Engine cooling - Std Bravo lower unit pickup vs transom mount water pickup
 

Is a thru transom pickup similar to one of these:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/e...gaAuciEALw_wcB

More efficient than going through my standard (not low water) bravo drive?

I'm hoping to get a little more flow. My water temp gauge creeps up to above 160 on hard long pulls. My set-up is the bravo drive to bravo seawater pump to a crossover then out the "thermostat housing" to exhaust. No re-circulation pump. No thermostat.

Thanks,

Travis

The pickup you posted is a -16 hose fitting size and would be smaller than the hose running from the transom to the sea pump, so it would be less water volume, if your running stock power the drive pickup will be ample. you may have some blockage in your current setup.

Thanks for the reply. No blockage. I checked the cooler hoses etc.

Edit: The hose on my seawater pump is 1-1/4" ID .. I though that was what i posted was a 1-1/4 pickup, I should have looked at the "AN" size.

Edit" Anyhow, the standard bravo pickup pulls through a piece of 3/4" or so hose between the gimbal and drive. It's this one:
https://www.google.com/search?q=brav...nyGUDTqaM0ZCM:

I thought eliminating it as a restriction may help since everything else in the system is 1-1/4"

Edit: forgot to mention. Not stock power. 650hp 871 blown big block..

the standard hose from sea pump to transom pickup is 1.25 ID............are you running an intercooler ?

No intercooler. But I don't think it's a tuning issue... 28 degrees locked timing. Slightly rich AF is 12.5 to 13 at cruise and 11 to 11.5 at full boost (6lbs)

You are correct the hose from transom to seawater is is 1-1/4 ID. (not 1-1/2 as I posted earlier. I checked my mistake, I edited my previous post to avoid confusion) but that's not the one I'm worried about. Its the one from the gimbal to the drive looks like it is about 3/4" ID.

Better check the fitting on your gimbal where the 1.250" hose connects. They are notorious for corroding and restricting flow.

I didn't see any issues when I had the drive off a month ago but thanks for the suggestion. It's also a freshwater boat that doesn't stay in the water.

Maybe I'm asking the wrong question here.... From what I've read a transom mount pickup can be "trimmed" to provide the appropriate amount of water pressure to the seawater pump (or strainer for those who have one).

Has anyone went to a transom mount pickup and regretted it?

I've never converted from a drive source to a transom style pickup but most of my boats have had transom pickups. If you go with a transom mounted pickup you will need to add a pressure relief valve between the pick up and the pump to bleed off some of the water when running at speed.
Hardin also makes an adjustable pickup.

wow ,,this is all new to me
i have transom water pickup
goes to strainer , then oil coolers, then pump to motor.
i have never noticed any issues, but my boat is not a 100 mph boat...
should i be considering adding a relief valve?????????

160* sounds fine to me

Do you have a water pressure gauge?

It keeps going... I haven't pushed it any farther to see when/if it'll stop

I read some place that the relief is not necessary as long as you've dialed in the pickup with a gauge and you're not flying the boat out of the water. The author noted the spikes in pressure are from re-entry.

Four what its worth my boat doesn't fly but does run about 75mph on the top end.

no i dont have water pressure gauge,,,,
my boat is NOW closed coolant system..
dont know if that makes any difference...
but just posting that..
motors use to run 140-160 no thermostats

You should be good to go without the regulator.

I converted my boat over to transom adjustable pick ups and love them , The only problem I encountered was breaking the welds off the pick ups so I welded the pick ups after I checked the pressure and then they were good. Then when I added two stage sea water pumps and intercoolers I did not have enough pressure at speed so I fish mouthed the bottom of the boat right in front of the pick ups and I have 15-17lbs of pressure at a little over 100mph engines run nice and cool.

Running only 28* of timing will create more heat as well.

Thank you for the post! Why did you add the two stage pumps? Not enough volume to cool the boat?

thanks for info ''payupsucker............""

What do you think I should be running at 6 or 7 lbs of boost on a 8:1 static 454 with aluminum heads? I didn't see any performance gains going to up 2 degrees so I figured less was safer...

When I built my intercoolers I put 2 #12 lines that just dump water out the side of the boat , I could never get anyone to tell me if the stock type pump would handle it so I thought it would be safer with a 2 stage pump

Thanks for the reply!