" Michael,
As for
" Michael,
As for the water flow: Some engines do "pee" more than others, but I think there should be more coming out than a drip at idle. I think you know, but it is VERY important to have proper cooling with outboards.
There are a few senarios; either the water pump is not working correctly, there is a restriction in the line somewhere or you have some type of leak that is preventing pressure at the "pee-hole". There is one other case in which the engine is mounted so high on the transom that the water pump is not able to draw enough water in - I'm assuming it is not that.
The most common cause is an excessively worn water pump impeller; this can happen through normal wear or by starting the engine out of water. To get to the water pump impeller you must remove the lower unit, it's fairly easy to do. First, locate the shift rod; it runs from just under the powerhead (engine assembly) down through the exhaust housing (the "leg" underneath the powerhead) down into the front of the lower unit (bottom assembly w/ propshaft, gears etc). It's a little tricky, but there is a screw on the shift rod attaching it to shift linkage just under the powerhead, but above the cowl; unscrew and retrieve it. Next, remove the trim tab, if there is one there (they get lost) - it is a triangular shaped zinc fin just above the prop, held on by 1 bolt. If there is a bolt/nut under where the trim tab was, remove that too. Then remove the other bolts/nuts that hold the assembly onto the exhaust housing. With the engine tilted up, slide the lower unit off - it may be a little stuck, but before you go putting any real force on it, be sure all the fasteners are removed.
Your water pump assembly is located around the driveshaft (large diameter splined rod), and is bolted on to the topside of the lower unit. Take it apart and check the impeller for wear, it should fit very tighly into it's housing and should look newish. It also should not spin on the driveshaft (there is a moon shaped key that prevents it). Pick up a rebuild kit and replace it if anything looks out of place.
Before you install the lower unit, attach a garden hose to the tube that the water pump's output mates to. Turn on the water and see what there is for flow at the pee-hole. If you are not getting good flow that way, there is a leak or restriction for sure. When you install the lower unit again, be sure that the tube on top of the water pump is properly seated with it's mate.
If you have a leak or restriction, first check the tube that feeds the pee-hole; be sure that it is connected correctly without any holes/kinks. If that checks out, blow compressed air down the "pee-hole" to knock out any blockage. If you are still without luck, the blockage/leak is somewhere beneath or in the powerhead - someone else will have to help you there, but if you are not getting enough flow, it MUST be taken care of else you run the risk of destroying your engine.
Jon "
