It has been said several times before filter 1st(hotter oil filters better) then cooler...seems cruising temps a bit high to me...

I wasn't the guy who said that stuff gets there but cooler material and inner line material can all age, I prefer to have my filter be the last thing before entering block, again why not? Never had one issue and many run this way actually

My temp sensor is in the same place, cruising it's 170-180, hard I mean HARD WOT is never more then 230

I have the same risers, and noticed my water pressure was a bit high as well. My o2 sensor was getting a little wet as well.
The water outlet holes are drilled in the inside diameter of the pipe allowing the water to splash against the wall on the opposite side.
I elongated the holes toward the outlet end of the pipe. Water pressure went down. o2 sensor is no longer getting wet. Pipes are still cool....



Doug

Opening up the holes slightly is good option, or try regulating the dumps.

140

In my photo the line from the block/ oil pan is going directly to the filter, then to the oil cooler , out of the oil cooler and then back to the block feeding the bearings etc.
The filter is the first thing the oil goes through on my engine which Mercury set up. I did not change a thing. If you install a filter after the oil cooler then you are not protecting the cooler, letting the pan oil go through the cooler and then to the filter??? something not right there. I would check the arrow directions

and I say the opposite, There are no moving parts in a oil cooler, It is just a heat exchanger, water passing thru and oil passing thru it in 2 separate circuits removes the heat from the oil. The only thing that can happen to an oil cooler is rupture or excessive wear over the years. The inside is copper, copper doesn't flake or break apart into little pieces. So if it ruptured the oil filter as you said would be on the outlet would do absolutely nothing. Its a oil filter not a water separator and I highly doubt you would get water in the oil its more like oil in the water due to the pressure difference.
I'll keep mine where Mercruiser designed it to be. This way i know clean oil is going thru my cooler and to my bearings.

We seem to be getting off the subject here..Back to oil temps...I made custom fittings between the exhaust manifolds and the risers allowing me to dump some water overboard thru 2 fittings on each side of the boat. The hose size was 3/8". When that setup was connected my oil temp was 20 degrees less and my water pressure was 5-6 lbs less. reason being, the relief of water pressure allows the water to go thru the cooler faster removing more heat BUT...repeat...My Stainless risers are running a bit warmer at idle due to the reduction of water going thru them...so my question is. Is it ok for the SS risers to run warm at idle??...If so i will re-install the dump lines

I still think proper fix is larger oil cooler.

What is the engine setup? What size oil cooler? What is the ignition timing setup? More timing at idle may help the hot exhaust at idle

509 cu 490 hp each dyno sheet@ 5200 rpm stock 502 merc oil cooler.with power steering..3" x 18" roughly and timing 34degree @ idle locked MSD