Spring Startup out of the water

I just picked up a boat with a

I just picked up a boat with an OMC stern drive. I would like to test it in the driveway before I try to start it in a very busy boat lanch. Supposedly it has been winterized properly. I would like to put in a flush T in the hoses. I also purchased the biggest rubermaid tub I could find to put the outdrive into. With the tub I can insure the intake is in water. I will run the hose as well and it can dump out into the tub. I have a manual on order which has not come in yet. But at this time am not sure which hose to put the T in. There are 4 hoses to the Thermostat housing 2 go to the intermediate housing one goes to the front of the exhaust manifold and one goes to the exhaust outlet going to the sterndrive. It is a 1975 vintage GM 250CID. Which water line should the T be put into? I've got lots of little things to fix but want to start it first to make sure the major items work before I start fixing trim and tilt motors and solenoids etc.

"If you run it that way, the i

"If you run it that way, the impeller will be dry and that means it will melt and be useless when you're in the water. Since you have the biggest tub they make, just fill it and lower the drive into the water to run it. If the impeller is good or bad, you'll know it and you won't damage it by bypassing it."

There are numerous topics in t

There are numerous topics in this forum that refer to the flushing T some saying do it and others where it is debated. I see no replies saying I tried it and fried the impellor. I will not base a solid conclusion from the silence or lack of replies but thought I could cover my ass by having the hose running to fill the system and fill the tub and then start it. I assume when I start it the impellor will draw water from the tub. As long as the hose water is not flowing in the opposite direction and running slow this should ensure i have water everwhere within the system. How deep does the water need to be? I will assure that the intake screen will be submerged at all times and the tell tale will be above the water line. The prop is off. But I am new at this and that is why i ask you here who have much more experience than this newby. Also i am in southern Canada so the equivilant to michigan. How soon can I do this? I want to see what works and doesn't work and yet not undo the winterization to soon and risk getting a freeze. There are some 30 degree night in the forcast. Yet I here of those chomping the bit to get in the water as the ice is breaking up.

"Can't help you with the T

"Can't help you with the T location. Not even sure why you want it, unless you are in salt water and want to flush the engine without running it by attaching a fresh water source? But as long as the intake is below the water level in the tub then you should be good to go."

"I've got mine on a pretty

"I've got mine on a pretty low slung trailer, and with the lower unit about 1/4" off of the ground the tub needed to be like 26" deep. I run the "tee" in between the intermediate hsng. and the thermo hsng. But then mine only has one hose. ('75 351w, elec shift stringer) I get plenty of water coming out of the water intake tube, both telltales, and the exhaust. Having two hoses, you might want to build an adaptor with a wye in it and put a tee into each of the water hoses coming up from the intermediate housing."

"running on a tee won't hu

"running on a tee won't hurt it. O.M.C. used to make a flusher that went in place of pivot cap. backflow lubricates impellor just fine. if a freeze is coming, drain engine and manifolds."

Well I started it. I put the s

Well I started it. I put the stinger into the tub and I put a T into one of the lines coming from the intermediate housing to the thermostat. I ran the hose gently and had water at both pivot caps and coming out of the exhaust and intake ports. I filled the tub and even though it covered the water intake it make have not submerged the impeller. But like Scott stated I should have enough backflow to keep the impellor lubricated. All ran fine and the inline 6 purrs nicely. the electric shift works and the impellor must work as I had water leaking at the pivot caps. Looks like I need some new O rings. I really apreciate the imput and help here for this newby. I got some work to do before it hits the water but I didn't want to start fixing trim motors and other little thing before I knew the motor and outdrive work. I did drain everything again as we are expecting a couple of nights of just below freezing temp. Next startup will be in the water. I drained ther engine and antifreeze came out. I assume i did not run it long enough for the thermostat to open and water enter the engine. Previous owner must have winterized with anti freeze.