I was given a 1989 22 Catalina with an outboard motor. I would like to make sure that it runs. Is it safe to start the motor for brief periods while it is out of the water? I'm assuming it cools itself with fresh water while the boat is in the water. I would think that as long as I shut it down within a few minutes it would be OK to start it.
Safe to start outboard while out of the water?
- Thread starter mhessick
- Start date
NO! unless you hook up water to cool it. you will destroy the water impeller in 3 seconds
It will not overheat in a minute however you will damage, possibly ruin, your impeller because it relies on water for lubrication.
Will the muffs allow the engine to be started out of the water? I assume they circulate the needed water, correct?
Yes, make sure you have the water running before you start it. Water should come out of the pee hole on the motor right after it starts.
When I purchased my 2.5 HP Suzuki a few years ago, it reqired a few hours of break-in time. I placed it in a plastic garbage container, filled with water, to accomplish the breakin
BigEasy...Thanks. I bought the muffs but the trash can might be easier. Amazon makes it easy to return them if I decide to go the trash can route.
I've ran my outboard out of the water at idle for more hours than I can remember. There was very little wear on the impeller three years later when I replaced it as preventative maintenance
That's not really an effective break-in. It should be run under load, at varying loads and motor speeds.
Well, I did run it at varying speeds in gear. Maybe not as good as in water, but I didn't have time to fart around for 3-4 hours in water, breaking in the motor.
I see. Well, it's hard or perhaps impossible to load a motor up in a bucket, but it's better than nothing, I guess.
OK, I'M ASKING. how do you know that all outboard engines will not possibly destroy the impeller when run dry.
especially one that has sat for some time.
this is great! can't wait for your answer, jon
A brief out of water experience is not going to ruin an impeller, it's still wet. A brand new impeller that was lubricated upon installation will take a long while to burn up. An old dried out impeller might self destruct in a minute or two. Then again, impellers are not that expensive nor hard to replace, if you want to run them dry, have at it.
if the impeller shreds and goes into cooling water ways, might plug them up. then over heating damage, then big money repairs. oh no!
play it safe. never run a dry impeller, ever!
play it safe. never run a dry impeller, ever!
I'm asserting that empirically. I have run outboards for much longer than 3 seconds out of the water with no perceptible damage to the impeller. I'll have you know that I've rebuilt several lower ends, including replacing the impellers, and of those motors run dry occasionally, haven't detected any impeller damage.
I might ask you, how do you know that "unless you hook up water to cool it. you will destroy the water impeller in 3 seconds?" Do you have any evidence, citations, experience, etc., to support this assertion? I doubt it. But, I'm all ears.