How hot is to hot!?

[Captaindaddy]

Hello! This community is amazing. I’ve spent a lot of time browsing and learning about these boats here before buying a 2004 AR230 in almost new condition with 95hrs on the engines Due to cold weather I have only been out for a couple of hours at a time on three separate days. Pulled codes/hours and found the over heat code at about 50hrs on both motors. Flushed and cleaned cooling system, new plugs and oil before the first outing. Ran great until Saturday while loitering at a busy ramp waiting on a buddy to get the trailer backed in. Just before loading I noticed the overheat light was on. Very sunny and the lights were not bright but I think the had been on under 30min. After pulling the boat out I found a bunch of leaves, literally looked like something you would rake out of the yard, in the jets. Motors felt and smelled hot. Got it home and flushed on the hose. Started good, sounded good, nothing in the oil (water or fuel). Can’t get it in the water for a while and it’s worrying me that maybe I’ve really messed up the motors. How sensitive is the MR1 to getting hot? Anything I can check or do on the trailer to help me sleep at night?

Background:
I’m good with wrench turning. The boat has never been in salt.

 

[zipper]

You are good. It started and ran on the hose after. I have recieved alarms from weeds blocking the intake screen in the jet pump. Some (minor) events will not even be recorded as overheats on YDS. A member here had a similar occurance of overheats that were not present on the YDS output report. We think those may have been a fouled spark plug, but can't confirm until he can get back on the water. Ran good on hose after fix.

 

[Captaindaddy]

Thanks for the reply Zipper. I think you are right. Hope to get it in the water later this week and confirm.

 

[Babin Farms]

While your on the water cruising just make sure every once in a while to check out the side of the boat that your pissers are pissing and that your bilge pump is not running. Also check the dummy lights in the dash occasionally to make sure something isn't wrong.

 

[captainhook]

The warning lights on these gauges are annoyingly dim. Almost completely useless in daylight. I often use my hand to cast a shadow while underway to make sure it isn’t overheating just in case. I also regularly look back at the pissers as well, good tip.

 

[Scottintexas]

the fact that you were at a busy ramp when it happened and it's not overheating on the hose at home leads me to believe you probably picked up some trash or weeds while idling, when you loaded the boat on the trailer they washed out,

one of the best and worst parts of a Yamaha is the jet and cleanout port, because the cooling water inlet is at the rear of the jet any disruption to the flow of water into the jet can easily cause an overheat, but it's easily solved with the cleanout port,

be sure to check you scupper valve and be careful removing the #3 spark plug

 

[Captaindaddy]

the fact that you were at a busy ramp when it happened and it's not overheating on the hose at home leads me to believe you probably picked up some trash or weeds while idling, when you loaded the boat on the trailer they washed out,

one of the best and worst parts of a Yamaha is the jet and cleanout port, because the cooling water inlet is at the rear of the jet any disruption to the flow of water into the jet can easily cause an overheat, but it's easily solved with the cleanout port,

be sure to check you scupper valve and be careful removing the #3 spark plug

Thanks for the reply. Been waiting to see a pattern the last 2-3 times I’ve had it out. It finally overheated again. Ran up a river hard, as in 9-10k rpm for 30-40min and had no issues. Idled around in a large tributary where there was a lot to see and ran 2000-4000 rpm with no issues for another 30min. Anchored and let the kids fish then restarted and headed back. After a short time idling I started to take off and got the over heat light on both motors. Pulled the plugs and I kid you not i pulled out a handful of feathers mixed in with small twigs and leaves. Looks to have been an already dead duck. As we were fishing from the swim deck I had the bow into the current. I wonder if the natural flow didn’t deposit some stuff around the boat that I then sucked in on start up. Either way she ran great and no lights on the way back. And rain was moving is so I ran WOT most of the way back. In clean/deep water waiting on the trailer to get backed down the ramp the lights came on again. Once home I flushed it out. Nothing in the intakes. Just a little dirt came out of the pissers. Cannot make it overheat on the hose. Overall runs great but the fear of overheating is spoiling an otherwise fun boat for me. I pulled the thermostat and y fitting on the port motor and they looked greatlmost no sediment. Boat had just under 100hr on the motors and was never in salt so I doubt there is a lot of issues with sediment in the oil cooler or hoses/fittings but can’t say for sure.

Thanks to what I’ve learned on this site I put new spark plugs in before I put the first hour on the boat. I also have new set on the boat ready to go if need be.

I had the new stainless scupper valve laying on the work bench for weeks. Have been out in the boat 4 times without installing it because it looked fine and I just didn’t want to do the job. While down there checking out the intake screens I decided to gently push on the scupper valve. I would guess I put 5-8lb of pressure on it before it broke. Scary how bad it could’ve been.
So the new one is in and I’m one step closer to having the confidence to really use the boat this summer… if I don’t overheat both engines lol