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1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:46 am
by Tony G
I have two inquiries, after a major re-planking/ refinish I have just starting to run the engine "CC ,GM283" appears to be original . 1. There are three electric water temperature sending units one at the front of each exhaust manifold located in the wye piping to the heads, and one to the rear of the engine in the intake manifold. what was the intention and how did they read all three with only one gauge in the dash?. What would be the correct application. 2. Engine temp when running at 1000RPM's is approx. 155 degrees with water inlet temp to the pump from a hose connection at the water strainer pickup at approx. 80 degrees what should the average exhaust temp be ? How hot should the exhaust elbow be at the point that the exhaust hose connects to the engine? Is it safe to assume that if the water and oil temp is at a safe level than the exhaust temp isn't an issue ?

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 5:44 pm
by drrot
There should be two gauges. One for each sender in the exhaust manifold. The original pump is actually two pumps in one. Each half of the pump cools half of the engine. The water originally never crossed over so if half the pump went bad half the engine could overheat.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:15 pm
by mfine
The original setup had two senders and two gauges, and no thermostat. The water temp in the 155 range is fine. The exhaust at the elbow should be hot, but cool enough to briefly touch without burning yourself. If the rubber hose is smoking, or the paint is burning off the elbow, it is not getting enough water flow.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:46 am
by cc-woodboats
the ski boat I had had one temp gauge and a red idiot light. gauge monitored eng temp on one head and the red light would light if the other half of the engine overheated.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:58 am
by WoodenRookie
anyone care to share an early 283 picture with multiple temp. gauges. I dont think I've seen one on a single engine. My early 283 had one gauge. Dec 58.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:41 am
by maritimeclassics
I have never seen 2 temp gauges in a runabout but my 1961 25' Chris Craft Constellation has a factory 283 with 2 temp gauges and 2 sending units on the engine.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 2:45 pm
by mfine
My 62 ski-jet which was mostly identical to the regular 62 ski boat had 2 temp gauges.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:06 pm
by jim g
Not all of the 283 fwf boats had 2 temp gauges. Most had one temp gauge for one cylinder bank. The other cylinder bank had a red warning light on the dash. Originally there was a sticker silver with black writing that had WATER TEMP printed on it. In the wye's between the cylinder head. One side had a temp sender for a gauge and the other side just had a temp switch that turned the light on at 210 degrees.

The mid 60's ski boats had a duel temp gauge marked left and right.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 6:38 am
by jfrprops
Jim G's info reminds one of the setup on the old ford flatheads.....one gauge, two sensors, but instead of a red light I think those spiked to hot side if that manifold overheated...gauge read for only the other side....?
John in Va.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:00 am
by WoodenRookie
So are we estimating that most of the early v-8 runabouts are being run with the gauge running one side of the engine and monitoring that? I'm not seeing many red lights or second temperature gauges. Bout to launch mine after years and was planning to monitor with a laser spot pistol. Anyone put a switch or diverter to multiple locations? buy an old gauge off ebay and monitor under the engine box?

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:56 am
by jfrprops
I wish someone in the know would verify the thing that I heard years ago about single gauge flathead fords.... i.e. that the single gauge read temp on one manifold and if the other overheated it would simply spike the gauge all the way over to hot???
May not be the case but would make sense given the wiring scheme of jumping from one sensor to the other and then to the gauge?
John in Va.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:54 am
by MikeM
I have a 1960 SBC FWF 283 with the Owens conversion. I run two senders with one gauge and a SPDT toggle switch behind the dash under the instrument. Works great. The port banks on those were known to run hot. I have only had problems when we are cruising at idle. If it gets hot I put it in neutral and increase the revs until the temp comes down.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:47 am
by mfine
jfrprops wrote:
Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:56 am
I wish someone in the know would verify the thing that I heard years ago about single gauge flathead fords.... i.e. that the single gauge read temp on one manifold and if the other overheated it would simply spike the gauge all the way over to hot???
May not be the case but would make sense given the wiring scheme of jumping from one sensor to the other and then to the gauge?
John in Va.
I have never seen one, but I think the wiring would be fairly simple. The temp sender resistance goes down as temperature goes up. To peg the gauge you would just need to add a temp switch on the other side that grounds it out when hot enough.

Re: 1959 CC Ski 18'

Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 7:53 pm
by jfrprops
matt, makes sense..thanks for the clarification...Jon in Va