My motor is too hot

[tallnfast]

So I am a very novice mechanic, actually just learning, piece by piece as my motor needs fixing.
I have a 86 sunsport.
The engine compartment is super hot!
I changed the thermostat to 160 degree one. However my thermostat gauge consistently stays at 180.
I checked the impeller and it is fine and delivering water.
I had problem starting it again after running awhile, as i think it was so warm in the compartment the carb had a hard time?
Well, I waited a while and it started again.
I did replace the coil (the piece that connects to the top of the distrubuter)
Long story short I would like to know why my compartment is so warm, and yes i know it gets warm, however it is much warmer than it was or should be.

Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Andrew

[Salty87]

how new is the boat to you? if the current impeller is good, time to check for pieces of an old impeller in the downstream hoses and thermostat. another one to check is the water passages in the risers. you'll need new gaskets. take pics.

another common problem is the air intake hoses deteriorate over time. the thin plastics falls apart and you may not be getting any much air starving the carb.

an engine gets warmer after you shut it down. the flow of cooling water stops and the doghouse keeps the heat in.

[matt k]

try putting your hand on the headers when the boat has warmed up, they should both be roughly the same temperature, and not blazing hot (though be careful, if water flow is restricted to one or both, they might be very hot).

Another thing to try is running without the thermostat in place, to see if that brings the temp down. Actually, I'm about to start a thread about that...