96'225/3.0 cooling question

[offshore addict]

ive been having a problem with too much smoke and now have stumbled on what might be part of the problem. when i first start the motor either in the water or on earmuffs water immediatly comes out of the tell-tale. the temperature never goes above 120. i was unsure of the gauge so i took my handheld thermometer and checked the temp up and down both heads and it never got above 120. i took out the thermostats and checked them out of the heads and they seem to be opening and closing properly (143 degree stats). my question is could the poppett valve be bad? i read somewhere that it can act like a "supercooler" but am not sure if that applies to this situation. thanks in advance---mg

its a carb motor if that makes any difference

 

[CharlieB]

Re: 96'225/3.0 cooling question

If the poppet is stuck open then the T-stats are no longer effective, yes, it will super-cool.