Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

This is in reference to an earlier post about a temp alarm:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=407290
I ran the motor today and ended up with the temp alarm going off the 2 times if I ran it over 3500 rpm for a while. I pulled the water jacket covers to start the cleaning process and inside one just under where the T-stat is on a ledge I found a shiny piece of metal tab, that looks like the tab that locates the cup in the water pump housing. If it is the tab from the cup could this cause an issue with the water pump and affect the water flow causing the alarm?

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

what did the Tstat look like? was it missing parts?
post a pic of that piece.
did you find much scale? have you pulled the heads?

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

I could'nt find anything missing off the T-stat. Have not pulled the heads yet just the WJ covers. There was a pretty good layer of accumulation under the covers, I should have taken a pic before cleaning, I don't know if the amount is severe, moderate or light.... I'm betting it was enough to have some sort affect on the cooling efficiency though. I'll post a pic of the inside of the covers as I've not cleaned them yet. I am waiting to pull the heads until I get the gaskets / parts here though. I am by no means questioning your diagnosis and am still going to complete the repairs you recomended.

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

cant see it on the penny.

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

take the rubber gasket off the t-stat and place the t-stat it in pot of water, bring it to a boil, keep track of the temp to see when it opens and if its spec with the motor, if nothing else bring it up to a boil, the t-stat should be fully open, if anything this might give it a little "exercise" and get it moving again.

also, hit it with some navel jelly (again gasket removed!!!), should mostly be copper and SST, wash it off good then hit it with a good penetrating oil, let it dry, put the gasket back on and hit that with a penetrating oil too, like pb blaster, it will help recondition the gasket.

hook up the hose without the t-stat in place, disconnect the lower part and run the hose without the engine running, watch all the junk that comes out that normally gets trapped in the block behind the t-stat, its scary!!!!

do the same with the water pressure valve, flush it with everything hooked up, but it out, again, junk should come out.

Kragen autoparts will rent you diagnostic handhelds (get one that works with new model Yamaha motorcycles), you can use these to double check operating temp.

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

Better pic

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

Update... just got the lower unit off and both tabs on the cup are gone, everything else looks normal though. I found something curious though... the little rubber hose & nipple that comes out of the lower unit just forward of the shifter shaft looks like it's melted / disintegrated, even the top of the nipple looks collapsed. The ground wire that runs right next to it and runs through the same hole looks corroded or like its gotten hot. When I replaced the water pump earlier this year the hose was fine, don't know that I ever notice the ground wire though. This hose is for the speedo or water pressure right? The nipple looks totally closed so nothing could be passing through it would this hurt anything? Any ideas on what caused the hose ground issue? See pics attached.

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

Update got the port head off heres a pic...

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

If the cup does not line up properly it will cause a restriction and cause problems, but not sure what will cause it to shear the tabs.
The piston in the pic looks washed, how do the others look?

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

Only have the one head off right now... the other (bottom) piston looks the same as the one in the pic... what do you mean "washed" what does that indicate?

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

I am not real sure, maybe from the overheating. But something is taking off the carbon and that is not normal

Re: Rodbolt...followed your advice have Q on what I found

not to tell u guys what to do but it sound like you might have a air lock problem if i remember there was a tsb about making mods to the cooling system do to the water flow and possible cavitaion of water supplied to the engine. i had a 75 suzuki doing same thing per suzuki tec i made some mods to the cooling system ,retarded timing 2 derees and fatened main jet .006 took care of my problem with little power loss. do some research on your end and i will on mine