Overheating/Sea Strainer Question

[moguls2go]

Our starboard motor is running hot... at idle it sits at 160, which is what has been normal, but bump it up to 2000 and we're pushing 180 in a hurry. Today we replaced the water pump belt, which was worn and squeaking... no squeaking or travel at all now. We're still getting steam and reduced water flow out of that exhaust, which leads us to the sea strainer first. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to get the strainer off it's bracket, which looks like this: http://www.westmarine.com/buy/groco--ar ... P006596860

There isn't a top "hatch" to the strainer, the only way to get the thing off is to unscrew 4 screws, which would be much easier if I could move the thing.

Any thoughts are welcome... the motors are mere 454's.

[moguls2go]

Here's a video of the two exhausts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzDBihn4zaQ

[Charlie J]

look at the heat exchanger, if not the strainer

[John F.]

The strainer should have a cap. The Groco company is right by me, and I've been to the factory. Call them. They'll walk you through getting the cap off the strainer and getting it apart. They're really helpful. If you can't wait or just want to check water flow, pull the hose off the outlet side of the strainer, and open the seacock and check your water flow.

It should be either an obstruction in the strainer or thru-hull, a bad water pump, or maybe, like Charlie said, a really mucked up heat exchanger. Good luck. I had 454s, and when the impellers/water pump bearings went, I replaced the merc. pumps with a Jabsco. The Jabsco pump was much nicer--bronze housing instead of plastic--and about the same price or cheaper.

[MarkD]

Have you been able to check the other possible culprits? Raw water intake under the boat - barnacles or a bag? Maybe jump in with a mask - water is still warm up there:). Check for kinks in hoses and maybe pull an end off the heat exchanger? Sometime the zincs can corrode and block them.

[Pete Fallon]

Moguls2go,
I would check to see if there is pieces of water pump impeller in the transmission cooler, just pull the hose off both ends and back flush with a garden hose. If that doesn't do it, check your sea water intake water pump, see if all the splines are still intact. Did you check the thermostat it might be stuck. Also check your intake hoses, older hoses can collapse, get an inferred temp gage at Harbor Freight ($40.00) shoot the exhaust elbows, risers, manifolds and heat exchanger it will show you if there are hot spots on the engine. The sea strainers might be the problem, but it is usually something else, like a clogged cooler, a riser or a bad hose.
Pete Fallon

[Navatech]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to get the strainer off it's bracket

All the other tips above are right on the money... As for how to get the strainer of the bracket, it looks to me like there's a horizontal T on the side of the strainer... So it might be as simple as slightly lifting the strainer and pulling it away from the bracket...

[Yannis]

Your right flap has grown a garden.
Perhaps your strainer too.
Good luck.

[Rawleigh]

All the other tips above are right on the money... As for how to get the strainer of the bracket, it looks to me like there's a horizontal T on the side of the strainer... So it might be as simple as slightly lifting the strainer and pulling it away from the bracket...

That is how mine works. Lift and pull out at the bottom away from the bracket and the strainer will come down and out.

[Navatech]

That is how mine works. Lift and pull out at the bottom away from the bracket and the strainer will come down and out.

I think somebody (a.k.a moguls2go) is now going to go something like this: Duh!!! Why didn't I think of this?!... Hey, don't worry about it!!! We all have our lesser as well as better moments :-)

[Rawleigh]

Mine also has a round cap on it with holes to open it with a spanner wrench. The basket is inside that. Mine may be bigger than yours, as I think it has more than 4 screws holding the plastic bowl to the top.

Mine is like this, but with a bronze cap instead of clear plastic:
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/groco--1- ... et--371930

This is the spanner:
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/groco--sp ... h--4493367

This is the cap:
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/groco--1- ... --10730257

[moguls2go]

Turned out the strainer was "packed" with seaweed, according to the mechanic. He showed me how to open the strainer- easy peasy... the cap just didn't look like a cap to me, it looked like part of the casting so I never considered trying to unscrew it.

Interestingly, we had the same issue pop up yesterday with overheating. Now that I'm a master sea-strainer cap un-screwer I took a look and pulled out two measly strands of seaweed, thinking "this isn't good... no way those two strands were causing that much water restriction". I'll be damned if that didn't fix the problem and the motor ran great for the rest of the day. Now I'm left to wonder, though... do I have an issue with the bottom strainer? Why have I pulled seaweed into the same strainer twice in as many weeks? Either dumb luck or something's up...