Patent ID: 6929520

Claim:
A method for cooling a marine propulsion system, comprising: providing an engine; providing an exhaust manifold to direct exhaust gases away from said engine; providing a recirculation pump connected in fluid communication with a cooling passage of said engine; creating a recirculating stream of cooling water which flows into said cooling passage from said recirculation pump, through said cooling passage, and out of said cooling passage back to said recirculation pump; connecting said cooling passage of said engine in fluid communication with a first port of said exhaust manifold to direct a first portion of said recirculating stream of cooling water into said first port of said exhaust manifold; connecting a second port of said exhaust manifold in fluid communication with said cooling passage of said engine to direct said first portion of said recirculating stream from said second port of said exhaust manifold back into said recirculating stream of cooling water, said first port being disposed below said second port; sensing a temperature of said water in said cooling passage; and directing said water to flow from said cooling passage to an exhaust elbow when said temperature exceeds a preselected temperature.