Water flow ??s on a 98 Mariner 20 hp

[SuperSnap]

I picked up a 14' deep v with a 20hp mariner last week, and took it for a shakedown run on Saturday. The boat did fine, but the tell-tale made me a little nervous. The water we were in was probably in the 40s or 50s. At idle the tell-tale jet was just sort of spitting, not a steady stream at all, and the water was hot enough to make me want to move it after about 4 seconds. At WOT the tell tale picked up, but at 25mph with a semi-windy day (10 mph) the tell-tale was getting pushed around by the wind. Does This sound like enough water flow? Thanks!

 

[ehenry]

Re: Water flow ??s on a 98 Mariner 20 hp

if this is a late model engine what you're seeing is the thermostat opening and closing. Probably, like me, you were use to seeing a steady stream come out the tell-tale. I was worried about my 25 horse merc doing the same thing. I was told it was a thermostat. SO, to satisfy my curiosity I took the thermostat out and she pee'd like a young man. Good and hard. Even put a fresh thermostat in it and it still did the same thing. Guess I got a spare thermostat now. I don't worry about it any more.

 

[SuperSnap]

Re: Water flow ??s on a 98 Mariner 20 hp

Thanks for the feed back, I think I'll do exactly what you did, and test with the thermostat out, a spare is never a bad thing. Thanks again.