Re: some problems with an 86 Force...
OK, Yesterday was devoted to the boat. The thermostat was beyond crap, cruddy and even broken. I'm just running without a thermostat until I sit down today and order one. I dont know if the old one worked, but by the looks of it I doubt it.
I first ran through about half a can of carb cleaner, then used the seafoam deep creep through the carbs, and into the cylinders as per the instructions. You said use liberally, I used the whole can. I also added two cans of the gas treatment to about 20 gallons of gas.
What a mess! the neighbors enjoyed the smoke while running the carb cleaner and the deep creep through the carbs. I let it sit about two hours, and took it to the lake. I got some looks at the launch with the cloud of smoke, but after running about 10 minutes there was no smoke (or steam, whichever was the root of the problem) to be seen, and the engine was running better than it ever has for me. There was also no alarm, not even for a split second, like it was coming on before.
Thanks so much for your help. My final question is; is this something I should do often, like once or twice per season? Should I do it again in a week or so to make sure its thoroughly cleaned out? Let me know the recommendations, and thanks so much for all your help with this.
p.s. anyone else changing an original force thermostat; beware of the screws holding the housing on! Flood them with pb blaster with the engine up so it can really work in, then try to move them a half turn or so and do it again and again and again. It was a multi day process for me to get them out! Get yourself two things, a hand impact driver and a pair of vice grips. It's obviously easier to get them with the screw driver if you can, but as a last resort you can use the vice grips, because the screws are accessible. Replace them with hex heads (though you'll have to use a wrench, not enough clearance for a socket) and use anti-seize to put it back together!
