Excessive steaming
#1
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Excessive steaming
I've got a 1989 Searay Pachanga 22 with a 7.4L engine and Alpha one leg. The starboard exhaust is suddenly sounding a lot louder at off plane speeds including idle and is producing loads of steam at any speed and particularly under load. The port side exhaust may be producing excessive steam but nothing like the starboard side. Does anyone have any suggetions of what could be causing this and what is a normal amount of steaming from the exhausts?
thanks
thanks
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Minnesota
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Re: Excessive steaming
gtrust,
With the engine idling at full temperature check to make sure that the risers are not cooler than the manifolds. If they are both hot you most likely have a water pump impeller in need of replacement. Don't forget to clean the rubber impeller pieces from your oil cooler if you replace a bad impeller.
If the riser is cool and the manifold is hot this indicates that your lower manifolds are clogged with sand and debris, or that the spring loaded check balls in the T-stat housing are not operating properly. Most of the older systems like yours used one hose to each manifold and one hose to each riser. During warm up the thermostat is closed and the water is forced past the spring loaded check valve in the T-stat housing and exits directly through the riser.
Often on these systems the lower manifold can become partially or totally clogged with sand. This causes the water to continue to exit through the riser even after the engine and exhaust manifolds are hot. The little bit of water that does make it into the manifolds is not enough to cool them and therefore justs turns to steam.
If you find this condition then first pull the upper hoses off of the T-stat housing and ensure that the check ball and spring is present and not broken or loose. If all is well there then you most likely have excessive sand and debris built up in the manifolds. They should be removed and cleaned or replaced.
Good Luck and hope that helps.
Todd
With the engine idling at full temperature check to make sure that the risers are not cooler than the manifolds. If they are both hot you most likely have a water pump impeller in need of replacement. Don't forget to clean the rubber impeller pieces from your oil cooler if you replace a bad impeller.
If the riser is cool and the manifold is hot this indicates that your lower manifolds are clogged with sand and debris, or that the spring loaded check balls in the T-stat housing are not operating properly. Most of the older systems like yours used one hose to each manifold and one hose to each riser. During warm up the thermostat is closed and the water is forced past the spring loaded check valve in the T-stat housing and exits directly through the riser.
Often on these systems the lower manifold can become partially or totally clogged with sand. This causes the water to continue to exit through the riser even after the engine and exhaust manifolds are hot. The little bit of water that does make it into the manifolds is not enough to cool them and therefore justs turns to steam.
If you find this condition then first pull the upper hoses off of the T-stat housing and ensure that the check ball and spring is present and not broken or loose. If all is well there then you most likely have excessive sand and debris built up in the manifolds. They should be removed and cleaned or replaced.
Good Luck and hope that helps.
Todd