Where is the @$%#!! zinc in a Westerbeke 30?????

Jon Klapper

unread,

Jun 4, 2004, 9:37:41 PM6/4/04

to

Stupid Manual!!!! It says to replace the zinc in the heat exchanger
every year. The $#!!$ thing probably hasn't been replaced in ten years
and I can't find it. The box of junk and odd parts that came with the
boat have two different size bronze plugs with zinc rods cast into
them. They obviously screw in somewhere but I'll be damned if I can
find them. One old plug with a corroded zinc has a bit of red paint on
it and looks like its on the outside somewhere. Is it possible its
inside the heat exchanger? Should I pull the endcap?? Should I just
sink the damned boat and collect the insurance?

Anybody got a clue????

Jeff Morris

unread,

Jun 4, 2004, 10:09:08 PM6/4/04

to

My recollection from some years ago is that it was on the port side of the heat
exchanger. This was on an engine that had a "V-drive" so the heat exchanger was
on the forward side, above the flywheel. The zinc was a "pencil" that from the
outside looked like a brass hex bolt, maybe 5/8 inch. When I found it with no
zinc left (after owning the boat a few years) I was freaked and pulled the
endcap off looking for pieces, but found none. After that I checked the zinc
every year.

BTW, I recently pulled out the heat exchangers on my 5 year old Yanmars and
found both were partially clogged with eel grass - the engines run a much cooler
now!

"Jon Klapper" <capta...@federalhill.com> wrote in message
news:40c12305...@news.verizon.net...

Jon Klapper

unread,

Jun 4, 2004, 11:07:17 PM6/4/04

to

I've done a little further research and now find that there are TWO
zinc's. The parts kit for the 30 has two different zincs. And I can't
even find the first one. My heat exchanger is on the port side of the
engine and the only place the zinc could be would be the port side of
the heat exchanger. I must be stupid...........

Paddy Malone

unread,

Jun 5, 2004, 12:20:03 AM6/5/04

to

Page 2 of the operator's manual (pub. no. 36906) has a diagram showing this.
If this is not the manual you have, the zinc is on the side with the oil
dipstick, left and up a bit, it screws in to the heat exchanger (cylinder
with three black tubes) from 8 o'clock to 2 o'clock.

Westerbeke recommends you check this every month, replace when 50% depleted,
varies with use.

Hope this helps
Cheers.

"Jon Klapper" <capta...@federalhill.com> wrote in message
news:40c12305...@news.verizon.net...
>

Jeff Morris

unread,

Jun 5, 2004, 7:04:26 AM6/5/04

to

You could try getting these:
http://www.westerbeke.com/parts/manuals.cfm?mID=105

"Jon Klapper" <capta...@federalhill.com> wrote in message

news:40c1390c...@news.verizon.net...

Larry W4CSC

unread,

Jun 6, 2004, 6:41:37 PM6/6/04

to

"Paddy Malone" <pgma...@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:TRbwc.4807$AU1...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net:

> Westerbeke recommends you check this every month, replace when 50%
> depleted, varies with use.
>

Westerbeke must deal with different boaters than I know....(c;

"Have you checked the engine's zinc?" would simply get a blank stare then a
wrinkled nose and "Whut??"

Larry....

Honda says I have to take the heads off all my gensets to clean the carbon
out of the cylinders every 200 hours, too. Honda's much stupider than I
thought. Yeah, let's take the engine apart every couple of weeks.....

Idiots.

Russ Barron

unread,

Jun 8, 2004, 10:07:58 AM6/8/04

to

>> >
>> >
>> >"Jon Klapper" <capta...@federalhill.com> wrote in message
>> >news:40c12305...@news.verizon.net...
>> >>
>> >> Stupid Manual!!!! It says to replace the zinc in the heat exchanger
>> >> every year. The $#!!$ thing probably hasn't been replaced in ten
>> years
>> >> and I can't find it. The box of junk and odd parts that came with the
>> >> boat have two different size bronze plugs with zinc rods cast into
>> >> them. They obviously screw in somewhere but I'll be damned if I can
>> >> find them. One old plug with a corroded zinc has a bit of red paint
>> on
>> >> it and looks like its on the outside somewhere. Is it possible its
>> >> inside the heat exchanger? Should I pull the endcap?? Should I just
>> >> sink the damned boat and collect the insurance?
>> >>
>> >> Anybody got a clue????
>> >
>> >

IF this is a '70s > '80s vintage Westerbeke 30,
( AKA BMC 1.5 liter, built in England and shares the block and some
components with the MG 1500 auto engine)
The heat exchanger is bolted directly bellow the exaust manifold/surge
tank.
The zinc and cap are located on the bottom of the heat exchanger just
forward of the rubber end cap. You can replace the zinc with the cap in
place but often the old zinc will break off inside and need to bee cleaned
out. You also need to check the length of the new zinc, I usually have to
cut off 3/4" or so to clear the plate above the zinc fitting. I always
remove the rubber end cap for this job. Make a mark to index the cap to
the heat exchanger before you remove it, it has to line up exactly and
seal to the center plate inside the exchanger when you put it back on. Be
carefull with this cap, I was told by Westerbeke that these are no longer
available.

Jon Klapper

unread,

Jun 9, 2004, 10:01:17 PM6/9/04

to

Russ,

Thanks for the info. The installation in my Bombay Clipper is so tight
on the port side I have to use a mirror to work on it. I thought that
that block looked familiar. I mis- spent many hours of my youth
slaveing over a cold '59 MGA. Thank god I've sold it. I don't think I
could stand owning TWO pieces of British "technology".

Thanks Again
Jon Klapper

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 10:07:58 -0400, Russ Barron <ca...@acable.net>
wrote: