Bowman Heat Exchanger
and Oil Cooler Parts
Header tank heat exchangers · EC tubular units · FC oil coolers · FG charge air coolers — quoted from the full part number
Bowman coolers behind engine-room enquiries
E.J. Bowman has made heat exchangers, header tanks and oil coolers in Birmingham since 1919. On ships its tubular units cool engines and generating sets: header tank heat exchangers on the fresh water circuit, separate EC heat exchangers where the expansion tank sits elsewhere, FC oil coolers and FG charge air coolers. Marine builds use cupro-nickel tube stacks and brass end covers, and each unit is read by its full part number.
FC80 · FC100 · FC120 · FC140 · FC160
Oil coolers in body sizes from FC80 to FC160, with marine builds using cupro-nickel tube stacks. Tube stacks, end covers, O-rings and gaskets are quoted against the full part number after the size.
EC80
Tubular heat exchangers for engines where no integral expansion tank is needed and the system uses a remote header tank. End covers, seals and tube stacks are matched to the complete number.
FG100
Charge air coolers that must run with the full flow of the engine water pump when used with a header tank heat exchanger. Tube stacks and seals are quoted against the full part number and the engine the cooler serves.
Header tank units
Heat exchangers with an integral header tank, built with single, two or three passes on the raw water side and installed above the cylinder head for self-venting. Filler caps, end covers, tube stacks and anodes are quoted against the part number on the tank.
Bowman components that reach an RFQ
The list follows a Bowman cooler from the body inwards. Each line can carry the part number from the body or from an earlier order next to the description.
- Complete coolers by full part number
- Tube stacks in cupro-nickel and other materials
- End covers and end cover gaskets
- O-rings and seal kits for tube stacks
- Anodes for the raw water side
- Header tank filler caps and pressure caps
- Drain plugs and connection adapters
- Mounting brackets and straps
What to read off a Bowman cooler before ordering
Bowman stamps or labels the full part number on the body. A photograph of that marking and of the unit in place settles most of the points below.
- Full part number exactly as marked, for example the FC100 group and the figures after it
- What the unit cools: engine fresh water, lube oil, gearbox oil or charge air
- Engine or gearbox make and model it serves
- Whether it is a header tank unit or a separate tubular exchanger
- Number of raw water passes, if the part number is unreadable
- Part numbers from an earlier invoice or the engine documentation
Supply route review for Bowman coolers
Bowman bodies share sizes across many builds, so the size alone does not name the part. The full part number is settled first, then each line is quoted.
Full number before size
Two FC100 oil coolers with different numbers after the size can carry different tube stacks and connections. The complete number from the body is what parts are checked against.
Tube stack or whole unit
A leaking or blocked unit can often take a new tube stack and seals in the existing body. Where the body itself is worn, the reply sets out a complete unit too, and the ship decides.
Charge air coolers with water flow
A charge air cooler on a header tank system has to sit in the full engine pump flow. The enquiry names the system it belongs to, so the right unit is matched.
Seals on an accepted path
O-rings and gaskets that carry their own makers' markings can go on an equivalent-source path for the ship's own spares.
Bowman cooler parts — questions from the engine room
Is the size code enough to order a Bowman oil cooler?
No. FC100 names the body size; the figures after it name the build. Send the full number from the body, and say what the cooler serves.
Can a tube stack be replaced on its own?
Often, yes, together with new seals and gaskets. If the body or the end covers are damaged, the reply sets out a complete unit as well.
What should be sent if the marking has worn?
Photographs of the unit and its connections, what it cools, the engine it serves, and any earlier invoice. The number of raw water passes helps for a header tank unit.
Does Vessel Core clean or pressure-test coolers?
No. Vessel Core identifies and supplies parts only. Cleaning, retubing and testing stay with the crew or the workshop the owner chooses.
Is Vessel Core connected to Bowman?
No, and there is no agreement of any kind. Vessel Core holds no distribution, representation or partnership agreement with Bowman, and quoting a component against one of its designations implies no approval by the maker and no claim of interchangeability.
Send the body marking and what it cools.
Photograph the full part number on the body, say what the unit cools and which engine it serves, then list the items and the port.
