Hi,
Last 2.5 times out the Starboard engine was running hot. Went to aprox 200 degrees when I was on plane at 3200 RPMs. If I stay below 3000 RPMS it seems about 175 degrees which is slightly hot for RWC engine. These are 1990 mercruiser 4.3 LX 6 cyl engines with alpha 1 gen 1 drives with the impellers in the lower unit of the drives. I assume they are gen 1.
The impellers have about 2 fresh water seasons on them. There should not be much sand ingested as I don't really go too shallow to suck it up except for a few raft ups. Risers and elbows have about 2 years on them too..
I really want to find out why the engine is overheating so I want to change out the impellers and see if that fixes the problem. If I do change them now I will use the boat 3 times (at most) before spring. I am not a winter boater.
The flip side is I don't want to change the impellers and let them take a set over the winter from now until April since the boat will be winterized and stay in the water.
I know I will make the ultimate decision but what would you do????
Additional info: The haul out is relatively cheap at 100 bucks. The impeller change is relatively expensive at 300.00 per drive.B4 you say that is robbery and do it myself.... If I knew someone who could help me with this in person, who had driveway near a launch ramp at Lake lanier and a good trailer I could use, I would opt to do it with there help if they had experience, a trailer or a driveway. I live an hour away from the boat. So doing it myself, I would be outside in a marina parking lot with no electricity or water in the cold and I would have to buy 2 trailer tires to get my own trailer road worthy. I also don't currently have a workbench to sit the drive in so it would be one drive at a time slow going since this would be my first change. I say all that to say I am willing to pay the $700.00 for the convenience factor since I wont have to worry about anything just drop off the keys and they do the rest. Anyone who has worked on boats in the cold when things don't go right may understand my feelings on this. I am by no means rich but I do own a boat so there ya go! What to do??? Change now and diagnose or wait until Spring?
Last 2.5 times out the Starboard engine was running hot. Went to aprox 200 degrees when I was on plane at 3200 RPMs. If I stay below 3000 RPMS it seems about 175 degrees which is slightly hot for RWC engine. These are 1990 mercruiser 4.3 LX 6 cyl engines with alpha 1 gen 1 drives with the impellers in the lower unit of the drives. I assume they are gen 1.
The impellers have about 2 fresh water seasons on them. There should not be much sand ingested as I don't really go too shallow to suck it up except for a few raft ups. Risers and elbows have about 2 years on them too..
I really want to find out why the engine is overheating so I want to change out the impellers and see if that fixes the problem. If I do change them now I will use the boat 3 times (at most) before spring. I am not a winter boater.
The flip side is I don't want to change the impellers and let them take a set over the winter from now until April since the boat will be winterized and stay in the water.
I know I will make the ultimate decision but what would you do????
Additional info: The haul out is relatively cheap at 100 bucks. The impeller change is relatively expensive at 300.00 per drive.B4 you say that is robbery and do it myself.... If I knew someone who could help me with this in person, who had driveway near a launch ramp at Lake lanier and a good trailer I could use, I would opt to do it with there help if they had experience, a trailer or a driveway. I live an hour away from the boat. So doing it myself, I would be outside in a marina parking lot with no electricity or water in the cold and I would have to buy 2 trailer tires to get my own trailer road worthy. I also don't currently have a workbench to sit the drive in so it would be one drive at a time slow going since this would be my first change. I say all that to say I am willing to pay the $700.00 for the convenience factor since I wont have to worry about anything just drop off the keys and they do the rest. Anyone who has worked on boats in the cold when things don't go right may understand my feelings on this. I am by no means rich but I do own a boat so there ya go! What to do??? Change now and diagnose or wait until Spring?