2.4 Fat Block running hot after poppit clean-up

[tuoppix]

I used to have som water pressure and temp issues with intermittent steam from the telltale last season. The motor had only about 6-10 psi at WOT and +3/4 on the temp gauge. So I opened up the poppit valve and removed some junk that was keeping it open. New impeller and a smoother bottom plate for the pump as well. After that, no improvement on the pressure and finally, the alarm went off on a light test drive. This never happened before, so the motor must be running even hotter after my efforts. There was only steam coming out from the telltale.
The poppit telltale isn't leaking and the thermos aren't jammed. Any suggestions to what to try next? Is there any spots to search for an internal water leak? I checked the head temp running idle on a hose. 170'F on the bottom and 160 next to the thermostats, both sides..:nonod:

[Eagle One]

You have something restricting your water flow. You need at least 14-16 psi at wide open throttle. If you've change a water pump any time or if it was done just prior to the problem I'd think you have a dislodged water tube grommet or something along those lines, maybe a gasket at the pump itself?.Might check from the lower unit up to the tuner plate. If you have a low water pick up I'd look at the water path from the nose to the pump?. If the poppet were sticking closed your water pressure would be excessively high. If you're getting plenty of flow out the tell tale hose you may have a blown head gasket.Could be something else but I'd look at this for sure.

[transomstand]

New impeller and a smoother bottom plate for the pump as well.

I would expect no improvement. You must replace the entire kit with new parts only, and a new water pump base. It's the only way to eliminate the water pump as the source of low pressure.

[tuoppix]

Thenks for the both replies. I opened up one head and found some pieces of a busted impeller in the water jacket. I guess most of the pieces are somewhere in the exhaust plate area blocking the circulation. I can see a clear passage looking up the pipe from the pump. Where do the pieces like to build up when an impeller is blown? I'm hoping to do least possible teardown to the block as a complete powerhead gasket set won't make it up here in time. Of course the impeller is burnt by a previous owner as always..
I do use a transom pick-up and it has been checked ok. The head gasket was fine too.

[tuoppix]

So much for the light teardown. A gasket was leaking between exhaust plate and the midsection. The holes for the upper bushings were flooded. I think they're supposed to be on the dry side.

[tuoppix]

Pressure finally! It turned out that the exhaust plate had the older 2.4 style gasket and not the newer one that must be used with the fat block and 2.5s. I ended up switching the mid and plates over to ones from an older model and reusing the gasket because I'm cheap..