Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

[Don S]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

Do you have an outdrive? That serial number if for an inboard, not an IO.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

Do you have an outdrive? That serial number if for an inboard, not an IO.

Don't know about his model number but it has to be an 1/O for a V8 model 228 as his posted picture shows. Or "not!" Could be a mid-ship engine once I looked at his pic again.


Note: Be nice if everyone would put in their signature block what kind of boat and it's specs. There would be no guessing after that. Of course some people have more that one boat. (THE RICH PEOPLE!) LoL

 

[achris]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

...Note: Be nice if everyone would put in their signature block what kind of boat and it's specs. There would be no guessing after that. Of course some people have more that one boat. (THE RICH PEOPLE!) LoL

We have been advocating that for years. It seems some people don't know how to set up a signature file (or maybe they are just too lazy!!!)...

Cheers....

 

[Stamey]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

Honestly, I don't know. The only info I have is what I read on the tag on the valve cover. I have taken pics of the tag and attached them here. This IS an I/O, with an Alpha One. 1983 Chaparral 198XLC. I know the boat was abused before I got it, hence the 800.00 price tag I got it for. It had an overheat problem when I bought it, because I bought it with a blown head gasket. I had the heads completely reworked, including valve guides and surfacing. I then put a new thermostat in and a new impeller in the outdrive. Once I ran it a bit and saw how the temp was rising, at any speed, then blew the hose that fed the port exhaust manifold during a WOT run, I replaced the elbows with new Aqua Power units. After that it would only overheat when idling for a long time, such as a long no-wake zone. One of the tests we did when it was overheating was to clamp the elbows hoses to force more water through the block. This did help, but was before the new elbows.

I will not be able to do those tests you recommend until the weekend. I'm going to try and get it in the water Saturday.

I do have one exhaust hose that has a problem. The port hose, from the clogged elbow last year, is deteriorated due to heat. I had not thought about replacing it yet as it doesn't seem that bad and I get good water flow out of the through-hull exhaust on both sides.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[achris]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

Hi Chris,

A couple of things spring out in your last post.
1. Your serial number is for the 'R' drive era, not Alpha One. Although for this particular problem that's just semantics.
2. Overheat/blown head gasket when you bought the boat. One of the first things to get burnt up when there is a lack of water running through the exhaust system is the PLASTIC water pocket cover in the bottom of the upper gearbox. They distort and allow exhaust gas into the cooling water before it enters the engine block. If the engine has had blocked manifolds and/or elbows that would diminish the water flow into the exhaust gases (as they exist the elbows) and they would still be hot enough to cause a slight melt (and hence distortion) of the water pocket cover. The clear plastic hose trick is the one to find this problem the quickest, or I would just remove the leg, split it and pressure test the water pocket cover. I'd lay odds on a leak... Then comes the fun of removing the old one and putting a new one in. In the Gen II legs that cover is cast as part of the housing. Problem solved forever

HTH,

Chris...........

 

[Stamey]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

1. As I said, I only know what I found on the valve cover. Whether it is the original engine, or valve covers, I don't know. Just trying to make this basket case work. Heck, the guy told me it was a 350. I didn't know any better until I found the tag sometime later. I figured it was an Alpha One because of the year of the boat.
2. I have through-hull exhaust, so would any heated anything be running though the outdrive? I figured the only thing coming though the outdrive would be the cold water intake.

I will get the hose you described and hook that up this weekend.

Thanks for all the ideas,
Chris

 

[Stamey]

Re: Switching the Cooling Hoses on a 5.0L (228) Mercruiser

I went on an ordered the T balls as they were cheap enough and it looked, in the parts catalog, like what I needed. The balls did the trick! After installation I found that the amount of water being expelled from the through-hull exhaust was drastically reduced, because of the balls, and no overheating. Highest I see on muffs in the driveway is 160, and the highest I saw on the lake this weekend was 165, and that could be a variance in the gauge/sender so I'm not worried about it. It ran beautifully.

Now I know the manifolds were NOT the problem (they are for sale now) and I know have a pretty good idea of the sequence of events that happened before I bought the boat.
1. the exhaust elbows, especially the port side, corroded inside and became obstructed from flowing.
2. The previous owner removed the thermostat in an attempt to keep it from overheating.
3. The PO removed the balls from the bypass T in an attempt to keep it from overheating.
4. The PO overheated it to the point where it blew the head gasket.
5. The PO put it up for sale.

Thanks for everyone's help on this.

Chris