Anyone on here own this boat?

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

Yeah I'm running it with no t stat.. Guy at the boat place said I didn't need it if I wasn't running it in cold weather... I don't know you maybe right it's a boat I'm not up on them too much.. I know older cars run fine without one just don't have a good heater.. : ) It's weird that my gauge reads in the red though when it is only really at 160 checked at t stat housing.. And my run this weekend was only a few mins out to our hangout spot at 3200... I'm sure it would get hotter on a longer run.. I really need to put a real temp gauge in instead of the factory color one..

I still have the cup holders themselves but they are a bit rusty so hated to put them back in and have not found a replacement to fit mount... mine has one on the front left as well as both rears

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

Yeah I'm running it with no t stat.

replace it. i'm convinced it needs it.

Guy at the boat place said I didn't need it

i think he's wrong.

older cars

cars aren't boats. they don't run at extended wot throttle w/constant load...imho, cars and boats have the same basic engine theory. after that, it's either marine or auto

I really need to put a real temp gauge in instead of the factory color one..

imho, this gauge is satisfactory. it's cold in yellow. operating temp in green and overheat in red. imho, it's the constancy of th gauge that is tell tale. mine always acts the same way for what i'm doing. normal is always where it is in my pic. it always reads closer to hot after a hard run and intimidate shut down and then a short time later restart. heat soak. the gauge always comes back down to normal after 30 sec. of operation from a heat soak start. temp stays the same weather a hard sustained run or idling for an hour.

as far as i'm concerned, this should be the norm. everything about my temp acts normally. if somethings up with my cooling system. it would have not normal reading imho. whether colors or numbers. i get the idea. i consider my gauge to be telling me the truth about the temp of my engine @ the sender.

+ ya gotta admit them gauges we got are about the coolest gauges mercruiser ever put with a perticular engine drive package

to confirm what i'm saying about putting the tstat back. use iboats and search no thermostat. the answer is always the same.

 

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

I did search yesterday and most guys say to put one in.. There were a few who said they have run without one a couple years with no problems..either way I ordered one so I don't have to worry about it..

As for the gauge being ok I have to disagree about mine.. If the 140 t stat opens all the way at 160 or 165 then my gauge is not right because it's in the red when my t stat housing is at 160... Will do some more runs and checking with the new t stat next weekend.. : ) Other than getting this all sorted out the boat has been awesome..everyone at the lake loves it

 

[Oldrod 47]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

If your really concerned about the temp. get a handheld infra red thermometer that you can point at the heat source. Also helpfull for trobleshooting things like dead cylinders (cold exhaust runners) and wheel bearing temps. Useful little gadgets. Many things can influence your temp sender/gauge. Age, increased resistance due to corrosion, they are not precision insturments. This boat has been around for 35ish years and things do age. Still a better looking design than a lot of new ones IMHO.

Another thing to consider is getting the oil hot enough to evaporate the condensation that forms when the engine temp is too cold.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

I ordered one so I don't have to worry about it..

Will do some more runs and checking with the new t stat next weekend..

good plan imho... ya gotta figure that the oem didn't just put a tstat in for looks. it's there for a reason.
if yer gauge still reads wrong. i would think that it's more of a sign that somethings amiss (cooling wise)than a faulty gauge. go check out the s/m and read up on testing gauges.

Many things can influence your temp sender/gauge. Age, increased resistance due to corrosion, they are not precision insturments. This boat has been around for 35ish years and things do age.

agreed. manifolds and riser too. seawater impeller too. even engine tune can lead to overheat. etc.

good luck on your test run next weekend. let us know what ya find.

 

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

I have one of those laser temp readers.. Thats how I found out that at 160 on the t stat housing the gauge is in the red.. Normal in the green it showed it around 104 to 110...

My boat has never really gotten very hot.. the 160 is the hottest I have seen it.. I just know come july when it's really hot or if I run it wide open for awhile it may get hot so that is why I replaced the impeller and then pulled the rusted t stat.. I just don't want any problems and would like to be able to trust my gauges... : ) Will update when I get her out again

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

don't know if ya saw this or not sr... it's about tstat or no tstat from the i/o fourm and is currently an active thread...

 

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

Took the boat out today with the new t stat installed.. Ran on the low side of the green the whole time so we are good there! : )

However on the way back to load up was running about 3600 pulling a tube when the rpms shot up and the boat stopped... Hoping the prop has spun... was able to idle in the last 1/2 mile around 1000 rpms... anything higher it would just rev and not go...

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

Took the boat out today with the new t stat installed.. Ran on the low side of the green the whole time so we are good there! : )

sounds great. way to go...

Hoping the prop has spun... was able to idle in the last 1/2 mile around 1000 rpms... anything higher it would just rev and not go...

if it didn't overheat, spun prop hub sounds most likely to me too... hope that's what it is...

 

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

Pulled the prop today... It is bad.. put it in gear and could spin it by hand... I'm glad...didin't want to change a coupler!

This prop is a 15 1/4 inch .. 21 pitch... You guys seem to be running a 14 1/2 inch and 19 pitch?? Wonder why someone would choose this one?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

I'm glad...didin't want to change a coupler!

yep. very easy to change a prop. major project to change a coupler if your shade tree like i am.

You guys seem to be running a 14 1/2 inch and 19 pitch??

yep, that's what i got.

Wonder why someone would choose this one?

hard to say why. but rpms will tell the facts. spec. is 3900-4300. what you want is preferably on the high side with your normal load and trim.

fwiw. when i got mine it had a 21p on it too. didn't take me long to want to change. with the 21p i could get bottom of wot spec. (3900) with the trim up/out to the max. too high. the 19p lets me get 4300 trimmed out less. plus the hole shot is good... if i had more weight in people or gear i'd probably go down even more to a 17p. when i was a kid, dad's ski boat (a trihull) had a L6 in it. he ran a 17p. it's major use was skiing though. the 17p would help get your arms long getting up on 1...

i do like my 19p alum. prop. if i was to change i think i would like to try a 18p or 17p 4 blade alum. for the times when i have more weight on board (people). i would continue with aluminum vs stainless steel due to our o ring grove in the lower drive shaft. a prop strike with a ss prop and i fear the lower drive shaft would break instead of the prop. least that's my reasoning anyways... + ya'd have to drop down an inch in pitch or more (can't remember if it's an in. or 2 when going to ss) to compensate for less flex of the ss.

edit. my normal load is maybe a hundred lbs of gear and 330lbs of (2) people. usually 1/2 to full 18 gal. fuel tank.

 

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

I was wondering what the plus and minus would be with a 4 blade.. I seem to always have 4 adults and a few kids in my boat at all times.. And yes I will be going with an aluminum prop..

 

[ziggy]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

imho, yer getting right up there for load on a nineteen. personally, i am not fond of the way my boat performs with that much load. though i have done it a few times much to my displeasure.

try googleing 4 blade prop advantages. there were many choices to pick from....

 

[streetrods]

Re: Anyone on here own this boat?

Well pulled her out of storage cleaned and winterized... Now waiting for next spring .. : )