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2000 Malibu VLX Sunsetter Overheating


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Hey gang,

Tried to sort through the other posts to figure it but I figured I’d get straight to the point. I’ve got a 2000 VLX Sunsetter that I’ve never had any issues with and today on the lake it started overheating. There’s some extra water in the bilge so I’m hoping it just a water coolant leak but any advice in diagnosing this would be appreciated. I’d changed the impeller at the beginning of last season. What’s steps would y’all recommend?

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30 minutes ago, Kylestunt said:

Hey gang,

Tried to sort through the other posts to figure it but I figured I’d get straight to the point. I’ve got a 2000 VLX Sunsetter that I’ve never had any issues with and today on the lake it started overheating. There’s some extra water in the bilge so I’m hoping it just a water coolant leak but any advice in diagnosing this would be appreciated. I’d changed the impeller at the beginning of last season. What’s steps would y’all recommend?


Couple things to check. I’d put it on a fake lake and see where the extra water is coming from. Back side of the impeller housing? Might need a rebuild. Front cover of the housing? Might be loose, but don’t over tighten the brass bolts. Also, check the transmission cooler filter. Pic is to give you an idea of what it looks like. Yours is on the starboard side towards the bottom of the motor. 

B97CB2C4-54A5-4E39-8250-C23BBECA6510

 


 

 

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11 minutes ago, BlindSquirrel said:

So when you are saying pull the one hose to check for blockage, are you saying pull it, start the engine and see if water pumps out of it?

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12 minutes ago, Kylestunt said:
42 minutes ago, BlindSquirrel said:

So when you are saying pull the one hose to check for blockage, are you saying pull it, start the engine and see if water pumps out of it?

No, check for the blockage first without it running or the fake lake on. Use your phone camera to see if anything is blocking because it will be hard to get your head where you can see in it. Clean out whatever is in there, put it back together, then move to the fake lake and check for your leak. If you have a leak it’s likely sucking air instead of water, causing your overheating. The checking for blockage is something you should do every so often anyway. Careful not to over tighten the hose clamp on the cooler, needs to be tight, but not super tight. 

Edited by BlindSquirrel
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Definitely feels like stuff in the cooler, should it just be an empty tube the water passes through or baffles of some kind? Oh, and there was a massive blow out on the pump to cooler water hose…so that’s where the water came from

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So there definitely seems to be what I believe are shredded bits of the impeller jamming up the cooler. I’ve got a replacement impeller and will be putting that in next. Do impellers have a front or back? As in does it matter which way you install it?

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57 minutes ago, Kylestunt said:

So there definitely seems to be what I believe are shredded bits of the impeller jamming up the cooler. I’ve got a replacement impeller and will be putting that in next. Do impellers have a front or back? As in does it matter which way you install it?

Alright, good. Sounds like you’re on to something. No there is no front or back to the impeller. On the first time out with the new impeller, pull the switch out on the throttle and rev the rpms a little to help prime the pump and make sure the new impeller gets wet. We actually do it every time we launch.

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Gotcha. So the impeller was in great shape. Looks like a previous owner had shredded one, replaced it, but didn’t clear out the cooler of the old bits. Does the pump to cooler hose thread above or below the silver rod steering linkage?

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Will do ASAP. I put everything back together with a temporary hose from the pump to the cooler and everything seems to be working great now. Left on the trailer but in the water and ran it with the drive disengaged and it never went above 160 degrees. One other random question though, I get some squeaking/squealing from the engine at low/mid rpms. Is that normal? Something I should be concerned about?

  • Like 1
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Really the only thing that would squeak is involved with the belt back there. Did it maybe get wet? You could also confirm the alternator is tight. It’s right by the cooler. Mine came a little loose a few years ago and made the belt squeak. 

Edited by BlindSquirrel
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If a hose blew out, it might be time to change all of the hoses and the belt too.  If you feel ambitious this winter, change your entire fuel lines and the exhaust hoses as well.

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13 hours ago, justgary said:

If a hose blew out, it might be time to change all of the hoses and the belt too.  If you feel ambitious this winter, change your entire fuel lines and the exhaust hoses as well.

Not a bad idea. Probably will go that route but fairly sure the water pressure build up from the blocked cooler was just way too much for the hose to handle, otherwise it would have been fine. I’m sure most of the hoses are stock though so better to do the maintenance now then have another blow out on the water.

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18 hours ago, Kylestunt said:

Gotcha. So the impeller was in great shape. Looks like a previous owner had shredded one, replaced it, but didn’t clear out the cooler of the old bits. Does the pump to cooler hose thread above or below the silver rod steering linkage?

The hose from the pump to cooler should be well above the rudder linkage. Mine goes from pump, above and around the exhaust exit, then connects to the cooler. Pretty sure you need the molded hose. Likely can be found for less $, but your call.

https://www.bakesonline.com/indmar-raw-water-impeller-pump-1-14-inch-formed-hose.html

 

Edited by BlindSquirrel
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Yeah I’ve got that ordered up from a local boat service place. So your house goes around the side of everything or does it dip under the engine at all?

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2 hours ago, Kylestunt said:

Yeah I’ve got that ordered up from a local boat service place. So your house goes around the side of everything or does it dip under the engine at all?

It should not go under the engine. Was the one that was on there before not a formed hose?

1CA42BB8-413E-4D53-B3B9-F5A028073A88

 

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And thanks for making me post a pic of my engine. I took a real life pic of an engine that gets used, instead of spit shining it before I took it like @justgary does.... 

 

 

I'm just jealous ... :cry:

Edited by BlindSquirrel
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  • 4 weeks later...

Yeah the original one was a formed hose and was run under the engine with a corrugated plastic cover over one section of it, I ran the new one on the same path with the cover. Everything is working great now!

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