Definition of a weak tell tale

[JohnWI]

Yeah...OK so it should be self explanatory but I see a number of threads about this issue.

So my question is what do you define as "weak?" Just a dribble? Or can a stream still be weak?

And is there or is there not a difference between the stream during idle, Slow no wake and during normal operation?

And last but not least, does the TT appear only when warm or will it appear immediately upon start-up? This last question is truly for me as my new-to-me boat idled but didn't pee on that first start-up. It gurgled out the exhaust holes my the cowling but not from the TT hole. Later, during a "run" it was A-OK.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Definition of a weak tell tale

You didn't identify your motor so the answer is as open ended as the question. Typically motors with tell tales start pumping within a couple of minutes of start up. The pressure of the stream is kind of subjective but if you put your hand in the stream, you will feel pressure. The stream is weak only when you cannot hold your hand on the head for a four count.

 

[JohnWI]

Re: Definition of a weak tell tale

1984 EV 70

So it's not much more than a mild indicator of water pumping and I might as well just use my IR temperature gun? About what temp should I be getting? Just thinking that 120 degrees in my home's hot water heater seems pretty toasty around 4 seconds.

And where might I point my "dot" to get that reading? By the plugs? Are variations between the 3 cylinders common??

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Definition of a weak tell tale

And where might I point my "dot" to get that reading? By the plugs? Are variations between the 3 cylinders common??

Using an IR gun on the head of my 2 cyl shows as much as 10 degrees F variation from spot to spot. On mine, the areas around the top cylinder, right around the plug, were warmer than around the bottom cylinder. When I was installing my head temp. gauge I selected the head bolt showing the highest reading.

 

[Daviet]

Re: Definition of a weak tell tale

The tell-tale is an indicator of the water pump operation. It should start to stream water as soon as the water pump fills the block. If you see a great difference in pressure between idle and high RPM, I would check the condition of the water pump.
The engine can still overheat even if the water pump is in good condition, a defective thermostat can cause the engine to overheat with a great tell-tale stream.