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help concerning pencil zincs/trans cooler....old school

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realcaptron

Regular Contributor
Hi folks.....this might be an issue requiring some "experienced" members to help with. 1970's vintage Crusader Thermoelectron conversion.&nbsp; 454's, thermoelectron trans and v drives. I have the expected pencil zincs on the engine oil coolers and no issue there, but the boat also has the pictured "trans" coolers (I actually think they are plumbed into the v drives as pictured), and I wanted to check the zincs on those. So I unscrewed the "plug" pictured on my starboard side, and discovered no evidence of a zinc in there. In my experience, pencil zincs actually thread into the plug and then the plug into the component, but this plug does not have an internal threaded female to receive a zinc. It is just flat, and is in what I would describe as like new condition, nice and shiny. So here is my question.....is this supposed to be a pencil zinc or simply a drain plug? If it is for a pencil zinc, it would have to be a very short, stubby one because the cooler is not that big. I'm hoping I don't have to disassemble and remove the whole thing, based on your responses. BTW....everything on my boat is still running great with no known issues.<br><br>
 
makomark said:
No pic.....

Do you have the U-cooler on the "front" (harmonic balancer end) of your engine?
Click to expand...

Hi Mark....having trouble uploading/attaching pics again. Affirmative on the u shaped cooler on harmonic end of engine. Those pencil zincs are ok. easy access, recently changed. The ones in question are on the single cylinder device where raw water first enters on my boat and then continues to the oil coolers and into the tstat. The cylinder device is on the opposite (rear) end of engine and bolted onto the side of v drive with fluid lines on each end plumbed into the drives. I can't imagine that they shouldnt be zinced, but the plug I pulled out had no evidence of being a zinc. pic attachment advice is ok too.
 
As far as the pics go, the help section is fairly easy to follow...will send a link if I have time to find it....

the U cooler is really two separate coolers; one for the gear (VD) and one for the engine oil. I would assume what you are describing as a stand alone cooler for the V-drive. The manual I recently obtained (thanks, again, Don!!) indicates the v drive has an integral cooler. So I would say they revised the design on the gear and never updated the manual (pre-1989) or the cooler in the gear clogged and somebody decided to add an external one.

FWIW, Crusader used to be fond of putting zincs in everything....mercruiser takes the opposite approach. In my limited experience, there aren't well known issues with either approach.
 
Hey Mahomark, if you are still alive here, please send me the link. (I am a student at the physics university and have a project on this topic. I need it and hope you'll consider my question)
 
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realcaptron said:
Hi folks.....this might be an issue requiring some "experienced" members to help with. 1970's vintage Crusader Thermoelectron conversion.&nbsp; 454's, thermoelectron trans and v drives. I have the expected pencil zincs on the engine oil coolers and no issue there, but the boat also has the pictured "trans" coolers (I actually think they are plumbed into the v drives as pictured), and I wanted to check the zincs on those. So I unscrewed the "plug" pictured on my starboard side, and discovered no evidence of a zinc in there. In my experience, pencil zincs actually thread into the plug and then the plug into the component, I check free essays online here for academic information to receive a zinc. It is just flat, and is in what I would describe as like new condition, nice and shiny. So here is my question.....is this supposed to be a pencil zinc or simply a drain plug? If it is for a pencil zinc, it would have to be a very short, stubby one because the cooler is not that big. I'm hoping I don't have to disassemble and remove the whole thing, based on your responses. BTW....everything on my boat is still running great with no known issues.<br><br>
Click to expand...
I bet Patricia refers to your words, "will send a link if I have time to find it," concerning the Realcaptron's zinc question.
 
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