hi im all new to this hobby, before using my boat for the first time i want to be certain the water is circulating properlly and cooling the engine, any tips on doing this? the 2 water pick ups from the rudder are leading to the head, the pipe from the bottom of the head is connecting to the small metal external hole thats on the side of the boat, is this a breather? or for the water thats cooled to engine to pass out from??? theres also one on the other side with a pipe connected to it but its not actually connected to anything? i know i sound like i dont have a clue but im learning slowly ,thanks for your help!

The propwash and/or the water movement forces water up the pipe, through the engine cooling jacket, and onward and outward back to the outside world via the side hole.  Water should be able to flow through the system freely, without leaks.  Normal way to check is to fill the pipe with water to see that it exits the other end, and visually check that there are no leaks to the inside of the boat.  Then when it running on the water, there should be a very visible jet of warm water from the outlet.

thanks for your help i will be doing those checks on it soon i see your also in the uk, can you recomend a good 2 stroke oil to use? mines running a 28 cy sikk engine, and i will be running the engine in.

Best for engine-life is Castrol 747 ..... mixed to 1 : 16

Alternatives are Honda HP-2 and Motul 800 off-road

thanks for your help, i will be ordering one of those oils,theres a lot to learn and i want to make sure im doing everything properlly

I stick with electric, and low power at that, but some things are fairly universal and I observe other club members.
Have you got a water in mind for operating the boat? Not everywhere appreciates I/C, in fact it's barred on my lake.
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