sounds like water to me. I'd fix it before you bend something trying to start it. check exhaust first, then work your way down. I had a cracked head once that did the same thing.

Id hate to tear it down for nothing but many things to check aparently

You are absolutely sure that you have no water in the oil ?
Do you have the same excessive amount of steam from both exhaust outlets ?
Did you check the spark plugs after having cranked the engine, are there any water or other signs of water ?

absolutly no water on the dip stick or under the oil fill caps on the valve covers. Both sides are steaming.

I also had a cracked head that did this.
I wouldn't try turning it over anymore with out pulling the spark plugs first.

try that it very well could be lack of water if going up to 130 at idle in less then 2 mins with out stats

Ok I pulled both risers tonight . No signs of water leakage. I checked the propeller and no signs of damage. New propeller.I pulled the 4 easy plugs and no water there . I checked the dip stick again and clean as a whistle.
Guys Im telling you the steam rolls . Im stumped. Its the begining of the season . Id like to fix before I break something .After a moderate 1 hour constant run back to the ramp steaming hard. Harder than at a fresh start.It wouldnt turn over on first trythen she cranked. You can here the plugs clearing off. It sounds like it anyway. All plugs were tanned not white as if water was intruding ....

did you check for water flow/impeller ?????


plugs not steam cleaned usually means no water in cylinder

There have been other threads about crossovers, the general thinking is that air pockets form in your block with out the water pump and that creates steam. Do a search in this forum about crossovers and read some threads on it. If they are set up properly they seem to work but if you don't have the correct thermostat or restrictor plate the water can move through your block too fast to actually cool it or remove all the air from it. Just a thought, do some more research. After reading about the problems people have with them I would never remove a water pump.

How are oil temps???? Are they the same on both engines????

How old are the Gil's?????

Mine lasted about 7 years and I had a lot of steam in the exhaust similar to what you are describing. Mine had hairline internal cracks between the runner dividers at the tops of the manifolds. I never had a hard start up. My leaks were so small and they only leaked when they got hot when the mainifolds expanded and there was a lot of water pressure. Also a lot of steam after a hard run. I never had any water in the oil.

Are both exhaust pipes on the same engine giving about the same amount of steam???? Mine were both about the same, I just wonder why its only on one engine and not the other. Be careful, I ended up needing a couple exhaust valves that got pitted from the small amount of water that got in.