Debriefing and Cocktails
New member
Morning. I've been lurking this forum for quite some time and finally registered. I have been told over and over again that running without a thermostat MAY cause premature engine wear, but on our dock, we run our boats on plane probably 25 hours per year, at the most. It would take an eon or two, I assume to cause long-term engine wear, by running a cool engine on a long-term basis (I assume). I have a Silverton 330 SB (2002), with a Crusader 5.7 MPI, completely RWC. Only the last seven years have been in salt water, and I now flush after every use, as of a month ago.
My port motor runs at about 100 degrees, although 100 degrees is the lowest number on the gauge, so it could even be lower. The raw water temp in Newport Harbor (CA) is about 58-74 degrees, depending on the season. Are there people out there who run RWC engines this cold and feel okay about it? The engine sounds phenomenal. Some swear by NO thermostat, so they don't have to worry about overheating and don't have to watch their gauges like a hawk. I like that idea as well (A LOT), but my buddy has 5.7 Crusaders as well (FRESH water cooled), and his engines run at 160 with no thermostats, presumably because his coolant doesn't have time to cool down without the thermostat restriction. I, on the other hand, am dealing with a constant flow of new raw water, so I never get any where near normal operating temp. My question is, how cold is TOO cold? I don't mind running inefficiently or wasting a little fuel, but I do NOT want to ruin my engine. 100 degrees (or potentially colder) seems AWFULLY cold, especially since the motor SHOULD run at about 180, and my RWC setup already needs to run a little inefficiently with the 140 thermostat due to the sale issue. Thoughts, please, as to whether 100 degrees is OBSCENELY cold, or whether that's just how it is with a RWC setup and no thermostat? Thanks so much.
Happy Monday,
Scott
My port motor runs at about 100 degrees, although 100 degrees is the lowest number on the gauge, so it could even be lower. The raw water temp in Newport Harbor (CA) is about 58-74 degrees, depending on the season. Are there people out there who run RWC engines this cold and feel okay about it? The engine sounds phenomenal. Some swear by NO thermostat, so they don't have to worry about overheating and don't have to watch their gauges like a hawk. I like that idea as well (A LOT), but my buddy has 5.7 Crusaders as well (FRESH water cooled), and his engines run at 160 with no thermostats, presumably because his coolant doesn't have time to cool down without the thermostat restriction. I, on the other hand, am dealing with a constant flow of new raw water, so I never get any where near normal operating temp. My question is, how cold is TOO cold? I don't mind running inefficiently or wasting a little fuel, but I do NOT want to ruin my engine. 100 degrees (or potentially colder) seems AWFULLY cold, especially since the motor SHOULD run at about 180, and my RWC setup already needs to run a little inefficiently with the 140 thermostat due to the sale issue. Thoughts, please, as to whether 100 degrees is OBSCENELY cold, or whether that's just how it is with a RWC setup and no thermostat? Thanks so much.
Happy Monday,
Scott