operating temp question
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: Anything Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31910
Printed Date: March-06-2025 at 11:37am
Topic: operating temp question
Posted By: JPASS
Subject: operating temp question
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 7:23pm
|
Our boat runs 160 degrees all day long (351W carbed, with Protec). She occasionally creeps to 170, but for very short periods of time. We mostly run slower speeds around 18-20 when wakeboarding and maybe hit 35 when crossing the lake. very little time spent at WOT. I called Nautiques of Orlando today to ask a question about oil and when I told them what temp our boat runs at, they said I should be running 140, not 160 and to swap my thermostat. Manual states 140-170 is normal. Am I OK with running 160? I have no idea what stat is in there. I will check it this weekend when I change the oil and oil pressure switch. ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
Replies:
Posted By: Donald80SN
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 7:25pm
| I run 140 (F). |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 7:28pm
| With a 140 thermostat in a PCM Ford, normal running temperatures will be much closer to 160 than 140. Running in the 160-170 range is pretty normal- I wouldnt touch it. |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 7:42pm
That's what I thought, but he made it seem like that was way too hot. ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
TRBenj wrote:Posted By: Bones71
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 9:20pm
|
What is the temperature gauge say directly in the center of it? 160? That's what my 89 says. I was always told you read gauges at normal readings in the center. So you make a glance and know its fine. SkiDim says a little higher temp makes fuel atomize better and a 170 temp is not all that high. I like the boat temping at 160 personally. ------------- That money talks, I'll not deny, I heard it once: It said 'Goodbye' |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 11:40pm
|
Yeah, the gauge has 160 at the 12 O'Clock. I always keep an eye on the temp gauge when I'm out. That and the oil pressure gauge. I am constantly checking them both. It's almost always pointing straight up. Here's a pic of the gauge:  ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
Posted By: 89Martinique
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 11:43pm
|
Don't trust the gauge. Due to voltage voltage drop the readings are higher one the gauges. This is due to poor grounding. I run a 143* in the CC it runs normally 150~160. Supra runs a 160* and it runs 170~180. ------------- Current Boats: 1992 Supra Comp-TS6M PCM 351w HO Pro Boss Pro-Tec Ignition - Full Composite (no wood stingers!) 1989 (3rd Gen) Correct Craft Martinique B/R PCM 351w Power Plus 1984 E-Scow Keuka Lake, |
Posted By: 74Wind
Date Posted: October-29-2013 at 11:45pm
TRBenj is the expert; but for what it's worth I've got 2 oldies; one's a Ford, the other a Chrysler, and I've never worried much about a specific "recommended" temperature range, but as an admitted "OCD" Gauge Watcher I just keep watch for regularity and consistency, and they've both run well for close to 40 years. ------------- 1974 Southwind 18 1975 Century Mark II |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 8:10am
Good to know. I have access to an infrared thermometer and I can double check the temps where the sensor is located just to be sure. I also ran a fresh ground and a negative bus bar to the underside of my dash with all new grounds going to every gauge on my dash. I'm pretty sure I've got the poor grounding issue resolved. The gauge used to read fine, then peg out after a few minutes and stay that way all day. Since I added the bus bar, everything has been reading nice and steady. ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 9:28am
|
Gauges are not grounded at the dash, so that has nothing to do with readings. Supply voltage drop can affect them though. I run 150-160 deg F. You are good as is, IMO. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 10:01am
So where are the gauges grounded? Now I'm curious. ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
Posted By: phatsat67
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 10:14am
|
In normal summer temperatures mine runs right at 155-160 and has never changed (we started barefooting more this year) and it freaked me out because it would climb to 180 or so still running at idle which is normal but I have never done long soak WOT runs before this year much since we never barefooted. ------------- |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 8:07pm
|
Gauges ground through the sensor (on engine). Only the backlight is grounded at the dash, which has nothing to do with the accuracy. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 8:39pm
|
AKA... the sender wire IS the ground. JPASS, careful what "advice" you take ------------- |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: October-30-2013 at 9:47pm
Good to know. Thanks. Just replaced the sensor last month. So I know it's good. I hear ya about heeding advice. We've only had our SN since June, so we are still learning things. This site has been priceless for it's wealth of knowledge. I'm pretty sure my running temps are OK based on everyone's replies and the owner's manual. When the boat is down, I'll have a look at the stat just to be sure everything is OK. ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
Posted By: 89Martinique
Date Posted: October-31-2013 at 2:55am
|
the sensor wire is NOT the ground for the guage! watch what happens when you discount the ground on the back of your gauge, the gauge PEGS to MAX! there are 2 magnetic coils in a gauge, a fixed coil, and a rotating coil. One the is on the constant 12+ to negative ground. the other coil is attached to the needle and is hooked up to 12+ and the sensor wire which the sensors ground based on readings to the sensors. If your grounding under the dash is poor then the fixed coil has a weaker field trying to fight the sensor coil. Therefore the sensor coil can rotate more showing a higher reading... ------------- Current Boats: 1992 Supra Comp-TS6M PCM 351w HO Pro Boss Pro-Tec Ignition - Full Composite (no wood stingers!) 1989 (3rd Gen) Correct Craft Martinique B/R PCM 351w Power Plus 1984 E-Scow Keuka Lake, |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: October-31-2013 at 9:04am
|
OK, news to me about the 2nd coil, I stand corrected. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: October-31-2013 at 10:55am
|
That's an attempt to explain how the actual gauge works, but the signal from the sending unit is still a "ground". It's a circuit anyway, so it really doesn't matter what you call it. Sending unit needs to function properly with clean connections for the gauge to have any chance at reading properly. I cannot comment on how to troubleshoot an actual gauge itself. Obviously it needs clean electrical connections as well. ------------- |
Posted By: pmt2234
Date Posted: November-29-2013 at 10:48am
|
Before I replaced all the wiring from the dash to the motor on my 1984, my temp reading would jump every time I switched on the rear bilge blower. Now it doesn't budge. I had lots of voltage drop at the 8 pin connector, and some corrosion under the wire terminal crimps. |
Posted By: Wilhelm Hertzog
Date Posted: November-21-2019 at 6:31am
|
So with a FWC motor running a 170 degree thermostat, I should be in the 190 degree range? ------------- 1982 Ski Nautique PCM351W RR II Velvet Drive 10-17-003 1:1 II PerfectPass Stargazer Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. |