[RyanDavidge]

I just got a Mercury XR2 on a Phantom 21. When I run it on land with the fresh water hook-up the water doesn't come out of the block very fast (dribbles) when I took apart the fixture that attaches to the block, there is something that looks like a washer with a hole about 3/8" in the middle. The boat was from england, so i'm guessing this is because the water is cooler, so not as large a flow is needed???? The boat is now in warmer water, so should I just remove the washer type things? I figure the more water the better... Thoughts please.

[yamamarinetech40]

I think you are being paranoid, unless there's something you aren't saying....you've had no problems with overheating by your post, no alarms, nothing...so what's the problem? DON'T remove the washer or you will have though, it seals out the air, if you draw a touch of air into the system, it'll travel to pump and....overheating will follow. You want your water pressure to be good, not above 45 psi and not too low. If the alarm is in working order you shouldn't be thinking about all this....

[Chris1956]

Ryan, The telltale may be clogged or connected to the out flow of the thermostats. At idle in neutral, the thermostats may not open. Does water come out of the prop hub? Does it come out of the grating above the antiventilation plate? If so, the waterpump is working.

Don't modify the cooling system, unless you know exactly what you are doing. You may replace the two thermostats, and the waterpump impeller if you like. Repair the poppet if you want, but don't remove it.