Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

I'm running a heat exchanger cooled with raw water for the rebuilt Holden 304 V8 in my new Crackerbox build.

I'd welcome any thoughts please on whether or not I need to run an inline raw water strainer on the 3/4" plumbing of the raw water inlet scoop.

I guess it depends on the quality of the water where you intend to run your boat. However, if in any doubt, I'd fit one.

Hi Bob. Thank you for the feedback. I'll be mainly boating in the fresh water of Lake Narracan and the protected sea water around the Inverloch pier...so hopefully not too much debris in the water.

I'm mainly concerned about using a plastic marine strainer and perhaps its perceived lack of strength. The steel/glass strainers are expensive.

Is there any style of strainer you have a preference for?

I think Captain Bob Carter is on the money re quality of water! I have one in Tomboy and after 15 years of use there has been no debris in the strainer and it’s plastic but a quality item. If you get weedy slime like Victoria with their algae blooms then definitely!

Wow a bit of a whack from Capt Chivers
I don't have them on any of mine, and never had any issues, but have mainly been boating in the slimy, weedy victorian fresh water.
I also had a little chuckle about the "protected" water around Inverloch pier, that pier has caught many a non local boatie out with the current
Darren

I was wondering whether a precious Victorian might bite, lo and behold it’s the “El Presidenta “!! On a serious note having a heat exchanger dragging raw water into the fine tubes to cool the contained water within the engine having a water filter is a good safety measure to ensure no blockages.

Could run two pick ups that join into one to for your raw water feed into the heat exchanger. That's what I've done on a couple boats, no strainers.