Odd Outboard issue

DJN51 · Apr 20, 2015

Try blowing air with compressor and nozzle.I plug mine at haul out keeps spiders and ladybugs out all winter

Stu Jackson · Apr 20, 2015

BO, open the cowling and replace the hose inside. Good luck.

caguy · Apr 20, 2015

Bad Obsession said:
At the end of last season I was having issues with my outboard. On the last day of my trip she stopped spitting water. I jammed a wire into the pee hole and it started spitting water again.

This off season I put a brand new impeller in. The old impeller seemed fine.

Today I started up the outboard. It ran okay for a few minutes and it stopped spitting water. I tinkered with the engine and ran a wire into the pee hole. It started spitting water again. This happened a few other times.

Back at my new slip I ran the wire into the pee hole vigorously. I then started the engine and it REALLY started to spit water. I ran the wire into the pee hole while the engine was on and it kept on going. I ran it for a bit longer and it seemed to keep a good water stream.

I don't want to fight this off and on. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on what I can do to clear out this issue?

I did notice that when it doesn't shoot a stream the water still comes out somewhere but not as strong. When it is open it really puts out water.

What kind of OB do you have? Year? Model? A diagram would be helpful. Sounds like what ever is blocking the flow is trying to get out but is hung up. The wire is only temporarily pushing it aside.

Benny17441 · Apr 20, 2015

Had that happen to me and it was salt build up. I guess the stream was gradually reducing and I did not notice it until it stopped. It was a little unnerving as I was in a situation where I could not shut down the engine immediately. It just overheated slightly. I used a wire in there and got the stream started and then would periodically repeat the procedure so that it would not ever get to the point of loosing the stream. If the loss of the stream happened all of a sudden then the cause of the blockage could be some hard obstruction in there which might need to be removed.

Rob2435 · Apr 20, 2015

Use this, when water is heated, as in cooling an outboard it will drop minerals, salt, and cause a clog. If you have hard water at home, it will do the same to your coil water heater. Here's what I use and it works great.

http://www.theruststore.com/Salt-Away-32-oz-Concentrate-P206.aspx?gclid=CNrCmpHFhsUCFfRj7AodSUAAIw

sunman · Apr 21, 2015

yep, happened to me too, changed impellers etc, blew it out, still didnt have a good stream, even stopped spitting once and I limped back to the dock w/steam soming outta the motor..
enough, I pulled the exhaust plate and head, and there it was, lill bits and pcs of a previous water pumps impellers in the water galleys :cussing:
when I got the motor the 1st thing I did was change the pump, it looked new but I changed it anyway...this always made me dismiss the idea that it was in the water system....I know I changed out the pump every yr. and the org pump looked new....
it was the P.O that changed out a known bad impeller and should have noticed the missing pcs. they had to be somewhere, I found'em
sometimes U gotta do surgery
anyway I de-carboned everything, cleaned out the salt in the galley area, gotta new gasket kit and she runs great, and what a stream,

Ron20324 · Apr 21, 2015

Bad O, you should have pulled the hose off the engine and reamed it out. Mud daubbers will nest in the hose. To ream from outside only pushed stuff into the engine.

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Apr 21, 2015

Do bear in mind - the "Pee hole" is simply an indicator. Water is being pumped out other places. So a restriction of the hole does not meant the impeller isn't working.. On my Yamaha there are two other places on the engine leg I can look at to check water flow, but thee main flow is out the prop center.

Brian D · Apr 21, 2015

Before I fire up my outboard, I will connect the flushing hose and run fresh water through the system. This is done to clear any obstacles in the pee path. And I also check to make sure water if flowing out of the prop exhaust area.

My last outboard had the same issue. It was total salt and corrosion build up. I tried salt away, vinegar, and a few other "safe" chemicals but it did not clear out the pipes. The end result was a cracked head and that outboard got retired.

Also check the thermostat to make sure it is not caked with salt and other materials. Mine was so crusted it was crazy. After cleaning I put the thermostat in boiling water to make sure it opened and closed correctly.

If worst comes to worst, remove the head of the motor and manually clean the cool water path of any debris.

Whatever you do, don't sit on it thinking it will go away. It will not. It will just get worst over time. You have to take care of it now. Good luck.

TerryAnne · Apr 21, 2015

Most outboards have a tell-tale stream of water coming out the back of the powerhead. This is to let the operator know that the water pump is working. Most of the exhausting water will exit through the prop hub or in some outboards just above the prop.

If there is no water coming out of the tell-tale, it does not necessarily mean that the pump is not working. We used to check the temperature of an engine with a special crayon set on the back of the cylinder head. If the crayon melted, the engine was close to overheating.

Brian D · Apr 21, 2015

But the lack of a stream could be a very tell-tail indicator that the flow of water is being restricted. One cannot assume that just because there is no stream that everything is working correctly. One must assume however, that if there is no stream then something is amiss and needs immediate attention.

Liken the stream to the check engine light on one's dashboard.

Tsatzsue · Apr 21, 2015

This guy is the Dali Llama of outboard motors. Check this link out. Exactly explains everything.
http://www.leeroysramblings.com/water_circulation.htm

Kper · Apr 22, 2015

I emailed Leeroy about 6 months ago with a question not expecting a response but to my surprise I received a reply within 24 hours.

caguy · Apr 22, 2015

Someone needs to stick a wire up the OP. He hasn't responded. Got to put a winky so no one gets upset.

Brian D · Apr 22, 2015

Bad Obsession is good people. I am sure there is a reason for his absence. He'll be back.

Stu Jackson · Apr 22, 2015

He's busy with his water tank bladder (if you read here regularly).

Benny17441 · Apr 22, 2015

The best advise is to perform a fresh water flush after every use. Sometimes it cannot be done but be aware and try to do it at the first opportunity.