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Old 10-28-2010, 10:15 AM
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The best possible scenerio is to have 2 oil temp senders. You could read the highest temp to be you are no over-temping the oil and one in the side of the block to read the oil that the engine is actually using. The highest reading is good to know but it takes the cooler out of the equation. Lets say the oil is 300* at its highest point. A smaller oil cooler may bring it down to 260* but a larger cooler may bring it down to 225*. That is a big difference in what the engine is seeing.
I put the sender in the side of the block just above the oil filter pad, in the flow of oil to see what the engine is getting. This takes everything into account. I know what my coolers are taking out, so I can figure out the highest temps. I tell my customers to back it down if it gets over 235*.
I also agree that the thermostat is to big if it doesn't start to open until 215*. Mine starts at 190* and is open all the way by 210*. Hope this helps.
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Old 10-28-2010, 11:01 AM
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Make sure that you are not losing water flow to the raw water pump at high rpm. If you have a LWP drive and trim way up at high rpm you may be pushing water away from the water pickup on the drive or something similar. Sounds like enough cooler to me. I drilled holes in the side of my LWP bravos (with nosecones) and helped alleviate oil temp issues with my setup.

Also sucking in air will greatly lower water flow if you have high drive heights. I have a friend who had to epoxy in some of the holes on the side of the drive with his "DWP" Bravo I's on a high x dim cat.

IMO supply of water to the raw water pump may be the issue with a lot of these oil temp issues. I have been too lazy to install a pressure gauge on the supply side of the raw water pump but that would tell the tale. If you had a tube like a speedo tube pointed directly into the water, at 85 mph, the static pressure is something like 93 psig. That should easily supply the water needed with no raw water pump hence the reason for the water dumps on fast, fast boats. If you were sucking air or creating a low pressure area at the pickup by the pressure gauge would show it fairly handily. I don't why a water pressure gauge installed after the raw water pump wouldn't show low pressure but maybe it's not enough. Maybe you should be at 40 psig with good suction flow to the raw water pump and your only reading 20 psig or something like that. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the same issue.

Anyway something to add to your troubleshooting list.
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Old 10-28-2010, 02:45 PM
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Philm,

I'd like to hear what you end up doing.. I have the same situation with a harden marine 3x18 thermostatically controlled cooler, -12 full flow lines and fittings. Under most conditions my oil temp is perfect, right around 200-220. I welded a bung in my 12qt pan and check the temp there. I also run a merc water pressure blow off valve and a block pressure gauge. I have 28-30psi and WOT. If I stay at WOT the temp starts to slowly climb and I end up backing out before I can tell if its stabilizing. The highest I have seen on the gauge is 260, I don't like it. The plate coolers seem like the next step.

I don't think that your thermostat opening at 220 is the problem. Your oil temp continues to raise because your cooler can't pull as much heat out as your engine is putting in. If it opened at 190 it might buy you what... Maybe 2 minutes of run time?
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Old 10-28-2010, 06:29 PM
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Quick question. I am getting ready to install tube style coolers on my boat. Is it ok for the pump to pull through the cooler or does it need to be on the pressure side? thanks.
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Old 10-28-2010, 06:41 PM
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The cooler will remove more heat if it is pressurized, remember auto's radiators are pressurized.
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Old 10-28-2010, 08:29 PM
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I have a sensor mounted on my remote filter pad, and i have one mounted right above the stock oil filter location on the block, I am not sure which one is the temp and which one is the alarm sensor. i will have to check into that.

Seems like every other thread i have read said that 20psi at WOT is good. I have an Imco SC with a -1 lower, I do tend to trim it up a bit past neutral when running WOT and have been considering opening up the front edge of the LWP some, I have heard others have done this with good results. However you must also remember that I have a crossover with no thermostat and no bypass, so the water is flowing pretty fast through my system.

I dont think that the thermostat is the problem, because I had this same issue before it was installed. Besides, even if it is holding the temps at 220 instead of 190, that wouldnt make much of a difference anyway as far as temperature building at WOT. I just dont think it is enough cooler. I have a Jabsco water pump, with a fresh impellar in it every season, I backflush the cooler fairly often.

The engine is actually running slightly rich at WOT with a 3 circuit Dominator 1050. I have the timing set at a VERY conservative level, 33º total in by 3000rpm. i could easily go to 36-37º total with my setup.

I am at a loss right now.
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Old 10-28-2010, 08:59 PM
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Sorry if you posted and I missed it, but what is your engine/water temp when oil is in the 260* range?
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Old 10-28-2010, 09:07 PM
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Less than 100ºF, not even on the scale.

If I am running hard and then quickly come off plane and down to an idle, the water temps will go up to 110-120 for a minute or so. The oil temps will come down quickly as well.
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Old 10-28-2010, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Philm
Less than 100ºF, not even on the scale.

If I am running hard and then quickly come off plane and down to an idle, the water temps will go up to 110-120 for a minute or so. The oil temps will come down quickly as well.
As others have mentioned, I have a similar problem. My engine is a NA 557 and 696 hp, also a Dom 1050. I have a Hardin 3" tube cooler with integrated power steering cooler, I believe rated for 750 HP. When the engine was out for boring, stroking, etc. (was a ZZ502/502) the oil lines were changed to -12AN. I figured the -12's would be ok. I can't WOT for long because the boat is over powered and the hull doesn't react well at +80 mph (23 Wellcraft Nova). But when I hold it at around 5000 rpms (+,-75 mph) oil temps climb to around 250*. My sender is in the remote oil pad before the cooler. To protect the engine I use Mobile 1 20/50 V-Twin, and changed every 20 hours or so. Will be intersting to follow this thread.

btw, I asked about your water temp because I drilled 3 holes about 3/16 in. in my thermostat. That lowered the water temps from 170ish to around 155 or so at WOT, which in turn lowered my oil temp some. I did that after numerous exchanges with BT (see post 7). For a time BT was also chasing the hot oil gremlin. Oh... Hi Dave (o:
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Old 10-29-2010, 08:13 AM
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Originally Posted by 28cigarettess
Quick question. I am getting ready to install tube style coolers on my boat. Is it ok for the pump to pull through the cooler or does it need to be on the pressure side? thanks.
You don't want the raw water pump to pull water through the cooler. Theoretically the flow would be the same as after the cooler but if you get into a condition where the cooler was causing too much pressure drop the raw water pump could cavitate leading to way lower water flow.
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