88 reinell 4.3l cobra engine temp high? Help before i burn it up!

[rideordice]

Took my boat out for the first time on saturday. The temp appeared to be around the 200 degree range the whole time. It's hard to tell cause the gauge has a notch that reads 150 then the next is 240. it was well below that but hard to tell exactley what temp it was, not the most accurate gauge. I am not familair with boat cooling systems so dont know if a thermostat is sticking or a water pump is bad or if the impeller in the outdrive is bad? What should it be running at all the time and if my temp is high what should i look at first? Any help would be great! I dont want to burn up my motor the first week i have my first boat. Its a 88 Reinell 17ft open bow with a 4.3l with omc cobra outdrive. Thanks!

 

[danond]

Re: 88 reinell 4.3l cobra engine temp high? Help before i burn it up!

That you don't know whether your impeller, thermostat or circulation pump are working says that you haven't been running it up to temp on earmuffs in the driveway (and you absolutely should be considering you don't know the craft's maintenance history).

Regardless, replace the impeller right away. It's something you should check regularly, every couple seasons at most. Also replace the thermostat. They're both very cheap, easy to replace, and very good insurance items.

Then re-check your cooling issues in your driveway. Aside from the potential for clogged/rusty manifolds, you should see normal operating temperatures.

If things are still out of whack, check your gauge's accuracy with an IR meter like Bubba suggested.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: 88 reinell 4.3l cobra engine temp high? Help before i burn it up!

At least on a Cobra the impeller takes about 5 minutes to pull out and check..
Remove the plastic cover on the upper back section of the drive and you will see the impeller housing..
Napa auto parts sell the kit to replace it.