Last week, someone mentioned that their outboard was not discharching water out of the pee hole. I wasnt able to track the final message, but this weekend, I realized that my outboard (mercury mariner 9.8 2 stroke) was not discharging water out of the pee hole after a 6 month haul out. The only clue that i saw was that when the engine was revved up to max, a fine mist of water was expanded from the back. Beyond replacing the impeller or the water pump any ideas on whether there are other steps I can take to find and fix the problem. Finally, can any of these changes be made while the outboard is attached to the stern and the boat is in the water? Thank you all.
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P hole
You can probe the p-hole gently with a small wire while on board they can clog pretty easy Tommays
You can probe the p-hole gently with a small wire while on board they can clog pretty easy Tommays
Recommend pulling to do repairs.
My Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke was doing the same thing. I had run some vinegar/water through my system to clean it out. It apparently dislodge a chunk of something that clogged the cooling tubes. Needed to take the motor to an outboard repair shop. The engine needed more work anyway. But the point is your may have a clogged pee hole or the tubing may be clogged. I did a back flush through the pee hole and it cleared it out for awhile, but it ended clogging again. Try giving it a back flush, but not too much pressure.
My Yamaha 9.9 4-stroke was doing the same thing. I had run some vinegar/water through my system to clean it out. It apparently dislodge a chunk of something that clogged the cooling tubes. Needed to take the motor to an outboard repair shop. The engine needed more work anyway. But the point is your may have a clogged pee hole or the tubing may be clogged. I did a back flush through the pee hole and it cleared it out for awhile, but it ended clogging again. Try giving it a back flush, but not too much pressure.
My little outboard had the same thing
My Kicker 4HP had the same problem after a winter of storage. First it wouldn't start(this after over $400 in repairs to carb after bad gas) then when it caught, only a mist was coming out of the discharge. I decided to rev it a bit one time before reaching for the kill button and the water started flowing. It was probably just a clog in my case, but I've seen impellers on automotive water pumps stop pumping after a long lay off as well as pond filter pumps do the same thing. you never really know for sure...
My Kicker 4HP had the same problem after a winter of storage. First it wouldn't start(this after over $400 in repairs to carb after bad gas) then when it caught, only a mist was coming out of the discharge. I decided to rev it a bit one time before reaching for the kill button and the water started flowing. It was probably just a clog in my case, but I've seen impellers on automotive water pumps stop pumping after a long lay off as well as pond filter pumps do the same thing. you never really know for sure...
brad - same problem?
BRad - did you experience similar simptopms? Where was your thermostat located? How did you know it was the thermostat vs. blocked line or the impeller?
BRad - did you experience similar simptopms? Where was your thermostat located? How did you know it was the thermostat vs. blocked line or the impeller?
Probably the impeller
Many OBs do not have thermostats. A check of the impeller is easy. Drop the lower unit. You can also test to see if you have flow through the water jacket by blowing through it. It is not uncommon for an insect to make a cozy home in there. You will want the OB on dry land for this.
Many OBs do not have thermostats. A check of the impeller is easy. Drop the lower unit. You can also test to see if you have flow through the water jacket by blowing through it. It is not uncommon for an insect to make a cozy home in there. You will want the OB on dry land for this.
My symptoms
My honda would spout water as long as it was a bit above idle. If you dropped it down to idle, water would slowly come to a stop from the pee hole. It would come to a pretty quick stop if placed in gear in idle. After the impeller was replaced, it was a little better. I removed the thermostat, cleaned it and reinstalled just to make sure that was going to help before ordering a new thermostat. It works like a champ now. My thermostat is in the head of the motor in the water jacket behind the carb. Took me about 30 minutes to remove and reinstall, if that. The impeller is a different story, though.
My honda would spout water as long as it was a bit above idle. If you dropped it down to idle, water would slowly come to a stop from the pee hole. It would come to a pretty quick stop if placed in gear in idle. After the impeller was replaced, it was a little better. I removed the thermostat, cleaned it and reinstalled just to make sure that was going to help before ordering a new thermostat. It works like a champ now. My thermostat is in the head of the motor in the water jacket behind the carb. Took me about 30 minutes to remove and reinstall, if that. The impeller is a different story, though.
Tony, maybe, (only a maybe)
you can remove the engine cover and pull the hose off of the pee discharge. (Oou, that doesn't sound good) Aim it down to the water and start the engine. That'll tell you a lot. Then go from there. Usually the problem is the small fitting the hose is attatched to. They plug real easy like Tommays said.
you can remove the engine cover and pull the hose off of the pee discharge. (Oou, that doesn't sound good) Aim it down to the water and start the engine. That'll tell you a lot. Then go from there. Usually the problem is the small fitting the hose is attatched to. They plug real easy like Tommays said.
Blocked Water Jackets
Tony, My previous boat had a Honda 8 4-cycle. To keep it clean and peeing water, annually I ran the engine on an engine stand with a large bucket laced with radiator flush. Always improved water flow. Remove thermostat first if you have one.
Tony, My previous boat had a Honda 8 4-cycle. To keep it clean and peeing water, annually I ran the engine on an engine stand with a large bucket laced with radiator flush. Always improved water flow. Remove thermostat first if you have one.
the impellors get brittle
On an inland lake where the boat gets pulled for long periods of time and the OB is stored without use, insects, usually spiders, like to crawl in the hole, build a nest, and clog it. A piece of wire gently poked in the hole can often fix that. (I've taken to putting a piece of duct tape over the hole when it goes out of service in the fall.) But a more common problem is that the impellor gets brittle and starts breaking off little pieces. It pumps less efficiently, and the little pieces clog up the system. Only fix is to take the thing apart, flush the system real good, and install a new impellor. Last time I had that done, it cost me $125.00. I'd rather do that periodically than risk the thing malfunctioning when I'm trying to run into the harbor ahead of a midwest thunderstorm. When the thing starts to act like my 59 year old prostate gland, it goes in for a fix
Saltwater users have a whole additional set of issues, which I am not qualified to address. Tom
On an inland lake where the boat gets pulled for long periods of time and the OB is stored without use, insects, usually spiders, like to crawl in the hole, build a nest, and clog it. A piece of wire gently poked in the hole can often fix that. (I've taken to putting a piece of duct tape over the hole when it goes out of service in the fall.) But a more common problem is that the impellor gets brittle and starts breaking off little pieces. It pumps less efficiently, and the little pieces clog up the system. Only fix is to take the thing apart, flush the system real good, and install a new impellor. Last time I had that done, it cost me $125.00. I'd rather do that periodically than risk the thing malfunctioning when I'm trying to run into the harbor ahead of a midwest thunderstorm. When the thing starts to act like my 59 year old prostate gland, it goes in for a fix
Saltwater users have a whole additional set of issues, which I am not qualified to address. Tom
Definitely change the impeller
It isn't a big job. I can change a water pump impeller in fifteen minutes. I suggest you dismount the engine and take it to shore. With two people it should be manageable. Because the shifter and drive shafts have to come out of the power head in some cases you may need to be able to drop the lower unit quite a ways. Check your manual. It is probably three bolts to drop the lower unit and then four bolts to remove the water pump. Then you just pull off the impeller, replace and rebolt. Piece of cake. After having a white knuckle two hour cruise on a sailboat which suddenly had a minimal indicator stream the first thing I do when I get a new outboard is replace the impeller, even if it seems to be okay, just so that I know it was done and what the indicator stream looks like with a new impeller in place. Now my Suzuki 4hp, that is a mystery to me. I have replaced the impeller but it still only puffs steam at idle and only indicates under throttle. I am presuming that the indicator is on the hot side rather than the cold side, but don't know for sure. I can't find a decent manual for the darn thing either, just one of those Clymer ones with 2-250hp and a single page on my little DT4. Not much help. It hasn't seized yet, but I routinely do not run it more than ten minutes tops. Bob
It isn't a big job. I can change a water pump impeller in fifteen minutes. I suggest you dismount the engine and take it to shore. With two people it should be manageable. Because the shifter and drive shafts have to come out of the power head in some cases you may need to be able to drop the lower unit quite a ways. Check your manual. It is probably three bolts to drop the lower unit and then four bolts to remove the water pump. Then you just pull off the impeller, replace and rebolt. Piece of cake. After having a white knuckle two hour cruise on a sailboat which suddenly had a minimal indicator stream the first thing I do when I get a new outboard is replace the impeller, even if it seems to be okay, just so that I know it was done and what the indicator stream looks like with a new impeller in place. Now my Suzuki 4hp, that is a mystery to me. I have replaced the impeller but it still only puffs steam at idle and only indicates under throttle. I am presuming that the indicator is on the hot side rather than the cold side, but don't know for sure. I can't find a decent manual for the darn thing either, just one of those Clymer ones with 2-250hp and a single page on my little DT4. Not much help. It hasn't seized yet, but I routinely do not run it more than ten minutes tops. Bob
If you had it stored, it could be spider nests in the discharge hole.
Like tommays said use something small. I replaced my discharge hose so that it sticks out of the cowlings about 5 inches. When flow become low, I simply blow in the discharge and it starts flowing again. The extended hose would allow that addition of vinegar to disolve lime or ever zebra mussels. If none of that helps, then it is impeller time. r.w.landau
Like tommays said use something small. I replaced my discharge hose so that it sticks out of the cowlings about 5 inches. When flow become low, I simply blow in the discharge and it starts flowing again. The extended hose would allow that addition of vinegar to disolve lime or ever zebra mussels. If none of that helps, then it is impeller time. r.w.landau
Check the thermostat first
I don't know too much about Mariner outboards, but my 1999 Johnson Sailmaster 8 HP has the thermostat in a place that is easy to get at right in back of the motor head. My thermostat was really bad when I took it out. It was still working, but it was due to fail. Oddly enough, my waterpump and impeller were like new, but I replaced it anyway. It's true that the water discharge hole can get plugged up at times, but if you never changed the waterpump or the thermostat in five or more years, it's probably a good idea to do it, so I'm told. What happens is if one or both of these engine componants stops working, the engine gets so hot that a 49 cent fiber bushing that connects the water intake tube to the power head gets so hot that it constricts the water flow. This is a repair job that involves removing the power head to get at, and is very costly. If you find that the thermostat is bad and replace it, just run the engine to see if it cures the problem. If it does and you're getting a good stream of water out of it, chances are that your impeller may be still good, as mine was. So in that case, if it still works, don't fix it. My outboard was running good, but after I did the repair job, I noticed that the engine was louder than usual and the exhaust wasn't coming out the lower unit housing underwater. It was coming out near the power head. I tried to remove the lower unit at my house, and couldn't get it off this time. Evidently the water intake tube is stuck. So I said, "the heck with it", and brought it to a Johnson repair guy in my area. Unless you have the time to work on them, it isn't worth the agravation. One thing can lead to another and there's no end to it. I hope to get my engine back by the end of the week. Joe
I don't know too much about Mariner outboards, but my 1999 Johnson Sailmaster 8 HP has the thermostat in a place that is easy to get at right in back of the motor head. My thermostat was really bad when I took it out. It was still working, but it was due to fail. Oddly enough, my waterpump and impeller were like new, but I replaced it anyway. It's true that the water discharge hole can get plugged up at times, but if you never changed the waterpump or the thermostat in five or more years, it's probably a good idea to do it, so I'm told. What happens is if one or both of these engine componants stops working, the engine gets so hot that a 49 cent fiber bushing that connects the water intake tube to the power head gets so hot that it constricts the water flow. This is a repair job that involves removing the power head to get at, and is very costly. If you find that the thermostat is bad and replace it, just run the engine to see if it cures the problem. If it does and you're getting a good stream of water out of it, chances are that your impeller may be still good, as mine was. So in that case, if it still works, don't fix it. My outboard was running good, but after I did the repair job, I noticed that the engine was louder than usual and the exhaust wasn't coming out the lower unit housing underwater. It was coming out near the power head. I tried to remove the lower unit at my house, and couldn't get it off this time. Evidently the water intake tube is stuck. So I said, "the heck with it", and brought it to a Johnson repair guy in my area. Unless you have the time to work on them, it isn't worth the agravation. One thing can lead to another and there's no end to it. I hope to get my engine back by the end of the week. Joe
My Evinrude 9.9 has had low flow for two years.
I make sure it flows and once in a while I make sure the water coming out is cool.If the water that is flowing is cool, it is doing it's job. r.w.landau
I make sure it flows and once in a while I make sure the water coming out is cool.If the water that is flowing is cool, it is doing it's job. r.w.landau
You might get a kick out of this site....
Here is a great site about OMC outboards 9.9 to 15 hp two strokes.....some funny reading as well..... take Care, Steve
Here is a great site about OMC outboards 9.9 to 15 hp two strokes.....some funny reading as well..... take Care, Steve
A Evinrude (8hp Sailer) that I had...
...simply was clogged with salt crystals. A toothpick reamed it out and cleaned it up. Fine after that. Whenever you store it for the winter,besides winterization, run it in fresh water before storage to clean out the salt water.
...simply was clogged with salt crystals. A toothpick reamed it out and cleaned it up. Fine after that. Whenever you store it for the winter,besides winterization, run it in fresh water before storage to clean out the salt water.
I replace my impeller annually
It's cheap insurance and it keeps the bolts from getting frozen from corrosion. I also carry a spare impeller. You never know when you might need it. I buy a new one every year and rotate out the spare. As Bob said it's a fifteen minute job.
It's cheap insurance and it keeps the bolts from getting frozen from corrosion. I also carry a spare impeller. You never know when you might need it. I buy a new one every year and rotate out the spare. As Bob said it's a fifteen minute job.
Use a garden hose
When this happened to me I was ready to call the mechanic but a fellow sailor gave me his dock hose and told me to stick it into the "pee hole". I turned on the water, pushed it into the hole, (I got real wet from the splash) and it worked like a charm.
When this happened to me I was ready to call the mechanic but a fellow sailor gave me his dock hose and told me to stick it into the "pee hole". I turned on the water, pushed it into the hole, (I got real wet from the splash) and it worked like a charm.
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