johnson 140 saga continues

[thebottomfish]

Hey everyone, have an 88(thought it was an 89) johnson 140. It runs great, when it runs.
Last week I tracked down some chewed spark plug wires, this week, while jockeying for the boat ramp on the way in I sucked up some mud and grass and whatever other vegetation was floating by. Did not notice I wasn't peeing out of the tell tale. Motor smokes..
Ends up the thermostat housing got so hot it melted the plastic nipple that the cooling hoses run to.
No alarm went off, but I shut her down and roped her into the trailer.
Took it home and found the melted nipples, found a wire causally just stuck in(not connected to) the temperature switch(explains no alarm) so I thought now would be a good time to change the thermostats.
Pulled the housing and there were no thermostats instead I was greeted with, for lack of a better description, globs of dried elmers white glue. I'm attaching some pictures and at a complete loss as to what this can be. It's not salt deposits, I just don't have a clue. Tried to dissolve pieces I chiseled off with paint/lacquer thinner to no avail.
I also assume there is no upside to running without a thermostat, but I'm wondering if there's a reason the p.o. took them out.
So any suggestions whether i should run as is or get thermostats?
Previous owner also used fuel injection hose as the cooling lines any reason I should or should not use that?
Thanks again!

[thebottomfish]

Also, the"glue" is in both thermostat housings.

[THEFERMANATOR]

If you got it hot enough to melt those plastic nipples, you have bigger concerns than that crud in the cooling system. I would bet your heads are warped now, and maybe even got the rings if you got it that hot. Not sure what is in there, but it looks like something melted from the cooling system.

[phatdaddy]

when you energize the key switch, does the horn beep?
should be able to take the wire going to the temp sensor, touch it to the block and the horn will sound(with the key on).

[thebottomfish]

The horn has never beeped from the key being turned to the on position(never knew it should) so I will try grounding that wire tomorrow. Does anyone know if it's the tan wire or the white with black stripe?

The ferminator...what would you do in this situation? Pull the heads?

[THEFERMANATOR]

yes, pulling the heads would be 1st on my list if it got that hot. and the tan wire is for the alarm, white with a stripe goes to the powerpack and controls the fast idle.

[spareparts]

compression test before you do anything, then pull the heads is youve been challenged

[phatdaddy]

are u running premix or using the injection system? not sure on that motor, but if injecting, should hear a horn on precrank (southern word).

[thebottomfish]

I am running premix, previous owner disconnected vro system. I will try grounding the warning horn as well as the compression test this afternoon and I guess I'll proceed from there.
This may seem stupid, but every time I've compression tested I've done it cold, with water running and warm with water running just because the muffs we're going to be on there sooner or later...since I won't be running the motor for this test do I still need to hook it up to muffs?

[phatdaddy]

if u melted t-stats, pump is probably gone also, but it won't hurt to hook up hose.