Debris in thermostats

[DickD]

Just wondering if this is a problem in most areas? I watch my temp religiously to ensure 120 degrees prior to accelerating. 3 times this season I have only seen 98 degrees so back to the shop, pull the thermostats and find very tiny pieces of debris, sand, pebbles, or wood. I am sure this comes from backing away from a dock or beach and sucking the debris in thru the low water pickups. Is there any type of fix out there?
I can't imagine running one of these engines without a heat gauge, why are they not standard equipment? 2011 Pro XS.

[Nikon Man]

The only help you could give yourself is the launch w/o using the motor. Use the T/Motor to put the boat next to the dock while you park your vehicle. Then use the T/Motor to get into deeper water (if your not already there) then start her up. Any shallow areas are going to pose a problem when running the motor. These won't prevent it from happening again, but it will reduce the oppertunities for it to happen as often.

[EuropeanAM]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Nikon Man &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">The only help you could give yourself is the launch w/o using the motor. Use the T/Motor to put the boat next to the dock while you park your vehicle. Then use the T/Motor to get into deeper water (if your not already there) then start her up. Any shallow areas are going to pose a problem when running the motor. These won't prevent it from happening again, but it will reduce the oppertunities for it to happen as often.</td></tr></table>

+1

In addition to the above- we find many "repeat" problems where the engine/setup is simply too low, OR the customer isn't trimming the engine high enough when trolling through shallow areas (essentially DRAGGING the low water inlets at the nose of the gearcase in mud, sand, silt, and debris).

This is usually addressed well with a Hydraulic jackplate and/or additional trim angle.

One of the easiest ways to "know": Pull your boat into a shallow area- and have a buddy stand on the back deck.

Get into the water, and determine how much clearance there is between the boat keel and bottom, VS how much clearance there is between the nose of the gearcase and bottom.

Personally, I'd want 12" more clearance between gearcase and bottom (or more if possible).