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merc 3.0L RWC temp 175 too high?

Hi I have a 2002 19' bayliner with a merc 3.0L. The manual says that it has a 160 degree thermostat in it but I warm up to 175 and stay there from idle to WOT. Sometimes it creeps up to 179 but then goes back down to 175.

Shouldn't i be running at 160 degrees with a 160 degree thermostat?

troy
Sep 17
2006
Has it always ran at 175? If so it's normal. I have a Merc outboard which has 142 thermostats which run around 140 in the spring and 165 later summer when the water warms up.

<troy@makaro.com> wrote in message

Lost
Sep 18
Well, I just purchased the boat in june and its always been 175. I didn't think anything of it until I looked in the specifications and saw that it has a 160 degree thermostat. I think i'm going to just replace the thermostat with another 160 and see if that changes anything. oh, i do get a little deiseling on occassion.

Troy

troy
Sep 18
Has the raw water pump impeller ever been replaced? If you generally are a summer boater you can use the 147 deg thermostat instead. Deiseling does suggest that it is getting too hot. If it diesels then it could also be detonating and that is bad for the engine. jamesgangnc
Sep 19
If it had a stuck thermostat it would overheat. jamesgangnc
Sep 18
That's what I figured, but then realized it could also be stuck open or anywhere between full open or closed. Unlikely though.

My understanding of the purpose of the thermostat is to allow the engine to warm up to normal operating temperature by preventing external water/coolant from the manifolds, heat exchanger or radiator (in the case of an automobile) from flowing in the block until it reaches the temperature rating of the thermostat.

I don't think the thermostat "modulates" to maintain a specific temperature .... but maybe I am wrong?

Eisboch

Eisboch
Sep 18
The effect of athermostat is to cause a more constant operating temperature. But it's not going to be the temperature on the thermostat. 175 is not too high if there are no other symptoms like dieseling or detonation. If there are you can go to a 147 thermostat from merc. jamesgangnc
Sep 18
You are wrong. The stat will partially open, or close a littel when the temp changes higher or lower. Calif
Sep 18
Could be a bad temp guage, bad sender, bad thermostat. If running in fresh water, do not worry about it. Runs better at a higher temperature. Most RWC's are set up with the 160 stat so if you run in salt water, the salt does not precipitate out. Calif
Sep 18
No. All it means is that the thermostat is supposed to be fully open at 160 degrees and starts closing below 160 degrees.

Your actual engine temperature above that will be determined by how effective the rest of the cooling system is and water temperature.

Eisboch

Eisboch
Sep 18
On the other hand, it could mean a stuck thermostat. Shortwave
Sep 18
   

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