tell tale stream

[blown67]

I have a 2002 mercury 200 outboard with carbs.The tell tale stream is constant but low pressure at idle,I know this is probably normal but how hot should the stream be? It feels like hot tap water,you can hold your finger in the stream but just a few seconds or it will scald you and this is with the motor warmed up. I'm new to boating,I just bought this boat so I'm still learning.

 

[profish00]

Re: tell tale stream

Stats are set for 140 deg the temp alarm is set at 220 and they run around 170 at idle.In my book 140-150 is hot water. my water heater on my house is set at 150 and that water is hot.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: tell tale stream

Water is good. Steam is bad. Nothing is REAL bad. Sounds like yours is working well.

 

[michaelbr1]

Re: tell tale stream

Yeah, I asked a wrench the same question a couple of years ago. He explained that the spring on the pop-off valve was a bit too strong for the water pressure in the engine which is why the stream was slow at idle. It got stronger with more RPMs.<br /><br />Like Willy said, if you see steam - especially in summer - it's probably getting too hot in which case you would service the water pump impellers.

 

[KCLOST]

Re: tell tale stream

MIchaelbr1,<br /><br />That wrench you talked with, doesn't know what he's talking about. At low rpms, the poppet has nothing to do with the flow of the water...<br />It only comes in to play, during higher rpms, when the water pressure is high enough to push open the valve (overcome the force of the spring), this in-turn reduces the water pressure by releasing excess water from the block and into the exhaust (that water never reaches the tell-tail).<br /><br />The speed of the impeller and also more importantly the t-stats, are the two items that determine the amount of tell tail flow at low rpms, not the poppet...

 

[michaelbr1]

Re: tell tale stream

That's why I like to follow these forums. It's where we can get the real skinny. Thanks.

 

[profish00]

Re: tell tale stream

I can barely get a stream out of mine on muffs at idle been through the hole cooling system bunch of times. I see steam all the time so dont let that bother you they just run hot...but not that hot mine has been like this for years, just look back at my posts..let it run and run it like you stole it till the alarm goes off.<br /><br />just my 2 cents and lots of ckecking I can drop the lower unit and check the impeller in 20 minuits now and check the poppet in 10