Engine Overheat 210 FSH Need advice

[moosenumerotres]

Learning the hard way: 1) Ran boat at 1/2 throttle over an oyster bed - pulled scuppers and cleaned one shell from Starboard Engine - no overheat then (whew) 2) Next drifted into about 2 feet or less, on silty mud in Texas saltwater bayou in low idle (also made mistake of reversing) - both engines overheat... got a tow off the bar, restarted at dock - all was good. Flushed port and starboard on fresh water no issues - good flow from tell-tales. 3) have used about 12+ hours since then in bays and freshwater lakes, no issue - then as luck would have it - wind blew off my boonie hat with a few commemorative pins on it while I was just beginning to put trailer on boat (idle and reversing alternate engines to steer) I thought hat sank, but oh-no starboard engine sucked in through the grate. Engine overheated, since it sucked boonie hat into suction. Bought back home and flushed and engine overheats after it has been at idle for about 5 minutes (Port Engine fine). Engines have less than 50 hours....

So I will clean the intake strainer (on both) but if that doesn't cure and I have silt/sand/other debris in the cooling how to remove that?

 

[WREKS]

What about running the starboard at at no-wake on hose. Maybe a little higher water pressure and no-wake mode will wash out some silt/sand. Definitely shut down if overheat warning come on. Just make sure that there are no bonnie hat remnants still down by the impeller that might block it from turning easily. Please, keep reporting.

 

[moosenumerotres]

What about running the starboard at at no-wake on hose. Maybe a little higher water pressure and no-wake mode will wash out some silt/sand. Definitely shut down if overheat warning come on. Just make sure that there are no bonnie hat remnants still down by the impeller that might block it from turning easily. Please, keep reporting.

will try that after I make sure of no debris in the tunnel (I think I cleaned everything out) and after I clean the strainer...

 

[WREKS]

And if you have a measure of success, I suggest that the next time you go out, get in some deep water and run it at higher rpm to keep removing what may be the start of a permanent blockage. I would continue to do that every time you go out. Of course, if heat warning comes on, you have to shut down.

 

[Julian]

Bought back home and flushed and engine overheats after it has been at idle for about 5 minutes

So you are running the engine on a hose and it overheats? If so, it is possible it isn't getting enough cooling water from the hose. One thing you can try is clamping off the hose below the Y where the connection is from the hose. This prevents water from flowing back out through the intake grate on the pump (and basically not entering the engine).

Do you have a laser thermometer to point at the engine to confirm it is indeed over heating?

Another thing to check is to see if the thermostat is clogged.

 

[moosenumerotres]

So you are running the engine on a hose and it overheats? If so, it is possible it isn't getting enough cooling water from the hose. One thing you can try is clamping off the hose below the Y where the connection is from the hose. This prevents water from flowing back out through the intake grate on the pump (and basically not entering the engine).

Do you have a laser thermometer to point at the engine to confirm it is indeed over heating?

Another thing to check is to see if the thermostat is clogged.

many thanks.... will need to see if I can clamp this.... mine is 2018 with the hose ports inside the scupper (debris removal plugs) deck.

 

[moosenumerotres]

Many thanks to all. Inlet strainer very clean.... started up and ran at fast idle for over 15 minutes - no overheating......

 

[Stan M]

So you are running the engine on a hose and it overheats? If so, it is possible it isn't getting enough cooling water from the hose. One thing you can try is clamping off the hose below the Y where the connection is from the hose. This prevents water from flowing back out through the intake grate on the pump (and basically not entering the engine).

Do you have a laser thermometer to point at the engine to confirm it is indeed over heating?

Another thing to check is to see if the thermostat is clogged.

@Julian I have a stupid question...where might one point the laser thermometer on the engine to get a reading...anywhere? I had an overheat this weekend on both engines when running 7200 rpm for less than 5 minutes. Pissers were working fine, and nothing in cleanout ports.

 

[Julian]

@Julian I have a stupid question...where might one point the laser thermometer on the engine to get a reading...anywhere? I had an overheat this weekend on both engines when running 7200 rpm for less than 5 minutes. Pissers were working fine, and nothing in cleanout ports.

I would be covering as much of the engine as you can. You want to see if there is an area that is significantly hotter than the rest.

But with both engines overheating I have to guess you had a weed clogging problem.

 

[Stan M]

I would be covering as much of the engine as you can. You want to see if there is an area that is significantly hotter than the rest.

But with both engines overheating I have to guess you had a weed clogging problem.

Thanks... could it be the strainer? With pissers working I was confused by the overheat. Then, reading from another thread, folks were talking about pissers could be fine but not enough water in the cooler boxes???

 

[WREKS]

@Stan M Aim your laser on the exhaust side cylinder head. If the water jackets are packed you will see high temps.

 

[Dixemon]

I would pull the thermostats, Pull the engine block anodes, then run the motor on the hose for about 2-3 minutes at idle. Inspect the thermostat for sand and debris preventing it from opening. look on the side of the block where the anode was removed, and you may see sand/dirt pooled up in the bilge from flushing. If your anodes are due to be replaced this would be a great time to do it, at least have them on hand so you have the option to swap them out right then and there. Oh and pinch that return line that goes back to the strainer, you want good water pressure going through the engine. You may be surprised how a few grains of sand will prevent the thermostat from operating properly.