. Someone posted there last year that they were sold the wrong "O" rings and told that the computer said they were the correct ones, and the guy installed them. They did not seal, they let raw water get into the cylinders, he hydro locked the engine.. and you can imagine the results.

Also.. the aftercoolers should be removed every 2-3 years and reassembled using a good quality water resistant lube. The housing is Aluminum, the tube assembly is Copper, and the mating surfaces will bond together over several years so the whole assembly can't be taken apart for cleaning. I have owned my boat for a little over a year, and am planning on an aftercooler removal and cleaning this spring. My engines are 10 years old (with 550 hours) and knowing how the previous owner did things I will bet that the aftercoolers have never been removed. I am not looking forward to this task! My local diesel guy says it is not uncommon for them to be stuck together so well that you damage the copper core trying to take them apart. He has replacement aftercoolers.. I think they are aftermarket. He says they are not as expensive as Cummins, and they are as good.

Do you have an engine manual? There are suggested maintenance schedules in it.

JK · Post by JK » Feb 26th, '08, 18:10

Thanks for the help. Tony Athens has a great section of tips on his website and one article deals with aftercoolers. Here is the link http://sbmar.com/Maintenance/Aftercooler.cfm

--JK

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Feb 26th, '08, 18:13

The raw water cooled aftercoolers need a lot of attention......if it was me, I'd use Tef Gel on the mating surfaces. My 250s have fresh water cooled aftercoolers so they are about zero maint. - but not as efficient.

UV

Capt. DQ · Post by **Capt. DQ** » Feb 26th, '08, 21:23

UV,

Can we still get maint. manuals on our 250's, and if so where do we get one.

R,
DQ

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Feb 26th, '08, 21:58

Doug - call Cummins main office in SC and they should have them...if not, I have two (one is for the 210s that came with AJ even tho she has 250s, the other is for the 250s that Andre loaned me) and I can send the 250 one to you to copy and send back. A very good manual. Think I may have a parts catalog for the 250 too you can copy if you can't find one. Both are thick. I've seen both on ebay for shorter money than copy costs, plus they are bound paperback and would be a pain to copy.

UV

Harry Babb · Post by **Harry Babb** » Feb 26th, '08, 22:12

Vic
I am not at all familiar with the type of aftercooler that you have on AJ....but I do have a concern. Your Coolers are freshwater cooled and I agree that the water side of your cooler should not need cleaning, but what about the Air Side of your aftercooler???

During my recent overhaul I disassembled my Seawater Cooled Aftercoolers and just as you say the seawater side was filthy with waterpump impeller parts and marine growth. The Air Side of my aftercoolers were absolutely filthy with oily crap.

I cleaned and cleaned before I felt good about reusing these parts.

My question is can you disassemble your aftercoolers or are they made as a weldment that cannot be disassembled????

Harry

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Feb 26th, '08, 22:35

Vic- If that 210 book is gathering dust from non use, let me know, as that is what I have. Walter

34Hatt · Post by **34Hatt** » Feb 27th, '08, 08:37

I too have the saltwater after cooler and followed Tonys acticle. After being all done just had that feeling of God forbid I screwed up salt in the wrong place. So someone gave me the tip and I used a balloon on one end and a air hose with a valve on the other filled the balloon the closed the valve. Balloon sat there filled for a long long time. So everything was tight and I felt much better and could sleep. When I did this I also did it with the tranny cooler in line figured I would check that at the same time.

bertram31.com

6BTA maintenance?

6BTA maintenance?

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