35el79a Head is too hot, but water is tepid?

It has a new pump, changed the lower oil, rebuilt started, rebuilt carb, new plugs, rewired it. I have no history on it, but so far it starts like a dream and pisses like a youngster. I am at the adjusting stage and I am a little baffled by the temp readings I get on the thermostat cover and side of the head. The water out of the tell tale and exhaust ports is heavy and what I would call tepid, but the temp reading off the thermo cover climbs over 162 (which I thought is the high range). When it got to 179 I shut it down. Meanwhile the readings on the left side of the cylinder head are over 210 for the upper one and only 145 for the lower one. I really don't know what's going on. Any thought what might be happening?

The water deflectors in the block could be swelled up and blocking flow.

yes, Boobie -) could be on this.. look up "Water Deflectors" you'll find other posts and pictures..

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...nstallation-and-potential-water-flow-problems

Well I pulled the head and looks like all the deflectors are bad. The lower left one is barely there, the top one just crumbled apart. Now I have a couple questions for reassembly. I looked up the part and it lists that three #335603 are needed. I picked up some 3/8 " tubing as the replacement and It is not a tight fit. I have a little 7/16 tubing that seems like a much better fit, maybe a little bit a scraping and it will be good. Now for length, I don't have a reference on the part length or a complete old part. The top one is easy to measure should I just assume and cut all three the same. The reason I am asking this is the lower deflectors seemed shorter ( maybe) with a little space behind them in another chamber to allow water, and I have looked at many other close years and seen some use a shorter length on the bottom two. I know errors happen on the parts lists, I want to get this right the first time. Can I use a little soap to get the pieces in?

Ok, now it's all back together. The three new water deflectors went in and a new gasket. I have it in a big cut down drum and the first start ups had no water out the tell tale or the exhaust ports. What is going on? It had run that way in the past with great water just heated up to much. So in a last attempt I put the muffs on and it runs water everywhere it is meant to. Temps are wonderful but what is up with no water while in the bucket. Yes water pump is almost brand new, and ran water great last week. Any clues? I am so close but keep getting weird stuff.

Maybe didn't have it deep enough in the bucket? Got to be way above the inlets and the pump.

I have it way up almost to the small connector plate for dropping the lower end, nothing , but as soon as I put it on muffs it was water galore.
All the temps are wonderful now so the water deflectors were the reason for running too hot on the head. Just don't know why I get no water when in the drum.