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Keeping Your Engine Cool
by
Steve Horsfall
We have purchased
a used boat with a rebuilt 188 hp MerCruiser equipped with an Alpha
One drive. We find it runs too warm. We have changed the impeller
as well as the thermostat and the temperature is between 180 and
200 degrees at wide open throttle. Idling temp is 150-160 degrees.
Any suggestions what the problem might be?
C. Cann (e-mail)
Three things come to mind after the impeller and
the thermostat have been inspected or replaced. If the engine has
power steering, there is an oil cooler for the power steering fluid
that is in line with the coolant hose from the inside transom plate
to the front of the motor on the starboard side of the engine, below
the exhaust manifold. Sometimes the oil cooler gets plugged with
weeds and/or old pieces of impeller. You will need to remove the
water hoses and clean this out with a finger or small screwdriver.
Next, check the short hose on the outside of the
boat that runs from the upper sterndrive to the outer transom plate.
To do this, you will need to take the boat out of the water.
Turn the steering wheel hard to starboard to see
the hose. Sometimes the hose gets cracked or kinked-off when the
drive is turned or tilted. This is a job for a dealer service department.
The third possibility could be carbon clogging in
the water outlets at the exhaust elbows. This was most common on
the Ford engines like the 188 and the 225 hp MerCruisers. Again,
I would leave this to a dealer service department or, as a last
resort, replace the elbows.
I am assuming you replaced the thermostat with the
MerCruiser replacement part and not the automotive equivalent. The
automotive thermostat opens at about 195 degrees while the marine
unit opens at 165 degrees. (Top)
ANTIFREEZE CONCERN
I filled my cooling system with RV antifreeze last winter. I
have heard regular RV antifreeze will destroy rubber components
like the impeller on the raw water pump. Your comments on this subject
would be appreciated.
I. Uhrich (e-mail)
I have seen impeller damage from both regular and
RV antifreeze, but it is rare. I have used both types of antifreeze
to winterize marine engines for many years and found them to be
safe and effective.
In most cases using antifreeze is better than draining
the pump as antifreeze eliminates dry start-up damage to the impeller
and keeps it soft and pliable over the winter. I suspect most cases
of rubber damage is due to inferior aftermarket replacement parts.
IN SEARCH OF OWNER'S MANUAL
I am trying to track down an owner's manual for a 1993 Celebrity
220 cuddy cabin. Did Celebrity go out of business? Their website
and phone numbers are not working any more. Can you tell me how
to contact them or get an owner's manual from another source?
J. Langabeer (e-mail)
Celebrity Boats did go out of business. The moulds
for the 181, 190 and 220 models were bought by Quebec-based Canadian
Custom RIB, a division of Baril Blanchette Inc. of Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil,
PQ. The rest of the moulds and the Celebrity name were bought by
an unnamed China-based company.
I think you will have a difficult time finding
an owner's manual. The engine/sterndrive owner's manuals are available
from any dealer that services the type of engine your boat is powered
with and contain a wealth of knowledge related to your boat.
Most engine manufacturers produce spec sheets for
their dealers and list the boat with various power options, propeller
size recommendations, etc. You only need to know the engine size
and serial number to order. I would order the engine owner's manual
and also the shop manual if you wish to do any of your own service
work.
Celebrity only manufactured the fibreglass parts
of the boat, then used hardware from other marine suppliers. So,
you may have to search through marine parts catalogues to find the
various pieces of the boat you're interested in.
(Got a question,
a problem, or do you need some info on elusive engine or boating
equipment? Drop me a line c/o Power Boating Canada, fax me at (613)
236-0700 or e-mail:
stephen.horsfall@sympatico.ca) (Top)
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