Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

[jonny rotten]

After running motor for 20 min with muffs my temp gauge only got to 110.The Gauge moved,a little so i assume it works.I wanted to make shure the the thermostat was working but it never got hot enough.Is that normal? (hose water is ice cold,upper engine hoses never warmed up)

Mercruiser 4.3

 

[Philster]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

It is a common problem to run on the muffs and not get the t-stat to pop open -- Especially from ice cold engine in chilly weather.

 

[BatDaddy1887]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

What was the outside temp that day? You also really need to put a good load on the engine to get those higher temps.....

Also, make sure the engine is peeing and not clogged from mud daubers or some such, if it's not peeing correctly, then perhaps a stick a wire up there to unclog.

How old are the current thermostat(s)? Perhaps it's time to replace. If it was freezing outside, they may have been frozen in place.

 

[sutor623]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

Yeah and not to mention the 30degree water that you were running through. Good ol ground water.....

 

[jonny rotten]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

It was 68 deg and full sun,tee shirt day.the water was flowin out nice.After 20 min I thought it should get hotter than 110.I even reved it to 2200 rpm and it still never went over 110??Could cold hose water keep it that low?

 

[BatDaddy1887]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

If the water from the telltale feels "warm", then good chance the engine is cooling properly...

Also maybe time to change the poppet valve....

 

[Philster]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

To me, the only time I am concerned with getting the t-stat to pop open is to ensure I am actually flushing the entire engine after running in muddy, salty or brackish water.

Others try to winterize by running antifreeze into the engine on the muffs, and it is inherently problematic, because there is no guarantee the T-stat is gonna pop open.

Sounds like you are just checking things out... but... having air temps in the 60's is kind of chilly, esp w/ cold house water + cold engine. When I pull my boat out on a 80 degree day after running around all day, if there is a lag time between the ramp and home, it might cool off too much and not get the t-stat to open again -- well, not always, but it just magnifies the reality that cool air, cold water and an ice-cold engine = might not warm up on the muffs.

On your initial sea run this year, watch the temp gauge. She should peak, then drop when the t-stat opens, then level off. That's it.

 

[nlain]

Re: Ear muffs/cold temp gauge

Where I am there is a lot of trash in the water, I get some stuck in the tstat, engine will not warm up, so, when on the trailer and on the muffs I gradually turn the water down, keep check that I still have a good flow and at a certain point the engine will warm up, tstat will open fully and release the trash, then all works normal. This may be something you could try, just keep a check that you have flow coming out so you know you have water still running through the impeller. Once the engine heats up then bring the water back up and see if it holds.