Yamaha 9.9 cooling question

[David Toone]

I have a 9.9 Yamaha 2 stroke about 1994. <br /><br />Can someone tell me if the water telltale is supposed to stream water before the thermostat opens?<br />Mine now pumps lots of water through immediately from start up. I do not think that this used to be how it worked.<br /><br />I have just unplugged a salt blockage in the cooling by using the garden hose. Now it appears to run so cool past the back of the thermostat that the thermostat does not seem to open. I have checked the thermostat in hot water.<br /><br />The result of this is that the lower cylinder feels very hot. I assume that the thermostat controls the flow of water around the cylinder jacket and that the water flows around the exhaust housing whether the thermostat is open or not. Is this correct?