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Water flow

allen_87xj

New member
"Hey everone my name is Allen.

"Hey everone my name is Allen.Thanks for letting join.This is my first boat and my first post.Here's my problem.I have a 1985 Cheeta 18' bow rider with a 305 merc and a alpha-1 drive.The engine had just been serviced and the out drive just had new seals and water pump installed.The first three times we took the boat out it ran about 140 deg. On the fourth time out it started running @ 160 idleing and 140 @ 3000 rpm's.and slowly rose to 180 idleing then 160 @3000 on our way in the temp gauge read about 200 deg.the engine shut down and we had to call Sea Tow (thank God that it was the first thing we bought after buying the boat) first I thought it was the termostat,we checked it and it seemed to be stuck.took it out and the boat still went above 160 so I turned it off and did'nt take it back out.When we came home i replaced the water pump and the same thing happend it went 160 and I shut it off.I called the guy who serviced it and He don't think it's the impeller because he just put a new on in it,but when I took the inlet hose off from the impeller and cranked the boat up I'm barely getting any water out of it maybe a gallon a minute.Now he says maybe blockage,but keep in mind when we came home from our last good run when I flushed the engine for 15 min. operating temp was 140 and plenty of water was coming out exhaust ports and from the center of the prop."
 
"Welcome to the site. You will

"Welcome to the site. You will find lots of friendly knowledgable folks here; they have helped me out a lot.
It sounds suspicious that things went to hell right after the 15 minute flush.
Are you sure you had enough water going to the muffs? There should always be excess water spraying out the sides of the muffs, thereby indicating that there is more water than the pump can pump.
Your pump should put out more than a gallon a minute. A V-8 pump should put out 5-6 gallons a minute at idle; it should fill a bucket in 10-15 seconds.
If not, something is not right.

Here is a list of the usual suspects:
-pump impeller and/or housing bad
-leaking water pump to copper pipe coupler
-missing slinger seal on top of pump
-foreign object in inlet hose (impeller pieces)
-collapsed, blocked or kinked hose, PS cooler, etc
-T'stat stuck, partially plugged, or missing
-bad circulation pump or belt
-plugged manifolds or risers
-salt encrustation in block, heads, manifolds, or heat exchanger (if equipped)

Rod"
 
"Allen:

Being a new boater


"Allen:

Being a new boater you may not have known. I hope you did not start the engine while launching it BEFORE the OD was in the water. If you did, the new impeller is fried and needs replaced. There SHALL ALWAYS be a source of water to the OD when running for even a few seconds."
 
"THANKS!! for the fast respone

"THANKS!! for the fast respones guys.

No. I know not to run the engine dry,and my water hose has better than 30 p.s.i. I have to turn the water way down.what I'm thinking it is the water pump in the outdrive OR componets of the outdrive system failed.I've put a new water pump on the engine,and flushed all lines and have great flow from engine to exhaust.The mechanic that serviced it thinks it's a hose in the out drive that has collapsed.I was wanting to make sure I covered all the basics before I take it to him this weekend.I like knowing I've done all I can do.

Thanks Rod I knew there should be alot more water flow than what I had.


I should have told you guys That I've driven boats offshore and in the bays for five years doing seisemic,from 33 foot line boat with twin saltwater series yamaha 200's to a 65' twenty ton vessel with twin 550 cummins.

Never the less there is alot more upkeep on a boat than I knew.We just ran them as hard and fast as they would go to get the job done.You can afford to do that went your NET profit is 93 millon a year."
 
""I have to turn the water

""I have to turn the water way down."

Is it possible you truned it down too far and cooked the impeller? I wouldn't turn it down at all. I run mine in the driveway on a well pump that cranks out about 50psi... It sprays all over the place around the sides of the muffs, but at least there's plenty of water there."
 
"Allen, Rod, Troy et al:

&


"Allen, Rod, Troy et al:

"took the inlet hose off from the impeller and cranked the boat up I'm barely getting any water out of it maybe a gallon a minute...my water hose has better than 30 p.s.i. I have to turn the water way down"

Based upon the above comments, I am thinking the problem is one of the items on Rod's list; specifically plugged manifolds or risers, salt encrustation in block, heads, manifolds, or heat exchanger (if equipped). I'll add one more possibility: flapper problems. However, I am leaning towards plugged manifolds or risers."
 
"WRT "the inlet hose from

"WRT "the inlet hose from the impeller" I think he's talking about the hose between the outdrive and engine, indicating the problem is upstream the engine, manifolds, risers and exhaust.

One other thought did just cross my mind:
What about a blockage in the power steering pump cooler?
Might want to disconnect the inlet side of that and see how much water you get."
 
For troys question the answer

For troys question the answer is water sprays all over.I know i have enough water coming in.I don't think it's anything after the out drive.I'm 99 percent sure it's in the outdrive.The mechanic that serviced it seems to think it's after the pump and before the engine.The boat was last regestered in 2003 So i'm leaning toward the owner cranking up the boat with a dry rotted impeller and debree getting in the passage way prior to having it serviced.
I'm about to call steve and I'll post after while with what he comes up with and then I'll post with the final findings.I'm taking it to him this weekend.
 
"Christopher;
I think youre o


"Christopher;
I think youre on the right track. It sounds more and more like a fried pump and/or housing, or the pump-to-water pipe coupler is not connected right.
You should mention when you take it in, that you would like him to backflush the entire inlet line from the T'stat housing backwards thru the drive leg once the pump is off. That will hopefully assure no debris in that line.
Rod"
 
Thanks Rod and everyone else f

Thanks Rod and everyone else for your input.I've got more questions about the engine and out drive but I'm gonna do my best to search the archives first.
 
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