I have a Mercury outboard and yesterday when I started it up I noticed water only partially coming through the tell tale and was also pouring out of the bottom of the motor. I took the cover off and found a hole on the backside letting water out of the water jacket around the pistons. For the life of me I can't figure how this hole developed, as it appears to have come from the outside in. I bought the rig about a year ago and haven't had any problems until now, but admittedly, I hadn't taken a good look at the inside until now to know how long it might have been wearing away for. Beyond needing to get it fixed to keep the engine from overheating, I'm curious if anyone has any insight as to how something like that would have developed? A buddy at the dock mused that it looked man-made, but neither of us could sort it.
