telltale water flow question

[nickcasa]

89 merc v8 305cid
new alpha1 outdrive, 35 hours on it (SE106)
new impeller
new circulation pump
new tstat housing
new tstat
new hoses
new manifolds and risers
tstat housing is clean as is tstat
new spark plugs, coil,distributor cap,rotor
new temp gauge

passenger side tell tale has more water coming out than the driver side one (about 50% more), but the motor is running @ 160, is this something to be concerned about?

also does removing the thermostat cause any damage?

 

[woody66912]

Re: telltale water flow question

no this is the norm.but buy removing the thermostat it's going to run rich and probably start fouling plugs.

 

[nickcasa]

Re: telltale water flow question

i live in florida, so its warm all year, but why would it run rich?

 

[Don S]

Re: telltale water flow question

Keep the thermostat in. So the engine cools properly. Without the thermostat the water flows thru the engine too fast, some places run cooler (like around the temp sender) and other parts of the engine (the back of the engine) run hotter due to lack of circulation.
Those exhaust reliefs (not telltales) are just that, exhaust idle relief ports and are all connected to the exhaust Y. On land and on muffs, gravity and angle of the boat says which one most of the water will come out of.
You will also notice that in or out of the water, at idle one manifold and riser will be slightly hotter than the other. The flow of water finds the path of least resistance.
Everything is normal, don't mess with it.

 

[nickcasa]

Re: telltale water flow question

thanks for the sigh of relief on the reliefs...i thought i had another blockage and yes, the is a bit crooked on the trailer and in my driveway which explains that....however with the tstat in, it runs at 190, the entire cooling system has been replaced, not sure what else to do to bring the temp down...

 

[Don S]

Re: telltale water flow question

Have you checked the engine with one of those IR temp guns to verify that it's actually running hot? Shoot the gun right at the base of the engine temp sender and see if it matches the gauge.

 

[nickcasa]

Re: telltale water flow question

havent done that yet, but i need too...do autoparts stores loan those out? dont really wanna buy one..also on the tstat....put it on the stove with boiling water, didnt begin to open until 160 per my wifes digital meat thermometer rated to 302F, hehe....would that be classified as defective?