engine issue, temp increase oil pressure decrease

hey guys i was out in the boat today. the temp went up to about 180(it normally is at 160 while cruising) and the oil pressure dropped to about 20 psi. i also started smelling burning oil the engine is a 5.8 liter 351 boss gt 40 heads.

a little history. i blew a head gasket this past fall which i fixed a few weeks ago. it appears that there is a small oil leak near the front of the oil pan too.

so after i smelled and saw the issues i stopped the boat and waited for the temp to cool and then idled back in. temp stayed about 160 and the pressure increased a little. any ideas what would have caused the temp to increase? im guessing the lack of oil pressure could be related to the leak.

Is this the first trip out since head gasket fix?
Did it start without a problem when you headed back in?

I don't think a small leak would cause your pressure to go down. That leak's going to be a PITA to fix: timing cover and all front accessories will need to come off. Could have been a blocked water passage causing temp issue. I'm sure you've checked/replaced impeller before the season started, so were there any vanes missing? As you know, the temp sensor is on top of the intake manifold and may not reflect the actual temp of the engine. So if it got to 180* up there, it could be a lot hotter in other spots on the engine.

hey thanks for responding!

this is about the 4th trip or so since the fix. this was the first time ive had any problems with the engine.

it restarted just fine after i let it sit there for 5 mins or so. the temp stayed around 160. i think there are 2 separate things. maybe the oil leak was hitting something hot(block or whatever) causing the burning oil smell and maybe there are issues with a blockage as you suggested.

i didnt check the impeller. it was storming pretty hard. ill get out there and check it later this week.

i hate working on engines!! hahaha