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Velvet Drive Coolant Lines


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All:

I have an intermittent high temp light that comes on the dash of my 1997 Echelon LX. It has a Velvet drive transmission and a mercruiser magnum. The temp shows 180^ on the gauge engine coolant gauge, which is hotter than it should be.

When I replaced the impeller, I found a lot of debris in the screen from a former impeller that must have let go on the previous owner. I shop-vac'd all the rubber bits out, thinking that was causing the high temps. But I still have a problem. So I decided to check the transmission coolant lines that run from the tube screen behind the raw water pump, and feed back to the velvet drive tranny. I disconnected the lines, one at a time, back at the tranny housing. I took the top one off and it was all clear. I took the bottom one off next and I was surprised when transmission fluid started coming out. I thought these were water lines??? Whyam I seeing tranny fluid in the line? Is this normal or is something wrong here? The fluid was nice and red the way it should be, so that has me thinking everything fine. But I am confused as to what should circulate in these lines now...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Boat runs great and shifts perfectly. If it was not for the high temp light coming on, I would assume everything is tip-top.

-- Mike

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Your tranny fluid runs through the inline tranny cooler that is between your seawater pump and your engine. Your velvet drive circulates the fluid through the cooler and it tends to be the gathering point for lost impeller pieces. Red fluid is supposed to come out when you disconnect those lines...

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The high temp light is set off by either the tranny temp, the engine temp or oil pressure, the three linked together on the same beeper.

So the manual says......

Q. - Is the water intake clear before the impellar?

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The high temp light is set off by either the tranny temp, the engine temp or oil pressure, the three linked together on the same beeper.

So the manual says......

Q. - Is the water intake clear before the impellar?

Yep, the water intake is all clear, that was the first step in my troubleshooting process. The boat (Echelon) has separate lights for high temp, low oil pressure, etc. All seems good there.

My boat has the optional heater. The thermostat housing has some sort of thermostat above the engine thermostat. Can you replace just that piece without replacing the whole housing? It does not appear to come apart?

-- Mike

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