# 88 SPL Evinrude overheating



## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*88 SPL, overheating.....HELP!!!!!!!!*

I just purchased a boat that came with a 88 SPL Evinrude. The guy I purchased it from showed me a reciept where he had the impeller replace last october. the motor has not been used since. he took it out before i bought it and the engine stated to overheat. he took it back to the shop and was told the thermostats were bad. at this point i bought the boat and engine. i replace the thermostats myself, wasn't too hard except for those darns spring holding the white little thingies.....anyway....i started the engine......darn....still gets hot....i do notice that there is no water coming out the two little holes on the back side of the engine although there is plenty of water coming out the little hole on the bottom side of the engine housing. there seems to be alot of water foming out right around where the cavitation plate goes too.....can someone help me.....with some info what where else to check before i even try to replace the impeller again......also is the impeller and the water pump the same thing?

thanks for your help
Roland


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Check the installation of the "new " impeller. Something may not have been done rite. Yes impeller and water pump is the same thing. 

Charlie


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

There may also be blockage inside the engine water ports so even though the thermostats may be working no water is flowing through the engine to keep it cool. You could pull the water line off one of the thermostats while the engine is running to see if you're getting good flow to the t-stats.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Pull the thermostates and leave them out !!!!

The are of no use to folks on the lower TX coast unless your going out in 30 -40 deg water........which is never

This will solve one problme


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## stargazer (May 24, 2004)

*Just a suggestion*

I also have an 88SPL. When I had the impeller replaced at a marine place (wont mention names) it overheated. I took it back and the same happened. ended up pulling the lower unit myself and found. 1) they had incorrectly installed the lower unit. the tube in side is easly missed when you reinstall the lower unit. 2) It seemed that they did not install the impeller correctly. Make sure all the vains are bent in the direction that the engine turns. Problem fixed. Just a hint....make sure you move the shift level to reverse. That is so you can remove the bolt that connects the shifting rod to the shift actuator. besure not to move the lever so it can be easly reassembled. That engine needs all the flow it can get. seems that the operating temp and the alarm temp are in very close tolerance. Also check to make sure the temp sensor is not bad and going off too early. This can be done with an temp stick. A temp stick is a cayron looking marker that you make a mark on the cyclinder head and will melt at the correct temp.
Not sure where you are located but if in my area I have a book on that engine....you are welcome to borrow it.


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Ditto Stargazer. Been there, done that.

That tube is a bear to line up correctly.


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## jabx1962 (Nov 9, 2004)

I did this on my 88SPL engine....no heating problems ever..



Muddskipper said:


> Pull the thermostates and leave them out !!!!
> 
> The are of no use to folks on the lower TX coast unless your going out in 30 -40 deg water........which is never
> 
> This will solve one problme


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*thanks for the great info guys*

i started the engine last night for a few minutes after i installed the thermostats and the beeping begin......so i shut it down, this morning i disconnected the thermostat hoses and there was no water flowing out....mater of fact it just seemed bone dry. which direction does the water flow through the water hoses. into the thermostats and into the engine or out of the thermostats.....into the area where the spark plugs are at.......keep in mind i do have water streaming out the little hole on the bottom right side of the engine and all i get is cold water from that hole....seems it should be warm water......but i may be wrong...I am in mission texas. i just bid on a manual on Ebay.........I wish i could see the if there is a water flow passage ways in the manual for the engine......i am not a mechanic....by any means.....just trying to save a few bucks.........or should i say alot of bucks....

roland


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

texasranger225 said:


> which direction does the water flow through the water hoses. into the thermostats and into the engine or out of the thermostats.....into the area where the spark plugs are at


The water should flow up the 2 hoses


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

We have an 88 SPL and we replaced our t-stats a year or two ago. I wished I could tell you which way the water flows through the hose, but I can't remeber. Our alarm was going off lately when we ran the motor on the hose. The boat has been sitting up for a while so our dealer said to take it out and run it because you can't tell much from running it on the hose. When you run it in the water the pressure is significantly higher and it may "break" the t-stats loose.


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*t-stat.....heheheh*

the t-stats are brand new, just installed them last night....and then ran the engine for a few minutes.....then beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.....and i shut the engine down......why would there not be water in those hoses though?


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*summary of clues to overheating problem*

ok....let see

1. seems no water in the t-stat hoses
2. there is water streaming out the little hole on the bottom right side of the engine although this water doesnt seem to warm up as the engine gets warm.
3. there seems to be water gushing out the area of the cavitation plate.
4. engine starts and idles and high idles just fine....seems great response when i punch it a little to raise the rpms
5. no water coming out the 2 holes on the back side under the motor...seems there would be warm water coming out through those two holes...
6. after i shut the engine down there seemed to be steam coming out that hole on the bottom right side of the engine, where water was coming out while the engine was on.
7. new t-stats, impeller was changed out in october but engine was never used other then stared with the water muffs, the compression was checked at that time also and there is good compression on the engine.
8. huh.....huh......cant think of anything else.....


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## toyotapilot (Jun 11, 2004)

Kind of reminds me of my problems with my Evinrude 225. 

I thought the waterpump was bad as there was no water coming out the indicator stream hole, so I set out to change the water pump. When I took everything off the only thing I could find possibly worng was the connector tube that connects the water pump up to the rest of the engine looked like it wasn't on right, allowing the water pump to pump water into the lower unit rather than up into the engine. I had the water coming out the sides of the lower unit too where it mates just above the cavitation plate. With the boat in the water it pumped ok I guess do to this area being submerged and it could probably pressureize this area and force water up into the engine where it belongs. I just installed everything last night but have not started it yet to see if it solves the problem, but I am thinking that getting that little short tube in the right place will make a difference.


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Now you've got me wondering if the water flows through those t-stat hoses first. Or, does the water come into the block first then flows out through those hoses after the t-stats open? If he has water flowing from the 'pee hole' wouldn't that indicate good flow through the tube from the pump and being routed to the by-pass hose and out the 'pee hole'? Otherwise, why the water coming out the 'pee hole'? 
In response to your quesiton about the water being warm -- it would be cold until the engine warms enough to open the stats then you'll have warm water flow since the water coming out there comes from the engine as well as a bypass setup. At least that's my understanding and just because you have good flow there doesn't mean you're actually cooling the engine. Just indicates the pump is working. Am I all wet here guys?


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*the pee hole?...heheheh...dang all this new terminalogy*

well, the water through the pee hole as you call it is a strong heavy stream of cool water...even after the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeping sound when the engine is getting hot......the thermostat thing i dont know....but the hoses from the thermostat housing to the heads i guess, is dry........


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Water from the indicator means you now have the tube hooked up correctly, which is almost certainly what was originally wrong. Now you need to take the t-stats out and find a hole in your driveway to fill in with them. If you still have a problem after that you need to get the test crayon and be sure your alarm is not going off too soon. If your alarm goes off before the crayon melts, it's your alarm. If not, it a blocked passage. With the crayon, you can tell if one side is getting hot before the other, even though the sensor is just on one head. I have played this game, with that same motor. It's a good motor and there are only so many things that can cause this


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*fill the drive way with my brand new t-stats?*

do you mean leave the t-stats out......what about the little springs and the white little thingies that are between the t-stats? should i try to run the engine without the t-stat houseing just for a few seconds just to see if there is water flowing through there?


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

If you remmove the lower unit to check placement of the supply tube, it wouldn't hurt to remove the tube and the impeller housing and check for pieces of the old impeller.


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*Ok guys......check this out*

I talked to a certified evenrude mechanic. he says he believes we need to replace the "deflectors" which are inside. the head covers need to come off and inbetween the cylinders are the deflectors. about $130 job...is what he told me if all goes well.....so any ideas anyone.......anyone ever changed the deflectors.....?$130 is not bad....but...if the mechanic does it...then i wont learn anything........and by the way......*the water flows from the heads into the t-stats. * i stared the engine with the t-stat hoses pull off and i saw the water flowing out of the cylinder heads....


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## MAKO 23 (Mar 19, 2005)

*Thermostats*



Muddskipper said:


> Pull the thermostates and leave them out !!!!
> 
> The are of no use to folks on the lower TX coast unless your going out in 30 -40 deg water........which is never
> 
> This will solve one problme


http://www.***.org/www/boating/boatboard/T27495.htm


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## bobber (May 12, 2005)

What a read... Could the impeller have been installed with the fins bent the wrong way, causing most of the flow to come out the lower uit, and barely enough to get to the T-stat and head?


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## Bukmstr (Nov 12, 2004)

*Johnson*

My buddy had the same problem with a Johnson. Water would flow threw the pee hole just fine, after a period of time the beeeeeeeeeeep would start. Finally took it to a good mechanic and his power head was warped and would over heat when the engine got hot enough.


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*bukmst*

darn, i dont need to be hearing the buk.....lol....i am still hoping it has something to do with the deflectors inside the head covers.......


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Have you checkd the "original installation of the new impeller" As i said earlier and others haave said on this post. Some one screwed up the new impeller installation. 

Charlie


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

Wouln't a bad head gasket make it overheat.


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## brokemotor (Jul 7, 2005)

Make sure you flatten the heads, new deflectors,and head gskts. pitch the t-stats. use a big flat bastard file on the block to dress down the area around the bolt holes,don't go overboard and round off the edges. trick of the trade, rub the head in a figure 8 on a plate glass with #60 grit floor sand paper glued to it with contact glue. Presto, a milling machine.


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## texasranger225 (Jan 19, 2006)

*thank you for the info brokemotor*

i really do appreciate the inside scoop on the flattening of the heads there brokemotor. do you think the deflectors could cause the overheating? according to the tech, he says he thinks that is what the problem is....


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## brokemotor (Jul 7, 2005)

deflectors prevent water from flowing between the cylinders forcing it all around the outside water jacket into the head, up, down and out the t-stats. Problem is deflectors should be round but they flatten out and prevent water flow on the outside water jacket, thus preventing flow thru heads. hope this helps.


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## winerunner1 (Sep 26, 2014)

*88 special overheating*

picked up an 88 that had been sitting for a year without being flushed. ran good for 5 min. than overheated. figured it was the pump. dropped the lower, pump looked good but replaced it anyway. ran good for 5 min and overheated. all the while it was ******* water until it overheated than steam out the pee hole. pulled the hoses leading to the thermostat housing, had descent water out the stb side but less on the port. pulled the head and covers, they were both packed with corrosion. cleaned all corrosion, replaced gaskets, water hoses and thermostats. ran on a garden hose, still overheated. took the thermostats out today and ran on a garden hose for 15min, did not over heat. will go to the water next week for full test. week ends at the ramp in fla are total chaos. hope this helps


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## Ronnie Redwing (Mar 11, 2013)

Do a compression check to insure the head gaskets are ok- then,if it's an under load overheat , and it cools down quickly do the deflectors and new head gaskets


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## Ronnie Redwing (Mar 11, 2013)

Have you checked temps with an infra red gun? If its hot on one side, it may be a tstat .. If hot horn is blowing,but the temp gun tells you it is cool it may be bad temp sender


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## captnickm (Feb 16, 2011)

Instead of totally removing the thermostats try to cut them down. It will let more water flow through the normal but not too much. Too much water flow does not allow the transfer of heat from the heads to the water.


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## Ratred20 (Apr 11, 2007)

*Submerge it*

Have you actually put the motor in the water? You may not be getting enough water through the water jacket using the hose. Certainly you shouldn't rev the motor on a hose as our run the risk of blowing the motor.

Best advice I can give you is to figure out who "The most recommended Evinrude" mechanic in your area is and take it to him.

That repair will be cheap compared to what you might do if something ones wrong.

I hear you that you want to learn for yourself but overheating can be a serious problem.
BTW - the water coming out in large volumes at the cavitation plate is normal. Coming out the peehole is good also.

The muffs are for flushing not long term running


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## minedude (Apr 29, 2008)

IMO get a manual, get a manual, get a manual. It will direct you on how to proper trouble shoot the heat problem. HEAT is a motors worst enemy.


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Wow.... A 2006 old thread....

I have honestly had 3 different boats since this thread started....lol 

I also have found that an hour or two of a good boat mechanic can go a long way....and can be cheaper


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

LOL at myself....didn't notice an old thread.

One item......"Yes impeller and water pump is the same thing"

Nope! The impeller is _a part_ of the whole water pump.Water pump = ~$100, impeller=~$15. Not being a nitpicker, but if you order an impeller OR a water pump (assembly)....can make a lot of difference in price.

Later
R3F


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## RDN (Apr 16, 2014)

texasranger225 said:


> I talked to a certified evenrude mechanic. he says he believes we need to replace the "deflectors" which are inside. the head covers need to come off and inbetween the cylinders are the deflectors.....


 This is probably your problem. I had an 88 special and went through the same thing/ steps you are going through. Never figured it out so I took it to a good mechanic (in Brenham) and he knew right away what it was and fixed it for me.


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## buckweet (Aug 8, 2011)

With the pumps on these motors there is no way too have too much water flow.


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