Oil injectors & runing without Stats.

[neverenoftackle]

I own an ’86 150 hp XR2 Mercury--2nd owner purchased it on a Ranger in ’87. Been a good’ in. After fishing with a friend of mine (XR6) he informed me that he knows a number of guys pre-mixing their own oil. They have disconnected their oil injectors because of no warning past the pump to the engine, and the trouble this has caused from oil starved engines, if something happens in this area while runing. Is this prevalent out there in your’ alls world? Second—I have a Merc. Pressure gage reading 15 psi at 4000rpm, and have changed the pump regularly down threw the years, BUT for several years now the temp gage has been riding just beyond the ¾ mark at 4000 instead just below ½ as it use to. Drops back to normal at idle. Stats check out, was told that I could have thrown a piece of pump impeller at one time and it lodged in one of the blocks water passages. He says to take out the thermo stats and run with out them. What problems does this incur? Can I do it?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Oil injectors & runing without Stats.

Welcome to iboats, and the two most uninformed things I can think of are eliminating the oil pump and thermostats. I'm glad you asked here.<br /><br />People complained for years that oil injection wasn't available on outboards, but was available for everything else. Now that it's available and reliable, I can't believe how many gus believe these wives-tales about oil injection failures that are more imaginary than actual. Your motor has been running for 20 years with it without a problem. What's your point?????????<br /><br />Removing the thermostats is just about as good a Death sentence on that motor as running without an impeller. Again it's been running for decades with them. Why take them out and chance a cold-siezure now???????<br /><br />Run the dang thing!!! Leave the worrying for the Old Ladies that actually believe all this crap.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Oil injectors & runing without Stats.

Okay, took my Prozac and feeling mellow now.<br /><br />Like anything new, oil injection had a few hiccups along the way after it was introduced to outboards back in the late 1970s. By the time your motor was made, it was quite reliable. Your motor is proof. How old is it? It didn't get there with a failed oil pump and that's for sure. So why change captains in the middle of the voyage just because of old information and scared rabbits? Leave the injection alone. It's worked fine for almost 20 years. Failed water pumps are responsible for more trashed powerheads ten thousand fold over failed oil pumps. You don't see guys taking out water pumps and hosing down their motors instead, do you? <br /><br />The thermostats are very important to get a reasonably constant temperature. That motor is used to having them there to achieve that. Taking them out changes the expansion and contraction of vital moving parts that are accustomed to that temperature after all these years. Running that powerhead too cold could trash that motor just as fast as running it too hot.<br /><br />As far as your motor running hotter than it used to, I'd bet scale is the culprit. Scale build-up on the cooling surfaces insulates the hot metal from the cool water. You might be able to remove some of it. It might be advisable to pop the heads off and have a look-see. Many times lost impeller fragments end-up there anyhow.