How hot is OK?

Is it really true that my 115HP 1996 Evinrude, while using headphones and a hose connection from a 44 degree well, with an idle speed of 1000 RPM's, should run cool enough to allow my hand to remain on the head. It's too hot for that, and the telltale water is ice cold. Other discharges are lukewarm only.

Re: How hot is OK?

Hi Octo<br /><br />I have the same motor as you and the telltale water does not get warm enough to notice when the engine is running - so in that respect your's is normal. On mine the water does get hotter once you shut the motor down and the last of the remaining water comes out slowly.<br /><br />However, I can easily put my hand on top of the motor hood when running and not feel any significant heat. Having too much heat to hold your hand on is a sign of trouble. There could possibly be a blockage within some of the cooling passages in your motor.<br /><br />Beyond this, I'll leave it to someone more qualified to suggest what to do about it (my only advice would be to take it in to a marine mechanic).<br /><br />Good luck!

Re: How hot is OK?

I agree about telltale water getting warmer as the last bit drains out. I'm talking about the cylinder heads themselves, not the upper cowl. Except for the fact that it's a dark color in the bright sun, I would not expect the cover to get warm.

Re: How hot is OK?

I now understand where you are testing the heat with your hand. I recently saw an overheated motor that was so hot that you couldn't hold your hand to the top of the cowl. It got that hot very quickly - no water out of the pee hole...<br /><br />I've never laid a hand on the cylinder head when it's running. I'd better let someone else guide you here. Maybe your engine is OK after all.

Re: How hot is OK?

On an outboard where the engine is cold water cooled.. the heads should not get too hot to touch..<br /><br />you should be able to hold a finger to any of the heads and hold it there for a slow 5 count..<br /><br />I have found that is always possible, although after a hard run it gets alittle painful to keep the finger there over 3 seconds.. <br /><br />So if you can do that, you are fine..<br /><br />if not, I'd be trying to find out why.. and possibly fit a temp guage.<br /><br />rgds<br /><br />frank.

Re: How hot is OK?

The engine temp spec is 140 +/- 15 degrees (F) at 900 rpm (at the top of the t-stat pocket). That makes the acceptable range 125 to 155. With 44 degree inlet water, it's possible to run on the low side of spec. How tolerant is your hand to that degree of cylinder head temp?? In the shop, we test engine temp with a infra-red temp gun.<br /><br />-John