well... if i were you and it sounds to me like you have looked at things carefully, i might seriously reconsider any more sea trials until got a handle on what was going on...

if this thing is really getting hot enough to slow down or tighten up then you are on the razor edge of doing some damage that will take a casual repair and turn it into a disaster.

i certainly don't have anymore intellegent suggestions but i wouldn't run it until i really found an answer i believed.

again, you correct about razor's edge, but it's catch 22, can't
duplicate conditions without putting it in the water.
i will follow my current trouble tree to the end and hopefully
find some evidence.
failing that i will put it in the water and procede with extreme caution.
i picked up some gauges and fittings today. i can put a pressure gauge in the raw water hose to the main heat
exchanger and a pressure gauge in the coolant side on the themostat housing.

i don't want to cook this thing anymore than already done or i'll take a bath

i'm being stupid again.... i missed the part where you said it was closed cooloing...

on my closed cooling i could take the ends off to inspect the heat exchanger... have you done that to make certain the tubes are clear ?

yes, on top cooler, had the caps off and it is clear
not the oil cooler, big job to take out to see inside.
i did take the end caps off the oil cooler to check for debris and it is clean. oil cooler case is cool to the touch when water is circulating but that doesn't mean oil is going thru it either.
i am be able to disconnect the oil return line from the cooler to the filter to check for oil flow

the thing that still puzzles me is the oil leak.
overheating really shouldn't cause it to blow out the dipstick tube, which i am assuming it did.
pressurized crankcase would but there is no real evidence of that either.
it's stopped raining so i will do the compression test tonight.

if you keep helping me i may need to go to sint maarten for a
ride in the top gun.

well, did compression and it's not good news.
warmed it up, shut it down
pulled coil wire, opened throttle, pulled plugs,
# 2 on starboard side had no center electrode, the rest perfect.
went thru the motions anyway, port bank all good, 140-150 psi
starboard forward ok.
cylinder with bad plug had ZERO psi .
pisser is that is the side that was just apart for valve seals, head and manifold check etc.
i didn't do that work myself but saw all the parts and piston tops etc while it was being worked on. no issues found
old plug that came out of that cylinder had normal wear.

this is a big disappointment, and makes no sense
only test run time on this after reassembly with 8 new correct ac plugs

EDIT did leak down test on it , it's has holed or broke a piston
i'm done with this one
it's a 16-17k boat and including a BRAND NEW trailer and i will never get the cost of a re-build back so i'll dump it cheap
with or without the trailer.


tear tear

thanx for the help guys

Now , I'll enjoy my Formula