Too Hot??

[glengold]

1977 55hp 2 cyl 2 stroke

Yesterday I got my boat back from the mechanic where it had been sitting for two weeks. I wanted to run the motor on the hose for a bit since it had been over a month since it ran. After I got it idling on its own I went back to the motor and placed my hand on the block.

I could hold my hand there for a few seconds before it felt like it would burn. I remember over winter I could hold my hand there all day. Maybe because the water coming out of the hose was a lot colder during winter?? What temp should it be at?? There is no pee hole on this motor, but I can feel the water coming out of the side exhaust ports ( right above cavitation plate ) and it is hot but not burning hot. The water coming out the prop hub is cool. When I run the motor at the lake I have decent water flow out the upper exhaust slits at WOT, but it seems to flow slightly less than when I first got the motor a year ago.

Thanks
Glen

 

[oldcatamount]

Re: Too Hot??

It sounds to me like your motor is ok. Any motor will run a little hot when on a hose simply because it's not quite getting the volume of water it needs. That's one reason why you shouldn't run a motor for more than a couple of minutes on a hose. I'm not sure of the exact operating temp of your motor but, since you can touch it for a few seconds, it's probably ok. Having said that, I'm a believer in preventative maintenance and an impeller job it fairly quick and doesn't cost much to do.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Too Hot??

FYI, most outboards run ~ 140? F.

 

[Monte1961]

Re: Too Hot??

I will Concur with Jim^. 140-160% Fahrenheit is about normal. An inferred gauge would help to determine this if available to you.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Too Hot??

IR thermometer guns are about $20 at alot of auto parts stores now and a great tool for diagnosing cooling and water flow issues.