I have a 1986 Bayliner Capri with a 4 cyl volvo engine with a volvo Penta 270 outdrive.

Joined
Aug 5, 2024
Messages
7
The engine is running at 235 degree temp. (Over heating problem) Has any one figured out why it's overheating?
 

ESGWheel

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
469
Motors can overheat for a lot of reasons. This works best if you provide as much info as possible and folks will provide guidance on what to look for etc. Its then up to you to do that checking and report back and we keep going from there until the issue is resolved. Which it absolutely can be.

So start with things like under what circumstances is it overheating? Was it doing it before? If not, what is different (any maintenance, etc.). Tell us your story.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 5, 2024
Messages
7
Thank but I just got the boat. And have not had much time to did very deep. I did take the inlet hose by the motor & with the water running & propeller turning, there was no water coming up the pipe from the volvo Penta 270 outdrive.
So I think some water way might be plugged in the outdrive. And there is no pump impeller in the outdrive. It only has a small water pump on the engine.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
49,579
Raw water pump is on front of motor. Replace the impeller and the raw water inlet fitting along with all the other maintenance the prior owner didn't do

You are running on muffs, correct? And not trying to suck up from bucket
 

ESGWheel

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
469
Thank but I just got the boat. And have not had much time to did very deep. I did take the inlet hose by the motor & with the water running & propeller turning, there was no water coming up the pipe from the volvo Penta 270 outdrive.
Ok so this is a good start. While I am not well familiar with your engine/drive others are and should be able to help with some more info. Let me continue to help by filling in some of it and please confirm or correct.

This new to you boat started overheating on your very first ‘run’ on the muffs and you saw this temp and got concerned and shut it down. Correct?

You have not pulled the drive or done any other maintenance prior to cranking it up and observing the overtempt condition. Correct?

Since the over temp you have only done what you described above. Correct?

I am sure you see what I am getting at as it a real challenge to do diagnostics this way so the more info the better.
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2024
Messages
7
Ok so this is a good start. While I am not well familiar with your engine/drive others are and should be able to help with some more info. Let me continue to help by filling in some of it and please confirm or correct.

This new to you boat started overheating on your very first ‘run’ on the muffs and you saw this temp and got concerned and shut it down. Correct?

You have not pulled the drive or done any other maintenance prior to cranking it up and observing the overtempt condition. Correct?

Since the over temp you have only done what you described above. Correct?

I am sure you see what I am getting at as it a real challenge to do diagnostics this way so the more info the better.
Thank you, yes we took the boat on the second day. We just went out about 200yds & turned around right away. And coasted back to the dock. I looked down & the water temp was 235. Right then I knew something wasn't right. I think I'm going to see if all the water journals are clear in the out drive. I took the rubber water hose off the pipe coming up from the out drive, but with the engine running & the prop turning no ear muff running full water, no water was coming out the pipe up at the top of the out drive. That means somewhere its plugged in the out drive!!
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
49,579
There is no pump in the drive. It's on the front of the motor
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2024
Messages
7
Im well aware of where the water pump is on the right front side of the engine
That's only the start of it. The water is not coming up the pipe from the outdrive!!! So place in that out drive, the water way is plugged! I just was putting that out there to see if anyone else had this problem.
 

ESGWheel

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
469
One of my sayings is “Communication is hard.” Your comments in post 3 “motor & with the water running & propeller turning, there was no water coming up the pipe from the volvo Penta 270 outdrive” and repeated in post 6 imply you are expecting there to be a pump in the sterndrive that would be forcing water out of the disconnect hose. There are sterndrives with pumps in them, so that is part of the confusion > and it is good that you know the Raw Water (sometimes called the Sea Water) pump is only on the front of the engine and not in the sterndrive.

Let’s now focus on your test of no water coming from the inlet hose by the motor that you disconnected.

First off: do not run the motor when this hose is disconnected. You can destroy the Raw Water pump impeller and rapidly overheat your engine.

Second: I am going to guess you took the boat out of the water, put ear muffs on it, connected muffs to a water hose and turned it on. And you also disconnected the inlet hose by the motor and expected water to be coming out but did not see any.
* Is this correct?
If this is what you did, then yes, you have some blockage or a disconnection between your sterndrive intakes and the Raw Water pump intake. Or your muffs were not properly installed.

I understand this back and forth can be frustrating especially when you buy a new to you boat and want to use it but cannot. Your problem can be fixed, there is no doubt in my mind. So please let us know about this test you did and what you are seeing.
 
Last edited:

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
49,579
To expand above. Without a pump in the drive, once disconnected, the line from the drive pickup can not flow any water.....

Additionally, the fitting on top the H-frame pivot tube needs to be replaced every few years. When (not if) this casting goes bad, the raw water pump will loose prime and not be able to move any water.

If the O-ring at the bottom of the tube is bad, or the housing pitted from corrosion, the raw water pump looses its prime and can not move any water

Additionally, the question was asked many times. Is this on muffs, or in the water (lake or river).
Raw water impeller only pushes water, it doesn't pull. It requires gravity or hose pressure from the muffs to prime.

Attempting to draw from a bucket will never work. It will only run the impeller dry.

Running an impeller dry for as little as 10-15 seconds will burn it up and destroy it

Temps over 180 indicates no water flow

Temps over 230 degrees can damage the pistons and will have burned the rubber hoses in the exhaust
 
Joined
Aug 5, 2024
Messages
7
I guess I'm not as smart as all of you so called experts. I guess some of you don't read or follow well. I did tell you this was a test with the ear muffs on! And I also told you this was with the water hose on (which I have 85psi water presure on my hose outlet!) Prop turning pressurized hose, AND NO WATER COMING UP THE 1"" STEEL PIPE FROM THE OUTDRIVE!!
So I believe there must be a plugged artery somewhere in the outdrive. As long as you have pressurized water going in the outdrive, with the prop turning it should climb right up that pipe into the water pump.
And it's not doing that. And I did not let it over heat!!! We kept feeding water in the top tank reservoir.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
49,579
And it's not doing that. And I did not let it over heat!!! We kept feeding water in the top tank reservoir.
That doesn't put water out the exhaust.

If you are loosing water on the glycol side of the heat exchanger you have other issues

Did you tape the muffs in place. If not, the water isnt under pressure in the drive.

Did you verify the raw water inlet fitting is intact?
 

ESGWheel

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 29, 2015
Messages
469
It’s unfortunate you are going down this path. There are lots of good and kind folks on this forum who spend many hours every week trying to help people like yourself. Why? Because we love boating and desire to see others enjoy it as well. We understand the high cost of boating so we help each other and anyone else save money by solving problems and doing our own repairs so we can keep boating.

You said: “I took the rubber water hose off the pipe coming up from the out drive, but with the engine running & the prop turning no ear muff running full water, no water was coming out the pipe up at the top of the out drive.” Frankly this made no sense to me and thus why I asked if I had the correct interpterion in post 9.

As I mentioned, communication is hard. Look at your posts, or better yet have a friend read them and ask them if they fully understand you were on a trailer with muffs and the hose turned on to 85 PSI.

I, and others, were not trying to be condensing or offensive, just seeking understanding and trying to help.

Good luck.

Moderators: if my directly above post is inappropriate, I apologize, please delete.
 
Top