Oil Pressure/Engine temp 2002 342 fiesta Vee
Autodog61
Member Posts: 92 ✭✭
Ok, so I bought the boat last August Took out 2 times last year for short runs and using this summer for learing the ropes before I go out in Puget Sound for the 400 mile trip back and forth to Desolation Sound. today on the short outing I idled to up to 1,500 RPM for about 40 minutes. Temp on both engines was below 180 - I would wager maybe 170. After 40 minutes jumped on plane to 3,200 RPM ran for about 10 minutes. Notice temperature on Port engine jumped above 180 to near 200 while starboard was right above 185. Came back off plane back to 1,000 RPM. Port engine pressure dropped to about 20 PSI while starboard remained at 40 PSI. When I got to slip about 15 minutes later temp on both dropped back to around the 180 mark. weird thing is port pressure stayed at 20 psi on idle while the starboard dropped off 40 down to around 20 on;y after that last idle period.
Checked both Oil levels before I started and after finished with them both in normal range. no weird milkiness in port oil.
Risers were cool to touch back at dock
Port engine coolant had spit a bit (less tha a cup or so) of coolant into expansion tank.
No leaking fluid under Port engine
Both oil filters were VERY HOT confirming the temp gauges both registering just below 180 at the slip.
I tend to more or less trust the crappy factory gauges and understand they can be off some but the past few times I have been out they would register around 40 psi and never saw temp get over the 185 mark on plane or on idle. The fuel gauge on starboard quit working begining this year (sheet) and this time out the speedo quick working but for just a while (assuming it is a pitot type and marina milfoil plugged temporarily.
Engines are the MX 6.2L Horizons.
I am going to bring infared temp gun next time out to eval various locations on the block.
In my go fast (Pachanga 270), my old twin 350 magnums were spot on at 165 degrees never deviated a bit for like 17 years. Wasn't until I repowered with Mercury Marine 357 4V alphas (and Sea Ray added through hull water pickups for the blocks) that temperature on those routinely is at 180 regardless of idle or 4,500 RPM but with the weirdness being as soon as you come off plane temp jumps to 200 but dropped as fast back to 180.
In cars, small block mouse temp is almost a universal 170 while the big block rat hovers around 185.
For those of us that don't know, what are typical pressure and temp ranges for these engines in our boats?
BTW- Obviously freshwater cooling and I do have Bravo 3 with outdrive showers too.
Answers
Oh yea, engines have just under 300 hrs each
Ever since i got my vesselview mobile going its nice to see actual temps and not rely on those crumby Faria gauges. However i have noticed at cruise my starboard 496 runs at 170, where my port is at 167/168. Seeing VV is somewhat new i'm not sure if this temp variance is new or if its always been like that. Do you guys run a couple degrees different on each engine? At idle the temps are the same. I have two seasons on the impellers and have been meaning to change them anyway. I'll likely do it before our big trip in a couple weeks just for peace of mind.
Yea, I suppose for the temps it could be related to impellers. Good news there is the are easily accessed on the lower unit of the Bravo3 drive. What about oil pressure. do your 496's drop to 20 PSI at idle or do they stay at 40 and above? I know they are crappy gauges but also that anything above 10-15PSI at idle isn't catastrophic at with the faria's registering just below 20 psi that it could be anything from 15 to 30. Just wondering what others see.
One question about impeller location:
during inspection last year, there were only two, no stet that, it was three through hull water pick ups. One was for head pump, one for Genset, and one for A/C. There were no others. Which typically would me the water pickup for engine cooling (exhaust risers and heat exchanger with freshwater cooling) is from the outdrives not from other through-hull ports that I apparently don't have.
But, also, I can tell you that there are also what appears to be impeller housings on the front, bottom, right of each engine (I know because that's where one of the two ports are located for draining water for winter freeze protection with that blue pump- Think its on that impeller housing - PITA to get too-Next winter I'll higher a hobbit to do it). So did I miss something during the inspection?
The only impellers are on the water pumps in your engine room. Kind of a PIA the first change but not so bad at subsequent changes.
As for my pressure i'm always at 40psi and above. Not sure if 20 is normal for your engines. I would be very suspicious if one engine was 20 psi less than the other. However you basically overheated so I guess that could have dropped it a bit. My bet is that your gauge is garbage, and its fine.
PC BYC, Holland, MI
Ok, I did some temp testing. Following up with everyone as an FYI. I took boat out for a short 20minute run at 3,500 RPM. Checked various points but primarily where water exits intake to heat exchanger and oil filters. What I found was:
At initial warm up, intake temp stabilized around 150 degrees with dash gauge reading below 180 (i'll call it 170). This is port intake reading 112 after say 5 minute idle at slip. At this point both dashes are reading 40 psi at idle.
After I ran up to 3500 RPM for 20 minutes, I found port intake was at 158 degrees, gauge was reading above 180 but less than 220 degrees. But oil filters were 200 and 206 degrees with oil pressure on dash gauges both reading 40 psi .
After 10 minute idle back, intake back to 158 degrees, dash gauges back below 180 degrees but notice port dash oil pressure below 20 psi and Starboard gauge reading at 20.
Both impellers were changed out 2 years ago and boat has maybe 10 hours in the 2 years. At this point my only concern is the oil filter temps at 200 and 206 degrees after 20 minutes at 3,500 RPM. Is this normal? I suspect not. So, next step is to track down a real-time OBDII reader that I can plug into wiring harness and get direct readings. I saw other threads recommending a "gateway" type system. But, wouldn't there be a simple OBDII reader that Mercury Marine would have to check this kind of stuff.
The Mercury VesselView Mobile if your engines are SmartCraft enabled is the way to go.
PC BYC, Holland, MI
Great, thanks. I'll go look them up.
I have a photo of the air cleaner above. Doesn't look like it has that logo does it? Not sure about the diamond logo. Let me know as I am not familiar with what logo looks like.
PC BYC, Holland, MI
While I wait for the Rinda Techmate to arrive (at 5 bills), I decided to run down the Vesselview mobile (mad I didn't pay attention later last year). There is a great thread from you all that covers a lot of the details from August '16 during Beta testing. I am jealous. For others see thread link below for vesselview mobile and you'll get all kinds of great information on that 16 page thread. Very cool. On engine compatibility, see the chart on the Mercury website
https://mercury.vesselviewmobile.com/#/faq
And you'll find a compatibility chart. In my case with a 2002 342, serial numbers on my 6.2L MX's are M338972 and 77 so they are compatible. After reviewing the thread I am left with the follow quandaries -Based on not having DTS installed (to be confirmed later - Assumed for now), the cost of additional cables for dual engine (what, like $300?) on top the $275 for the blue tooth, its about the same as the Rinda Techmate. Obviously, the beta testing as detailed in the other thread:
https://rinkerboats.vanillaforums.com/discussion/comment/80714#Comment_80714
Indicated minor? issues with connectivity. So, for those that have had it installed now for the past, what, 10 months, are the issues resolved with software updates and is there more features added such as oil temp along with what I didn't see in the thread, oil pressure, that was suppose to be a standard feature?. I may be forking over another 5 bills for Vesselview but the other thread terminated in September 16 without substantial feedback of long term system viability and I would be curious for that feedback either here or in that thread.
PC BYC, Holland, MI
Regards,
Ian
The Third “B”
Secretary, Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club
https://www.rcyachtclub.com/
Icoultha - smart craft sign is on the carb hat. if 2002 or newer and carb hat looks like this you've got Smart craft.
Ok, final update on the overheat issue (now onto the leak port side below/near genset). The port engine was overheating because.......wait for it......the drive was improperly re-installed last time when the tech (or better said a tech) fixed the drive oil leak on the port side. This fix was last September. Didn't really take it out at that time for any kind of a high RPM long run. Wasn't til after I got both impellers changed out that I ran like I stole it and it overheated. Was either a pinched coolant hose or a bad gasket seal. This is the problem that comes up if you don't sit on top of the mechanic doing the repair and/or taking it out immediately to check that the repairs were done properly (ie no pinched transom coolant hose/bad gasket install). Ughhh.....Fixed now. No one could have ever found it without disassembling the port drive/bell housing to look behind there. Why would you right?
Boat runs at 165 degrees at 4800 RPM now!. BUT, next year I will change the Bravo III's out and put through hull pickups and blind off the transom coolant hose. I cant believe a 5/8 inch outer and a 1.25 inch inner coolant hose supply raw water to the impellers. I haven't taken the boat out yet and will respond with one final note about where the oil temperatures register after 15 minutes of 4,000 RPM run. Now its all in the books I would say the oil filter housings/oil should be around 180 degrees but, I will measure with IR and let you all know.
Now anyone ever have a leak on port side (NOT FROM THE TRANSOM ASSEMBLY) that seems to appear when coming off plane? Only thing I can think of is the swim platform flooding and in coming in by the hatch hinge, or worse, through bolts for the swim steps. Geez man......almost more than I can take......
So I wanted to close this thread out with an update on my sitsheation. The marina just completed an install of my new Bravo 3 drives. While doing that, I had them put in two new through-hull pickups. I have a couple photos here of the boat in the dry dock and the new outdrives. I will have it pulled again this summer to replace the other zincs and to complete a thorough tune up among other things. I had to cut the green back bleeding off (23K) short of getting everything I wanted done. The only thing I am slightly unhappy with is the location the Mechanic chose for the thru hull - Right in front of the V drive of each engine. However, I am not that unhappy with the location because we put a Y in the water supply line so I have water coming still through the transom from the bravos (note Alswagg warned against removing that for drive cooling if nothing else) as well as the new thru hull 1.25 inch lines. I will add a few more photos next few days to show the bilge and the water strainers (they're huge) as well as where the pickups ended up. easy access for the shut offs but if I ever get her to jump out of the water I may lose pickup for few short seconds. Again, not a worry as the bravos still contribute cooling water. So, for sure I tackled the engine internal temp issues which should resolve hopefully any lingering oil temp issues.