Closed-coolant engine temp question.

Not having much success finding an answer for this, as not many people have this setup, however, I'll ask you guys and see what you think:

I've got an early 90's 351PCM with the closed-coolant setup. I've been on a summer-long mission to stablize and lower the operating temp on this boat and have, thus far, gotten to operate consistantly in the high 170's range (175-178). Considering that raw water engines usually like to run in the low 160's, I've always thought this to be high, but I've had a couple people tell me that this is normal operating temp for this kind of engine, saying that it's not unlike a car engine.

Does anyone here have any experience with these types of setups and can you suggest what the normal operating temp should be? Thanks!
JD

8122pbrainard wrote: JD, You're fine at the 170 to 180. There are lots here with sea water cooling who have a hard time getting their engines to run at that temp! Your friends are correct that a closed cooling system can be related to a car. Think about the operating temp of a stretch limo with the air on full sitting in trafic in Las Vegas!! Welcome to the site. Glad you found it.

Thanks, that puts my mind at ease! Just hearing about sea water engines working in the low-160's made me wonder if I should be running that much hotter.

I've been lurking here for a while, and while I'm not a Correct Craft owner (don't kick me out ) I've found the info on the engine forum to be invaluable. Just bought my first inboard last Fall and there's been a bit of a learning curve involved. Thanks again for the help!