my watercooled motor dosen't suck!

[Ilovemycat]

Does the water cooled head suck the water up at idle? I have a modified homelite and there is a hose that goes from my rudder, into one side of the head and out the otherside,into the exhaust. The fittings seem tight,new hose,i blew it out to make sure it was clear as well as primed the hose by sucking from the line close to the exhaust.gets water that way. still wont suck by itself at idle(running and holding it with my hand) does it have to be moving to get water to the head? if so, how do i know its working while im driving and not burning up the motor? thank you all for the info!

[Chris LaPanse]

It will only pump water at idle if you have a water pump. No pump = water will only flow at speed. Not a problem, unless you sit around idling for long periods of time. From the sounds of it, you don't have a water pump in your circuit. Again, this isn't a problem, unless you enjoy putting around the pond at idle or barely above.

[Ilovemycat]

It will only pump water at idle if you have a water pump. No pump = water will only flow at speed. Not a problem, unless you sit around idling for long periods of time. From the sounds of it, you don't have a water pump in your circuit. Again, this isn't a problem, unless you enjoy putting around the pond at idle or barely above.
Huh, i guess there isnt a pump,cool. how do i know its working from a distance or a drive by, will the water shoot out or will it be noticeable? if the motor is overheating what will be the symtoms? i hear 2 strokes like to rev to burn the oil.what mix ratio should i use to prevent buildup of oil in the carb. how is brackish water for a boat?

[Chris LaPanse]

Brackish water is fine, as long as you make sure to flush it out with fresh water after running it. As for the mix ratio, I use 32:1 (4oz/gallon) in my Zen, and it always runs great. If your cooling pipe goes into your exhaust, then there isn't really any way to tell if it is working. Many of us run the pipe out the side of the boat for this reason - you can see the stream of water if it is working, and you can bring the boat to shore if it is not.

[john capps]

When I run my tunnel I bring it close to me at times to make sure there is water getting to the motor. Like yours it only gets water to the motor when the boat is in motion. As the boat moves it forces water to the head where it circulates and comes out the other side. I can see mine at idel speed as I bring it by. :)

[Ron Olson]

I generally run put water line out through the left side of my boat because I race them and they're run in a clockwise pattern. I like the Aeromarine fittings for this, some use large pop rivets with the "nail" removed to run it out of the hull.
You should see a nice steady stream coming out at speed, if not bring it in and check for blockage.