Options
Categories
- All Categories
- 17 Non-Rinker Boats
- 3K General Boating Discussions
- 297 Rinker Custom Projects
- 136 Trailer & Trailering Discussions
- 477 Generator Discussions
- 172 Rinker Photo Gallery
- 365 Rinker Sport Boat Forum
- 3.9K Rinker Express Cruisers Forum
- 1.2K Engine Discussions
- 1.2K Electrical Discussions
- 666 Rinker Support Q&A
- 598 Rinker Marketplace & Classifieds
- 67 Rinker News & Updates
- 102 RBO Forum Archives
- 176 Region-Specific Questions
- 32 Canada
- 136 United States
Comments
thermostats, since somewhere in the era of around 2000, are more often bad out of the box than they are good.... and I don't care which style you purchase (barrel or exposed element/spring looking thing)... I've played **** with those things causing issues, and there is no good reason as to why except poor craftsmanship and QC. I've taken to using a pot of water on the stove and an IR temperature gun to test each and every one before I use them.... that is a dang shame, to me, that you can't trust them.... even ones that open, often open at the wrong temperature- and you can't stop at one cycle... you've got to open and close them several times to make sure they don't bind, or that the little wingding in them that is designed to keep them open when they fail as opposed to closed doesn't just decide to deploy itself for no good reason...
I've seen the same thing on temperature sendors/sensors... it's the same lack of quality.. they often operate by simple resistance, and a multimeter or oscilloscope capable of reading the often less than .5vdc swing with accuracy, and what can be the difference between it sending 160* to the PCM and it sending 190*... that doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is... especially with a EFI engine that trims fuel based primarily on temperature and manifold absolute pressures, and operating temperature..
I've seen with my own two eyes sender/sensors from boxes side by side on a shelf read drastically different... I've seen thermostats vary 15* in when they open, IF they opened, from like rated side by side on the shelf..
this crap drives me nuts.. I'm glad you got a grip on it...
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
If they were hard to get to it'd one thing, but 90sec and you have it in your hand to test. That's just too easy if you suspect a problem. Drew brings a good point on QC too. Testing a Tstat is so simple it's a no brainer to drop it in a sauce pan for a few seconds with my trusty IR gauge in my hand. I recently replaced my temp sensor and it reads slightly different than the original. Inconsistency in QC is becoming a pretty consistent issue. :-?
Almost didn't read this thread but really glad I did. Thanks for posting the outcome and now you know where to look first if there's more debris hiding in a recess somewhere.
If anything, this just seals the deal on getting a MercMonitor. I would have been able to see almost instantly that it was really running cool, and that my gauge wasnt displaying accurately. I also distrust the fuel level gauge, so I want to know exactly how many gallons I've used and how much is left.
On the plus side, if there was any additional sand/pebbles they most likely got flushed out since the system has been wide open for the past 35 hours.......
I stopped trying to use them, and the reason was that some manifolds wouldn't accept them- the 'barrel' just wouldn't fit down into the tap... For instance, I've never seen an FI "Air-Gap" accept one without some machining... It is evident that Merc engines are less likely to have this issue, as the 'stat mounts in the ~detachable?~ neck assembly...
what I also found, though, is that the difference in function between a $20 'stat and a $5 'stat is minimal, so long as both of them work like they are supposed to work.... I got in a lengthy discussion with a dude some years back about this, and he opined (likely pretty accurate) that these things are manufactured with a tolerance range as a goal- meaning, they may open at 160*, or 150*, or even 170*, and STILL be boxed and advertised as 160* thermostats.. that doesn't make a bit of difference, most often, with an engine that isn't designed to run within a very specific temperature range, but a huge difference when dialing an engine to the edge, where +15* could be the difference between predetonation or not..
fwiw, though, here is something I've been doing to my 'stats for a long time, and will benefit you fellers running closed cooling systems: I drill three tiny (and opposing) holes in the blade, and knock any burrs of with a file.. I'm talking really small holes, but holes that will allow fluid past the 'stat even before it opens- the goal is to eliminate the possibility of air being captured in the block- it allows a faster and more positive 'burp' of the system, and allows pressures to equalize from inside the block to outside into the loop, without allowing introduction of air..
Your concerns with that diesel should be only two, really, and centric to ect and egt (engine exhaust gas temperature).. seeing as how compression is the required ingredient, it is imperative (especially with a boosted engine) that full operating temperature is achieved before you throttle hard.. cold engines under full fuel delivery add a lot of oil (which can't be compressed) into a cylinder/chamber, which by itself greatly increases compression, and add boost to that, which is cramming air instead of allowing the engine to gasp it naturally (exponentially increasing compression) will ultimately break.. it may be gaskets blown due to stretched bolts over time, or straight up floating the heads due to actively stretching bolts, or it may be cracking a piston, but something has to give in those conditions ... The trick is allowing the engine to warm fully, and then waiting another five to ten minutes, before you apply hard throttle.. that gives metal time to expand, and take the ohsoslight wiggle room out of the head-to-gasket-to-block marriage, which will promote a long and happy life of that engine...
Egt's are crucial on your rig.. too much oil? Sooty exhaust but also stupid hot egts.. could be caused by not enough fresh air being introduced, or the intercooler not cooling enough before boosting.. high egts can be eliminated by proper air to fuel ratio, (more air less fuel), and better air induction.. air IS compressible, which takes strain off those bolts and gaskets, and cooler air, though denser, is better for keeping a higher air to oil ratio, as well as keeping egts low..
You may want to contact yanmar and have a discussion with them, or befriend a diesel mechanic (gojo.. diesel mechanics like lots of Sam Adams and gojo.. take copious amounts with you) and ask a few questions... If your rig was my rig, the two things I would do beyond doubt is to tap a pyrometer into the exhaust manifold as close to the head port as I could, and to put in a higher rated 'stat.. like, a 195* stat.. I would also consider a better than stock breathing air box, and a bigger than stock intercooler... Of course I couldn't stop there, though.. I'd put an airdog 165gph fuel pump on that thing and a bigger spooler, and lay in wait to surprise speedboats... :-)
All fun aside, making it more reliable, faster/stronger, and funner is actually making it more economical to operate with diesels.. if you can keep from diving into the throttle, that is..