Mercury problem

[garfield28]

Hi Raiders,

Just wondering if there are any Merc gurus who may be able to help me?

My boat has been out of action for quite a while, about 2 and half months due to my bollard pulling off my boat (long story) to which there is a thread on..... anyway I have just finished the repair of the bollard and was keen to get back on the water, possibly tomorrow, but wanted to run the outboard for a bit to make sure she's good to go. Well I'm not sure of its purpose or what it's called exactly, but there is a hose that is plumbed into the motor which you can connect straight to the hose, well usually I connect the hose and the water comes out through the prop etc and also the tell tail. Well today it didn't seem to come through at first but eventually it did after a little burst of water from the hose and a blow etc, but it did seem as though there was a little blockage there. Anyhow I put the muffs on and no water was coming through the tell tail. I turned the boat off, connected the hose to the hose on the outboard water comes through the tell tail again. I switch and try it on the muffs again, and again no water through the tell tail.... I do this a few times and eventually water spurts through the tell tail using the muffs. I'm not mechanically mined about anything especially outboards, but my thoughts were that, the pressure from the hose made water come through the tell tail, but when it wouldn't spurt through from the muffs that maybe the impeller is gone - or possibly on its way out??

Well I run it on the muffs for about 10 mins without any problems, so I decided to take her for a quick run in the bay to see if she keeps the water spurting from the tell tail and make sure she's running OK, well other then seeming to cough a few cobwebs out of her at first she ran well, and was running like a charm toward the end, about a half hour into giving her a run. She started first go the water was spurting out strong etc and she run well.

Here's the part that I'm concerned about and where I need advice on what may be the problem. I brought her home, hooked up the muffs to flush her, and it seemed to take a bit to get the tell tail showing again, so I turned it off, I moved the muffs around a bit a couple of times doing the same thing and then eventually she started showing through the tell tail. Well I noticed what I thought was smoke at first, but on closer inspection it was steam and fairly hot water running through the hose attachment thingy that is plumbed into the outboard. I've seen water come through that hose before, while idling and when flushing the motor, but I have never seen it have steam and hot water before. I stopped it straight away when I saw the steam, but now am worried as to why that may have happened. Any ideas as to what it might be and what I should do or try to see if it sorts it out would be much appreciated and worth a try.

Thanks heaps

Geoff

[fishingrod]

I've got the same donk. The plumbed hose on mine has a spring loaded fitting inside it. I can push my finger into it when it's idling and warm water runs out of it. But it seals up afterwoods.

If you are getting water run out with nothing connected that "may" be a worry. I'm not mechanical outboard wise, but it may mean you loose pressure to circulate it around the block ?

The tell tale not pumping may just be some sand/salt or even wasps nest stuck up the tell tale tube ;common problem).

Poke some thick mono fishing line or even whipper snippet cord up the tube. That can help unblock it.

Cheers

Rod

[stevefish]

You might find if you run it a bit longer a thermostat will open and your hot water will cool down.

An alarm will sound if it's really on the way to overheating

[garfield28]

I've got the same donk. The plumbed hose on mine has a spring loaded fitting inside it. I can push my finger into it when it's idling and warm water runs out of it. But it seals up afterwoods.

If you are getting water run out with nothing connected that "may" be a worry. I'm not mechanical outboard wise, but it may mean you loose pressure to circulate it around the block ?

The tell tale not pumping may just be some sand/salt or even wasps nest stuck up the tell tale tube ;common problem).

Poke some thick mono fishing line or even whipper snippet cord up the tube. That can help unblock it.

Cheers

Rod

Thanks for the reply Rod.

Mate the water is only coming out when I have the muffs on and the motor going.....I never tried that with mine, I might try and close it with my finger and see if it has a spring loaded thingy inside mine too.

You might find if you run it a bit longer a thermostat will open and your hot water will cool down.

An alarm will sound if it's really on the way to overheating

Thanks for the reply Stevefish,

The water coming out of the tell tail only feels a little warm, it's just the water that is coming back through the other hose which was hot.

I might take it for another run and see if the sea water coming through is any different and hopefully no alarms.

Here is some pics of the hose that is plumbed into the outboard.

[garfield28]

I've got the same donk. The plumbed hose on mine has a spring loaded fitting inside it. I can push my finger into it when it's idling and warm water runs out of it. But it seals up afterwoods.

If you are getting water run out with nothing connected that "may" be a worry. I'm not mechanical outboard wise, but it may mean you loose pressure to circulate it around the block ?

The tell tale not pumping may just be some sand/salt or even wasps nest stuck up the tell tale tube ;common problem).

Poke some thick mono fishing line or even whipper snippet cord up the tube. That can help unblock it.

Cheers

Rod

Actually, now I think of it Rod... do you think that because I have this attachment on that plumbed in hose, that it is the reason I have water coming back out?

Would you think that the water is not meant to come back out, and if it does would you expect that it would be hot?

Thanks

Geoff

Edited January 1, 2016 by garfield28

[fishingrod]

Geoff

Seen your thread on SydneyA' too.

When I press my fitting in, the water out my hose is warm, like a nice warm shower. I wouldn't call it hot. But (from memory) generally warmer than my tell tale.

The normal garden hose fittings on yours probably don't have a one way or spring loaded valve like my factory fitting has.

I have no idea on the consequences (if any) if that hose is left unsealed with water flowing out when running at cruising speed.

Good luck getting it fixed or diagnosed quickly so you can get back on the water this season.

Edited January 1, 2016 by fishingrod

[garfield28]

Geoff

Seen your thread on SydneyA' too.

When I press my fitting in, the water out my hose is warm, like a nice warm shower. I wouldn't call it hot. But (from memory) generally warmer than my tell tale.

The normal garden hose fittings on yours probably don't have a one way or spring loaded valve like my factory fitting has.

I have no idea on the consequences (if any) if that hose is left unsealed with water flowing out when running at cruising speed.

Good luck getting it fixed or diagnosed quickly so you can get back on the water this season.

Thanks mate.

Yeah, I'm getting my boat serviced next week and I'm going to ask the guy to order and fit the factory part for that hose.

[Commodore]

As someone as already said, it is most probably your thermostat. I have the same on my Evinrude

[antonywardle]

I suspect that the hose is there so you can flush the engine without having to start it.

Can you remove it from the engine end?

I can click on a hose to my ETEC to do that, but I've not ever bother. I jsut run the outboard.

I like how quiet it is!

Also, you can get those one way fittings from anywhere you buy hoses. They will have an arrow

on them and when you hold them up, you can't see through them.

Edited January 4, 2016 by antonywardle

[garfield28]

I suspect that the hose is there so you can flush the engine without having to start it.

Can you remove it from the engine end?

I can click on a hose to my ETEC to do that, but I've not ever bother. I jsut run the outboard.

I like how quiet it is!

Also, you can get those one way fittings from anywhere you buy hoses. They will have an arrow

on them and when you hold them up, you can't see through them.

Hey Antony,

Mate I just got off the phone with the boat mechanic and he has replaced the impeller for me, done a service and filled me in on that hose fitting that has caused me dramas.

He told me that I need to change that fitting and get a "check valve" as it's not good for the water to be coming from there while the outboard is running. He also told me that they were put on the outboard to flush the power head, and that water should be flushing through the leg not back through that hose piece. He also told me that is probably the best way to flush my outboard is to use that hose as it will flush the power head blah blah I've forgot half of what he said, and the words for parts he used, but he said that it would be more beneficial to the outboard to flush the motor with that hose rather than the muffs.

Thanks everyone for the help and advice, very much appreciated,

Geoff