Well....just worked on a similiar problem. My starboard engine was running 195f and port was 185f. This bothered me for a year and took the heat exchanger apart, replaced the tstat, new ELC, new pump impeller, and same outcome on the helm gages. Put thermocouples on the Tstat block and both engines run 195f at cruise. Anyway, now I know the heat exchanger is clean.

You may want to switch the leads on senders to find out if its a gage or sender. The tstat housing has a sender which I would guess is the helm gage. Why not disconnect the wiring and see if the helm gage stops working?

Hope this helps....
Ed

 

Hi Ed, questions - after you did all the work to you starboard exchanger, the port engine started running warmer than it did before? Also, what purpose do the thermocouples serve? Do you have pics of the temp sender/thermocouple?

Thanks

Randy

 

Randy,

The Sea Ray gauge package is by Teleflex. I replaced my stbd sender the week we bought our boat, but the dealer gave me the sender if I switched them out. If the sender is Sea Ray supplied, it is going to be in the Sea Ray parts list available on their website. If the gauge pack was supplied by Ringhaver, who marinized the engines for Cat/Sea Ray, the sender is going to be a Cat item and you will find it in the parts list in your owner's packet........use the AR # to go to the right page in the parts list since you will have several.

Sorry I'm not more help...........I'm boating!

 

OK.......I looked it up.

The gauge package was supplied by Sea Ray not by Caterpillar. The sender is available from Sea Ray dealers as SR part # 142844, and the gauge is SR part # 782185, if you need it.

Now, I need to vent.............it took me about 6 minutes to find the application and number on a dial up connection (I'm at the beach). Your dealer's parts guy was sitting there with a viewer and filed microfiches within arm's reach and the guy was such a deadbeat he couldn't bother to get off his lazy ass and get the number and order the part for you. No wonder you guys complain about MM. Had I asked the same question of my dealer, if the part wasn't in stock (it is a common part and most likely would be) the response would have been: "I can have it tomorrow by Fedex or in 4 days via UPS".......and it would be on the back seat of my boat in a little paper sack when it arrived...........I need to remember to tell my parts guy how much I appreciate him tomorrow.

 

Frank - thanks for spending your time to look up the part number, I'm sorry it took you a while.

I'll send this info to the local MM guy and see what happens. Hopefully, they have the unit and it solves the problem.

Randy

 

I received this response from the local Marine Max dealer....

Part #142844 is the SeaRay part number that is no longer available. We use one that we have in stock. It is 3/8” pipe fitting. In some cases the hole is ½”. In that case we use a bushing to make it compatible. The price is $31.49, and I have stock (MM354839 sender/MM1068341 bushing).

The guys also said he doesn't know where the temp sender is located so I need some assistance with that too.

Frank - might I have better luck with the dealership you work with?

Randy

 

Sorry my earlier post was not clear. Both engines were always running at 195f and the sender or guage is not calibrated correctly on the port engine. I incorrectly went after the starboard engine but it was the gage system.

The thermocouples were taped to the tstat housing. Thermocouples will measure temperature and proved both engines were running the same temp. Wires were feed down thru the small screw off access port so all of the testing was done with the engine hatch closed.

Well...hopefully you have the right parts and the switch goes ok.
Regards,
Ed

 

Hi Ed - bear with me here...

If one of the sensors/gauges was reading low, how did you correct that? Also, were the thermocouples temporary just to check the temperature?

Thanks

 

Randy,

It is Treasure Island Marina in Panama City Beach......850-234-6533; parts then talk to John Mass and tell him I sent you.

By the way.......I think they were the original selling dealer for your boat.

 

Update.... John Mass didn't have the part and gave me the number to Panama Marine, an authorized Teleflex dealer. They had the temp senders in stock for $14.69. I ordered 2.

Hopefully this will solve the problem.

Now, if I only knew where they go, I could install them :grin:

Randy

 

Update.... John Mass didn't have the part and gave me the number to Panama Marine, an authorized Teleflex dealer. They had the temp senders in stock for $14.69. I ordered 2.

Hopefully this will solve the problem.

Now, if I only knew where they go, I could install them :grin:

Randy

Randy,
Once you get the new senders it's a matter of matching it up with what looks just like it on the engine. I know this sounds stupid but when you don't know It's sometimes the only way you can figure it out.
Jack

 

I was trying to find some info from Teleflex online about their temp senders, and couldn't locate it (read it once before a while back). Basically there are acceptable "tolerances" for the senders, and being off a few degrees is OK.

Keep in mind also that- as you noted- the senders are in different locations, and that could also contribute to a few degrees differential. My stbd. gauge reads about 5-7 degrees hotter than the engine mounted gauge. I simply allow for that...

With the exception of VDO, all other gauges I'm aware of (Teleflex, Faria, SW) use a universal type sender. Only variation is for single/dual station.

 

Not stupid at all. Somehow, I just knew it would come down to that.

Randy

 

Randy now you are getting paranoid. Did you get your A/C charged up?
Jack

 

OK, I got them in the mail today......

Where in the hell do they go?????

Randy

 

Probably have to remove the head to get it in!

 

Just replaced my sender last night, waiting to test today. I had a previous post complaining about the same issue. Finally ran out of parts to replace and noticed the engine mounted temp gage which is actually an electric gage was reading 180, and the helm was reading 195. The helm gage I understand works off resistance. My yard mechanic took him 8 days to get the part, his story not standard and none in stock. I know Frank has reported in the past that his CAT's run at 195, my Thermostats are 180, directly from CAT. I have 3126's and my friend down the dock has 3116's, he runs at 180 plus or minus.

In any case this series of posts are about a year late for me, I was getting ready to cut a hole in the bottom of the boat and let it go! I will know in a few hours whether I have success or not.

I will also add that after much research I have seen upper limit temps of 215 being stated by CAT as an acceptable high temp, I don't buy it,

Kon Tiki
400DB 3126's

 

please let me know what happens, your situation sounds exactly what mine, engine reads 180, helm reads 195. CAT told me that anything under 206 was OK.

Randy

 

My starboard engine seems to be doing the same thing. All last year both engines ran fine at around 180 degrees F. Since late last year starboard engine has crept up to around 197/200 degrees F while other one remains good at 180 degrees F.
Last week I took off the heat exchanger, trans oil cooler and aftercooler and rodded them all through after soaking overnight in rydlime, all were reasonable but the aftercooler was quite clogged with crap and old zincs (no impellor bits at all). Flushed everything out after a good clean and re-assembled. New impellor fitted around 20hours ago. Seems to pump water much better than before and good flow out the exhaust
After an hour testrun, there is still no differnce. I'm hoping its an incorrect gauge as well. Have bought some temp indicating strips from www.t-m-c.com/ to see what the engines are actually reading as I have a longish trip planned in a couple of weeks and dont want to fry my engine.
Anyone else any suggestions boat has 3126 engines done 600hours and engines rebuilt by CAT 2001 with new blocks etc..

 

Have you had anyone in the ER to confirm the temps on the engine-mounted gauges when running?

 

As mentioned earlier, I borrowed a temp measuring tool using thermocouples and wired (taped t couple leads to t stat housing) both housings...engine hatch stayed closed during trial and just plugged each engine in during trials and compared with dash gages....proved I was chasing a ghost. Both Engines ran at 195f with 180f tstats although dash gages on one engine was showing 180f. Maybe you can find one of these test instruments.

 

Update on my 3116's.... Took the boat to Lake Boca on Sunday, about a 10 mile ride most of which is open speed zones. As long as I had the engines at 2000 rpm or lower, the temp was about 180. As soon as I ran it up to 2300/2400, the temp would start creeping up and on the way home, the high temp alarm sounded. Looking at the CAT gauges, they were pretty close to the helm gauges and hearing the alarm meant it wasn't a sender issue. My mechanic came out this morning and found the transmission coolers were junked up. He took them out, acid washed them and by 1:30, we took the boat out for trial.

I ran her at 2300 for about 6 miles. The temp in the port engine was +/-185 the starboard was +/-182. the trans cooler seemed to be the problem. there was also some fins that had broken off the inpeller.

 

Hi tobnpr, dont have any engine mounted gauges to compare with helm, engine room access is a bit tight to have someone inside while running but am going to try those self adhesive temp indicors next time out though. Will report back in couple of weeks when next time on boat

 

Update on the engine temp saga...........

After a 4hour trip to France and back at the weekend even though the helm gauges indicate 203 degrees the temperature strips I stuck on show max temp reached is actually 176 degrees F. Now to have a look at the temp sender unit, anyone know where that is and how easy to replace