OK, so the new Beta is installed and running. The old Bukh had a 1/2 inch raw water feed and the Beta
has a 3/4 inch feed and I've been told to increase the size of the skin fitting and ball valve to 3/4 as there is a
danger that at higher revs there will be insufficient water. I agreed with that so right now the boat is on
the slip getting that done along with the annual antifoul. I have also been told (in the past ) that inlet strainers
are a waste of time as they reduce water flow. The Bukh had an inline strainer that never presented any
problem and was cleaned regularly. On one occasion I had left the element out and motored out into
Pittwater where the temp alarm sounded. A small fish had lodged in the pipework having gone through
the element less strainer. Now there's no way I'm going to cook my new engine so an inline strainer is
going in. Has any forum members had a bad experience with or without a strainer ?.
Haven't had any problems with the actual strainer, the only issue I have had was a crack in the crappy plastic lid that had developed from taking it off to clear weed out of the strainer. It was letting air bubbles into the system and started to cause some cooling issues but once I found it was an easy fix. Went out and bought a spare lid but the sikaflex and tape on the old one hasn't given in yet! There does tend to be a lot of stringy sea grass in Western Port that would cause some blockages without the strainer though I reckon.
Thanks FC. The strainer on my boat is one of those simple inline ones with a removable element for cleaning.
Simple it may be but it does stop crap from getting into the water works and I don't know why I've been told
strainers are useless. Does this only refer to them if they are not cleaned on a regular basis ?.
Hi Sam,
I had one of these
www.whitworths.com.au/engine-sea-water-strainer-abs-plastic-3-4
on my Volvo 28hp. No problem with water flow flat out.
But recently my heat exchanger gunged up (the strainer let some mashed up barnacles through) and I had to take it apart and fix so decided to put a finer strainer on so as to not repeat the problem, this one
www.whitworths.com.au/sea-water-inlet-strainer-32-38mm
Its no problem either. The fact it fits two hose sizes made install easier. Hose from skin fitting was different size to engine and this one fixed the problem.
I think one would be mad not to have a strainer inline. In both I've picked up all kinds of junk that would have clogged the engine other wise.
You need a strainer Sam.
Just need to make sure the valves/piping/hoses are the right size.
I would be definitely using a strainer & I would not be using an in line strainer - it doesn't take a lot to block them & reduce the flow.
Go for the one that Trek suggests or similar - www.whitworths.com.au/sea-water-inlet-strainer-32-38mm
& run good 3/4" rubber hose, something that won't collapse under suction, with double clamps.
Yeah agree, I have the above Whitworths one too I think, it's easy to see when there is a build up of weed through the top and easy to clear if it starts to get clogged without having to replace anything. Unless you get too enthusiastic getting the lid off! I would hate to think of all that crap going through the engine cooling system.
If you want to change your strainer to catch smaller particles, you could consider cutting a piece of alu flyscreen to size and gluing it to the inside of your existing basket (Sikaflex polyurethane would work). If it turns out that it catches too much stuff, just remove it again.
Had one of these V?tus strainers for my Yanmar. No problems. It was good to be able to see the water moving throug it at it always seems to have a small air bubble caught under the lid.
www.vetus-shop.com/vetus-raw-water-strainer-type-140-inlet-and216-19mm-p-1019.html
Thanks guys, you've reinforced my thinking that whoever it was that told me not to bother
with a strainer was wrong.
