Carry a Spare Thermonstat

[Doug T.]

The engine temp gauge pegged and the overtemp warning light and buzzer came on Saturday while in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay (no wind). (Please remind me to get a louder buzzer -- the sound of the engine just about swamped the sound of the buzzer.)Checked the water strainer inside the engine compartment. Nothing there. Opened the seacock a bit while it was disassembled and water came through -- so it wasn't plugged internally or externally.Took the cover off the impeller housing. Still in one piece. Opened seacock again... water came through.Opened thermostat housing. Looked like the thermostat was basically welded shut from all the crap and corrosion that was on it and on the housing and on the connecting pipes. Cleaned and scraped and reamed and then rummaged around the engine spares box. Found a new spare. Didn't look the same, but it fit, so figured it was better than nothing.Everything now A-OK.Lesson: Carry a spare thermostat!!!Question: Would it be OK (for a short time) if I just took the thermostat out all together?(Yes, we have boat towing insurance, but sure don't want to use it!)

 

[John Visser]

I think so, but...

...the engine might run too cool, insufficient combusiton, sooty ('though I'm no expert). Might be better to be able to put in a flow restrictor, but if you had that, you might as well have a spare thermostat. I was considerigna hotter thermostat than the one I have, which is, I think, 150 degrees. (FWC Universal M-25).jv

 

[larry w.]

cool it

Doug; I think John might be right, your engine would not come up to operating temp. (that Chesapeake water might be warm enough, but our cold Pacific doesn't let the engine get too warm) but it would sure get you back to your slip or into a port for repairs.

 

[Vic]

As long as your temp guage is working ... all you

need to do is shut the seacock down a bit and you can stabilize the temp fine as long as the engine revs are pretty stable.No thermostat is just about where you run ... for the first ten minutes of operation anyway as the motor warms up ... i would run without it in an emergency and not worry about it at all ... some engines i know actually would be better without a thermostat when you run them maxed out.Hey the big truckers sometimes use a roller shade in front of their radiators to keep the temp high enough up north.Vic