???? you have a pump on it ?? maybe it's packing in.disconnect pump and retry, might be problem right there, when your running all out pumps more of a hinder then help,pumps only good for going slow.
if you removed the clutch then get rid of the pump.

would i be able to use same pickup? Easy to just bypass the pump remove tubes and add pipe sleeve.
Next time out bypass pump and tuned pipe.

should be able to use same water p/u .dual rudder setup is over kill.don't like the bend in your water line at the pick up. maybe for now ,run it up and over transom ,then to motor just to try it. sharp bend like that not good.or move antenae mount and move line higher up to avoid such a sharp bend.

When I bypass the water pump & wet pipe I will work on the bends of the tubing.

Make sure all the ID's of the water system are the same size. Any restriction between where the water comes in & where it finally exits will control the amount of water flow, no matter how large the input at the prop or rudder is. This would include any flexible lines used. A larger supply of water coming in than what is needed, will not hurt, because it can always be restricted at the final outlet.

JA

Without water being injected into that pipe/header coupling it will burn away quickly. You could try it for a few laps but long term you can't run that system dependably without water.

If you are confident that clutch removal was the change which got
this snafu started, check the flex shaft/drive line for any kind
of bind or friction that could be making the engine slightly hotter
than normal.

Frequent grease is good but it will not compensate for a drive line
that is binding.

Does the drive dog have the same small space in front of it as when
the clutch was installed?

Could the engine be tilting slightly at WOT and be placing some unwanted
pressure between the flex shaft and the shaft tube?

After the clutch removal, was a new shaft tube (longer) fitted to keep
the exposed flex shaft from whipping? An exposed shaft whipping is often
detected by flaring of the shaft tube.

Some drive line binds don't start dragging very hard until friction
builds significant heat - they can be some of the more difficult to
figure out.

If this continues to baffle, you may have to put her in a test tank so
you can stand over her while she runs.

dont pack alot of grease coz that too will actually cause more friction. A light machine oil may be a better solution.Checking the flex is a good idea nevertheless.

The space between the drive dog and the "cartridge" is the same also it has a ball bearing and thrust washer set up. The new shaft & tube enter the "nose mount" just like with the clutch but longer. I would have thought the "nose mount" would take care of any twisting and misalignment when the engine revved. I checked for binding in the drive system when installed, but that is totally different than when running WOT. Luckily my water line from my pick up is long enough to reach the fitting on the engine, so no change in size of tube yet. The dual rudder system can be converted to a single( future mod) Dry exhaust is also a future mod. I notice in my pictures of before and after clutch removal that my fuel line is routed differently. would this have an effect?