Why do I have two thermostats?

[Scott Danforth]

if you look at a repower, I would look at the VW(Audi) 3.0 marine diesels

 

[ashedd]

I checked the thermostats(with heat gun) and they both open, albeit one of them creeked and moaned. Checked purge valves and got coolant. I just let it run awhile and the temps seemed to come down. Still showing 150 on the temp gauge. Still need to shoot the manifolds with ir gun.

Couple of quick questions without starting new thread...

My original problem came back. Runs fine until warm them sputters and dies and basically won't restart(but it wants to) until cold. I thought it was fuel and replaced filter, fuel pump. Can see gas squirt in throat when I move throttle. Starting fluid doesn't help. But what does seem to have fixed it is removing the PCV valve. Does that make any sense? I sprayed the pcv with starting fluid and seems to be working ok for now. My next step was going to try a new coil and maybe look at the points. I also noticed that I don't think I have a marine carb either.

Something else I've always wondered..
I usually have to push myself up out of the engine bay by pushing off one of the manifolds with my foot. Is this ok you think? I weigh 215lbs.

 

[alldodge]

Runs fine until warm them sputters and dies and basically won't restart(but it wants to) until cold. I thought it was fuel and replaced filter, fuel pump. Can see gas squirt in throat when I move throttle. Starting fluid doesn't help. But what does seem to have fixed it is removing the PCV valve.

Need to find out when it doesn't start IF you have spark. Pull the coil wire and see if you have spark, suggest a spark gap gauge.

You can spray either (starting fluid) and nothing happens, leads me an electrical issue. Do you have points and if so have those and the condenser been replaced?

Removing the PVC and it starts would push me toward the engine flooding

 

[ashedd]

Need to find out when it doesn't start IF you have spark. Pull the coil wire and see if you have spark, suggest a spark gap gauge.

You can spray either (starting fluid) and nothing happens, leads me an electrical issue. Do you have points and if so have those and the condenser been replaced?

Removing the PVC and it starts would push me toward the engine flooding

Yeah I have points and I'm not sure the last time any of the ignition stuff was replaced. Did ok on my water test today but after about 30 mins that palmer died again. Think I'll pickup a coil and maybe points. I don't want to dump too much money into this motor if it's a lost cause, I've never checked the compression. Couldn't get more than 2100 rpm out of it with a load, it'll rev way over that in neutral. But I've always had a similar problem since I got the boat. Both engines kinda hit a wall at 2500 rpm. The crusader would start to ping(like crappy gas) about 2500 and the Palmer just wouldn't go over 2500. I would assume it has the right props on it, can't imagine a boat making it from 1957 with props that far off. And the previous owner said he had it on plane a couple times, so I'm sure they went over 2500 at some point. I can get 13 knots out of it at 2500 rpm. Not sure at what speed a planked wood 40' semi displacement hull should plane though. But anyway, that's putting the cart before the horse. Besides, I'm sure the bottom is covered in slime anyway.

I found a screw(I assume mixture of some type) on the carb and tried different settings with no effect. It was the idle screw either. It's also probably wise to get a marine card, I'll attached a pic of the one I have, but I'm pretty sure it's not a marine carb.

I might need to start a new thread since I'm drifting away from cooling issues.

On a side note...
Why the hell would the university crew team be practicing right in the middle of the channel? There were 15 crew boats in my way. There's plenty of water on the outsides of the channel. That water is too skinny for me to be comfortable in to go around them. Next time I'll just lay on the horn and speed up! The wake that comes off my boat is fierce above 8 knots.

 

[ashedd]

 

[ashedd]

Need to find out when it doesn't start IF you have spark.

Don't know if I mentioned this but it sputters when it dies, then surges a few times and finally dies. I would think that a spark failure would be an abrupt failure, but I dunno.

 

[alldodge]

Don't know if I mentioned this but it sputters when it dies, then surges a few times and finally dies.

The reason for me to say check spark is because your mentioning that you see gas when the throttle is pumped. My assumption is that this was checked after the motor died. Now if that is before the motor is started and warmed up then I'll go back to fuel.

The carb is a Holley and the vent horn are not extended and turned down back into the bores like this

Your motors do lean me toward being tired and a compression test would be a good check. The one motor pinging needs the timing checked. The pinging is your motor destroying itself.

As for the rowing team, I would suggest calling the team and let them know your concerns. It may fall on a deaf ear but would at least try that before anything else. Like boaters I see every year, they just don't know the issues around boating, or don't care, but most the time is they don't know

 

[ashedd]

I've taken the carb to be rebuilt. Thanks for all the info everyone. Any future questions I have will be in a new thread.

Thanks