Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
I left the boat in the driveway for one year without starting the
motor. Today, I put the lower unit into a bucket of water, and start
the motor to winterize it. After trying to start it for a couple
times, I finally manage to start it. Unfortunately, I cannot see the
telltail water stream coming out from the motor cooling system. All I
see is some smoke coming from the hole where the water stream is
supposed to come out from. Despite the fact that the motor temperature
was not overheating (only run it for 30 seconds or so), I decided to
turn off the motor just to be in the safe side.

My question is:

Should I expect to see the telltail water stream coming out from the
motor as soon as I start the motor? Does the motor need to reach a
certain temperature before the water stream coming out? The boatowner
manual said this:

"2. If engine is cold, run engine for 1 or 2 minutes ...
3. After engine has warmed up, check water temperature
gauge to ensure that engine temperature is not
abnormally high... Check that water is running from
the tell-tail on the back of the engine..."

This seems to suggest that the telltail water stream may not come out
if the engine is not warm enough. Considering the fact that the
overheating warning horn doesn't sound, the cooling system may not
really have a problem.

However, the Mercury Operation & Maintenance Manual for my 1995 Mercury
115hp outboard said this differently:

"10 Turn ignition key to START ...re-prime until engine
is running smoothly.
11 Check for a steady stream of water flowing out
of the water pump indicator hole.
IMPORTANT: If no water is coming out of the water
pump indicator hole, stop engine..."

This surely seems like I should expect to see telltail water stream
coming out as soon as I start the engine.

Now, I am really confused with this conflicting info. Obviously, I
don't want to risk overheating the motor. Can someone help me with
this?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan


Pull off the hose to the tell tale from inside the cowling. See if water
comes out. Lots of times a bug builds a nest in the hole, or some other
dirt plugs it up. Is a small orifice.

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

Checking for cooling water should be as instinctive as making sure
your dick's not about to be bitten by your pants zipper.


Make sure ity isn't just a plugged up pee hole. Run a stiff wire
up there and try it.

Be very carefull that you don't get all this advice mixed up. Sam

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

"Sam" wrote in message
ups.com...
Checking for cooling water should be as instinctive as making sure
your dick's not about to be bitten by your pants zipper.


Make sure ity isn't just a plugged up pee hole. Run a stiff wire
up there and try it.

Be very carefull that you don't get all this advice mixed up. Sam


When the dust settles Jay will still have to replace the impeller. This
year he ran it for 30 seconds with no water stream but smoke/steam coming
from the tell tale hole. Same thing last fall for who knows how long.

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...


Now, I need to write down on my boat-owner manual to expect to see the
telltail right after I have started the motor -- to prevent it from
confusing me again.

Seriously??? Do you plan on looking at the manual every time you start the
motor? Checking for cooling water should be as instinctive as making sure
your dick's not about to be bitten by your pants zipper.

Yes, absolutely seriously. I have only used the remote-start control
to started a motor for the grand total of may be 4 times (in two
occasions) in my life (discounting the number of times when I started
small motor in rental boat by hand pulling to start). I still have a
learning curve to climb through.

Jay Chan

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

Gene wrote:
On 9 Oct 2006 08:17:13 -0700, "
wrote:

Make sure ity isn't just a plugged up pee hole. Some bugs like that
size hole to lay an egg in and they mortar it shut. Run a stiff wire
up there and try it.

Thanks for the tip. This should be easy to try, and I will try this
when I get back home today. But I have a feeling that the telltale
hole is probably not plugged; otherwise, I should not see smoke coming
out from the telltail hole.



Considering this whole scenario.... you really shouldn't have seen
smoke... regardless.... unless you didn't have a high enough water
level in your "bucket."

I'm betting that your pump impeller is toast. Once you get this damage
repaired...... Forget the bucket and get some muffs that fit your
motor.
--


Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Southport, NC. http://myworkshop.idleplay.net/
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

There was plenty of water in the bucket to cover all the water inlets
in the lower unit.

Somehow the ear-muff attachment didn't work for me last fall when I
winterized the motor. I had tried three different versions of ear-muff
attachment; neither worked. At that time, putting the lower unit
inside the water bucket was the only way that worked (in the sense that
I could see the telltail coming from the motor). Therefore, I choose
the "tried and true" method when I need to winterize the motor now --
Unfortunately for me, this method doesn't work this time. Actually, I
would much prefer to use the ear-muff attachment instead of using the
water bucket because using the ear-muff attachment is more convenient.

I am guessing that may be the impeller was not working that well last
fall and was very marginal at best. After it has been sitting unused
for one year, it may have finally got stuck. Seem like I will need to
replace the impeller.

Jay Chan

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
wrote:
On 9 Oct 2006 08:14:03 -0700, "
wrote:

Thanks for pointing out that I likely need to replace the impeller.
And also thanks for the link to the impeller kit; I quite likely need
to order one.

Make sure you get some anti-sieze compound (I llike a brand called
Neversieze) and work it into the threads of the bolts when you put
things back together. It is messy stuff but it will make it easierr to
get apart next time.
Now pray that the last guy did!
Basically 4 bolts right at the cavitation plate and one nut up in a
hole near the little fin in back will drop the foot. It helps to have
a helper but usually it will be stuck enough so it won't just fall.
Put some grease on the shaft splines when you go back together too.
The impeller is under that little can on top of the foot. (a couple
small bolts)

Thanks for the tip of using the anti-sieze compound. The chance is
good that the ex-owner didn't apply any anti-sieze compound in the
lower unit based on the fact that the propeller was/is really stuck
from day-one when I bought the boat.

I would like to ask you one question: Does replacing the impeller
involve removing the propeller as a part of the process? As I said
above, the propeller is really stuck.

Jay Chan


Whether it's part of the job or not, you may as well get the prop UNstuck.
It's a good idea to check for fishing line wound behind it, or so sayeth my
owner's manual.

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
Gene wrote:
On 9 Oct 2006 08:17:13 -0700, "
wrote:

Make sure ity isn't just a plugged up pee hole. Some bugs like that
size hole to lay an egg in and they mortar it shut. Run a stiff wire
up there and try it.

Thanks for the tip. This should be easy to try, and I will try this
when I get back home today. But I have a feeling that the telltale
hole is probably not plugged; otherwise, I should not see smoke coming
out from the telltail hole.



Considering this whole scenario.... you really shouldn't have seen
smoke... regardless.... unless you didn't have a high enough water
level in your "bucket."

I'm betting that your pump impeller is toast. Once you get this damage
repaired...... Forget the bucket and get some muffs that fit your
motor.
--


Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Southport, NC.
http://myworkshop.idleplay.net/
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

There was plenty of water in the bucket to cover all the water inlets
in the lower unit.

Somehow the ear-muff attachment didn't work for me last fall when I
winterized the motor. I had tried three different versions of ear-muff
attachment; neither worked. At that time, putting the lower unit
inside the water bucket was the only way that worked (in the sense that
I could see the telltail coming from the motor). Therefore, I choose
the "tried and true" method when I need to winterize the motor now --
Unfortunately for me, this method doesn't work this time. Actually, I
would much prefer to use the ear-muff attachment instead of using the
water bucket because using the ear-muff attachment is more convenient.

I am guessing that may be the impeller was not working that well last
fall and was very marginal at best. After it has been sitting unused
for one year, it may have finally got stuck. Seem like I will need to
replace the impeller.

Jay Chan


The muffs don't work on mine, either, unless I crank up a LOT of water. It's
like you have to create a solid wall of water within the cups.

Cannot See the Telltail Water Stream from the Motor
 

JimH wrote:
"Sam" wrote in message
ups.com...
Checking for cooling water should be as instinctive as making sure
your dick's not about to be bitten by your pants zipper.


Make sure ity isn't just a plugged up pee hole. Run a stiff wire
up there and try it.

Be very carefull that you don't get all this advice mixed up. Sam


When the dust settles Jay will still have to replace the impeller. This
year he ran it for 30 seconds with no water stream but smoke/steam coming
from the tell tale hole. Same thing last fall for who knows how long.

You are probably right. Last fall, somehow the ear-muff attachment
didn't work for the motor (probably the impeller was very marginal at
that time) and the engine was overheat; the only way to get the
telltail was putting the lower unit in a bucket of water, and this
allowed me to run the motor for 5 minutes and finish the winterizing.

Seem like the impeller will have to be replaced.

Jay Chan