Is it bad if water is not spilling out of the two cooling ports on the starboard side?

[2008sx210guy]

Is it bad if water is not spilling out of the two cooling ports on the starboard side? Hi everyone. I have a 2008SX 210. The cooling ports are spitting out water at higher speeds but not at idle speeds. The engines are not overheating and I’m not getting any gauges telling me temperature but I just wanted to make sure that wasn’t a problem. Can anyone tell me if that is an issue?

 

[WREKS]

They may be plugged. They usually start spurting water when t-stat opens.

 

[Scottintexas]

You should have 4 indicator lines, you need to confirm which ones your taking about,

Either way as long as they are working at higher rpm i wouldn't worry about it,

Watch the video in the faq section on "how cooling water flows" it will be a big help to you,

.

 

[Dfred]

Is it bad if water is not spilling out of the two cooling ports on the starboard side? Hi everyone. I have a 2008SX 210. The cooling ports are spitting out water at higher speeds but not at idle speeds. The engines are not overheating and I’m not getting any gauges telling me temperature but I just wanted to make sure that wasn’t a problem. Can anyone tell me if that is an issue?

 

[Dfred]

Hey fellow 210 ... wanted to hop on and second the “bad” note... Definitely recommend checking for obstruction. Reference the myriad of helpful troubleshooting and fixes for this (disconnect bypass water line at engine, blow out with compressor, run weed wacker line through to breakup bug nests, etc). Remember to plug/tape over during storage to avoid critters nesting inside.
As a new owner of 2009 AR210, I was hyper paranoid and looking for signs of trouble... I thought I had an issue when noticing during flush-out, there was barely a spitting dribble from both bypass “pissers”. However at speed/warmed up - there is healthy flow - not spitting like described (or that I saw in flushing). I ran a clean out procedure on the bypass lines regardless (didn’t get any obstruction gunk out).
I would also recommend DIY raw water intake shutoff valves (must have for emergency towing), and as everyone has described - shutoff at the jet pump intake before the “Y” of the red flush hose and you will get “better flushing of more fresh hose water running through engine and system vs dumping back out the jet at the water intake. I installed mine this winter to the stern/behind the engine bulkhead, accessible from the smaller sealed hatch that is inside the clean out plugs hatch. Also, maybe check your engine anodes to gauge how the engines insides are. If needed, there are guides to deminieralize and clean out the cooling water jacket lines of the engine (if you aren’t overheating... then probably not an issue).

 

[212s]

They may be plugged. They usually start spurting water when t-stat opens.

On my boat, the pilot outlets stream immediately after engine start even when cold - they are only to indicate water is flowing through the cooling system so if there was a bug nest blocking it, it's not really a cooling system issue.

@Dfred I always look to verify when launching the boat to confirm water is flowing through the system. If there is no pilot stream, then I'd look for blockage or find out why water is not streaming - it could be an issue with the cooling system. We boat in hard water, so I expect I'll need to flush mineral deposits out in a few years.

 

[WREKS]

@212s The MR-1 cooling systems have two pilots per engine. One is downstream of the t-stat. The 1800s are designed with a single pilot.

 

[212s]

@212s The MR-1 cooling systems have two pilots per engine. One is downstream of the t-stat. The 1800s are designed with a single pilot.

Oh I didn't realize that...I wonder why the difference. I see the newer TR-1 engines seem to use one per engine?

 

[WREKS]

In my experience, the MR-1s give evidence of cooling via the back pilots as soon as the t-stats open. It takes higher rpms/flow to see the forward pilots streaming.