I'm new to outboards and fear my 4hp 1981 Johnson is getting too hot. I've checked the impeller and it's fine. I'm getting a small amount of warm water out of the tell tale hole's down the shaft, not a lot. I understand the majority of pumped water exits with the exhaust under water, so I can't check it. But the engine is too hot to touch around the casing by the plugs, even after a short run. I was told they never get so hot you can't touch them. Is this true ? I'm worried it will seize up. The mix is 50:1. The engine has never been in salt water so I'm pretty sure the water ways are clear. Any advice please.
<br /><br />It'll get too hot to touch for long. You should be able to keep your hand on top of the block for a few seconds without getting burned. Hot spots will be by the sparkplugs and exhaust cover. An easy way to check if it's too hot is to sprinkle some water on the motor when it's hot. If it boils off, it's too hot.