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Overheating Problems

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BooneLakeMisfit View Drop Down
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    Posted: June-22-2021 at 12:05pm
Hello all!

Long time lurker, but finally created an account. I am still learning how to post, so please forgive me if this is not the correct way. I have searched all over the forum and cannot find someone with my exact problem. To start from the beginning, I have a 1984 Ski Nautique with a 351W. I bought the boat from a friend in March, 2020 with 323 original hours. The boat is in great shape and ran well the first few times I put it in the water. When the weather got hot here in Tennessee (roughly July), the boat started getting to about 180 and and would sputter like it was not getting fuel. After a couple of minutes of running rough, the boat would die and would not start for 30 minutes to an hour of sitting. It would try to turn over, but once again it acted like it was not getting any fuel. After sitting, the boat would start right back up and run fine the remainder of the day. 

Taking opinions from other Nautique owners, and posts from CCF, I tried preventative things that I thought could be causing the issue: New carb, new coil, impeller, installing fan under doghouse to try and keep it cool. After all that, I struggled with the same issue throughout all last year. At the end of last year, I took it to a local boat mechanic who is familiar with older Nautiques. He sent me many videos of the boat going up and down the lake with no issues at all. He could not get the boat to replicate any of my problems. This was the last time my boat was used for the year before being winterized. 

Fast forward to this year. I put my boat in the water and it ran fine on the first two occasions. Roughly 65 and 70 degree days. I thought all my issues were gone. The third time I took it out, the outside temperature was 87 degrees and it did the same thing once again. It got hot, started running rough, then died and would not start back until it sat for about an hour. One of my friends mentioned that my doghouse had no vents like his matercraft, and maybe it was getting too hot under the doghouse. So at this point I was willing to try anything. I took the dog house completely off and the boat ran fine and stayed  at 160 degrees all day. I tried it two more times with no doghouse and it still ran perfect. Both were very hot days. I initially thought that maybe the vent coming from the hood cowl was clogged/rotten so it was not getting air, however, other posts suggest that is mostly for gas fumes. 

I am sorry for the long post! This is a very long winded way of me asking, is this just a coincidence or should I cut some vents into my doghouse? Other things I should look at or suggestions?

Thank you!


1984 Ski Nautique 2001
351W
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KENO View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KENO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 1:25pm
Originally posted by BooneLakeMisfit BooneLakeMisfit wrote:

Hello all!

 After sitting, the boat would start right back up and run fine the remainder of the day. 

 

I don't know how long the remainder of the day was, but I'd be wondering why it ran fine the remainder of the day after it restarted following the problem
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BooneLakeMisfit View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BooneLakeMisfit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 1:58pm
Thanks for the reply! You are right, it is weird. There isn’t any particular time of day that it happens. Typically I get out to the lake around 12pm and if it messes up, it usually will do it after about 10 minutes on the water.
1984 Ski Nautique 2001
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slmskrs View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote slmskrs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 3:55pm
What's a 'doghouse'?  Also, is there a possibility that your thermostat is not opening up all the way such that when you have enough air flow it doesn't get too hot, but without airflow it keeps getting hotter and ends up vaporizing some of the gas?  That is probably a stretch.  Another possibility is a weak fuel pump that works okay when not too hot, but starts to starve the carb when hot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote desertskier Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 4:22pm
Sounds like you have an internal cooling system issue that raises the engine temp and is causing an external part to exhibit a failure.  As slmskrs mentioned maybe a thermostat or possibly water pump or a blockage.  I would try and determine what external part is failing first.  Since you already replaced some of the prime suspects I would also swap out the fuel pump or check the fuel line routing being too close to the exhaust or heat source.  

I run my boat in 100+ degree temps all the time and the engine temp is the same as it is in cooler temps.  Also, when I lived in the Lake Meadows subdivision and ran my boat on Boone Lake I never had a problem either! Smile

Doghouse = engine cover
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89 SN - Went to live on a lake in Texas
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MrMcD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 5:46pm
Stop switching parts and start looking for the issue.  When it is not starting, while hot, check to see if you have spark at your spark plugs while cranking.  If you have spark verify you have fuel, easy to do, remove the spark arrester and quickly open your throttle.  IF you see two jets of fuel spray down into the front two barrels of the carb you are getting fuel.
I suspect there is a wire that supplies 12V to your distributor or a wire inside that distributor that is grounding out or breaking contact while your problem is happening.  Heat makes strange things happen but your issue is not heat, it is a part or wire that fails when exposed to heat and that narrows down your search.
Mark
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SNobsessed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 7:23pm
What type of ignition system do you have?  Is it electronic or points?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BooneLakeMisfit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 7:57pm
Sorry I can’t figure out how to reply to everyone at once lol these are gonna be rookie responses so please forgive me. I should have mentioned in the OP that the last time this happened I did check the spark and the carb for fuel and I had both. Thanks to everyone for all the insight! I will try all suggestions this weekend when I can get to the boat. Is there a way to check the thermostat without replacing it? Same with the fuel pump? Would the fuel line being too close affect the temperature reading 180? For checking the 12v wire, would I need to take the distributor out? And it’s still has points, no electronic ignition
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BooneLakeMisfit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-22-2021 at 8:00pm
Also, would the blockage just be in the Y part of the water pump or would I have to chase it through the hoses?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nautiquehunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-23-2021 at 7:01am
180 is too hot . Did you put a genuine Sherwood impeller in ? There are a lot of cheap knock offs out there. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BooneLakeMisfit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-23-2021 at 8:50am
I don’t recall the brand but I got the impeller from Nautique Parts
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote desertskier Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-23-2021 at 9:53am
180 is on the warm side but it isn't hot and would not cause the engine to shut down or run poorly.  Forget about the cooling system for now and find the failing part.  You said you had fuel and spark and the boat wouldn't start.  You replaced the carb and coil.  I would swap out the fuel pump, points and condenser.  All relatively cheap parts that if are original are 37 years old and are living on borrowed time anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BooneLakeMisfit Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June-23-2021 at 1:54pm
So you would put the points back on and not do the electronic ignition with something like a D.U.I distributor?
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