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Water pumping back into foot instead of out telltale/pee hole

D

Drow Kinetic

New member
I'm working on a 65 HP and 75 HP Johnson outboard. Both are pumping water through the power head fine but instead of going out the peeholes the water is pumping back into foot and housing. All seals are intact and almost new. Pump is working great. No clogged or obstructed flows going into or coming out of power head. Any suggestions? I'm stumped.
 
Start with giving us a model number so we know what we are working on. And how do you arrive at the conclusion it is pumping back into "the foot"?
 
If you're speaking of the two exhaust relief holes just below and to the extreme rear of the powerhead... those aren't water telltale outlet holes.

(Exhaust Relief Ports - Exhaust Housing (Inner/Outer)
(J Reeves)

The long housing between the powerhead and the lower unit is called the exhaust housing. There is a inner housing within it that has a heavy duty seal around the bottom of it, or heavy duty seals around a inner extension between the housing and the lower unit.


The red hot exhaust travels down thru that inner tube and out the propeller with a somewhat supply of water to cool the propeller hub. A good amount of water surrounds and fills the space between the outer and inner tube, otherwise the outer housing would get so hot that the paint would burn off.


Some water pumps, for some reason (differing even when new) exert a great amount of water pressure, and if the exhaust housing seals are in perfect condition, the water fills the tube to a point of overflowing.

This brings into play those two holes or slots, whichever the engine might have, at the top rear portion of the exhaust housing just below the powerhead.

Now, if those two holes/slots weren't there, water would continue to flow up into the cylinders. Water not flowing out of those holes is no concern for alarm UNLESS that outer housing suddenly becomes extremely hot..... the warning horn should sound long before that happens.


The main reason for those holes being there (exhaust relief holes) is that when at an idle, there is an extreme amount of resistance encountered by the exhaust trying to escape due the fact that the outlet via the propeller is now blocked by a wall of water. The escape route in this case is for the exhaust to escape out those two holes, otherwise the engine would slow down quite quickly and die. If exhaust cannot escape, air/fuel cannot gain entrance to the engine.

And if you're saying that water is entering the lower unit... you have a bad seal somewhere.
 
Are you talking about the overboard water indicators ?? Normally called "pee holes".
 
Last edited:
fdrgator said:
Start with giving us a model number so we know what we are working on. And how do you arrive at the conclusion it is pumping back into "the foot"?
Click to expand...

Model No. 75ELR77S for 75 HP
Model No. J70TLCD for 65 HP

Sorry its not pumping back "into" foot just back to the foot. Its building up pressure until it starts leaking around the seams where foot bolts up.

If those are the exhaust ports then where is the peephole? On my 70 it comes out the side of power head but there is no port there on my 65 or 75. I can't find a port on either for the water to come out.

I just got both the 65 and 75 and they run great but only problem is the water building u pressure in housing.
 
???-----------------I do not believe there is anything wrong here.---------------Perhaps look at some videos of similar motors running.-----------------------Not all the water has to come out the " pee hole "
 
Drow Kinetic said:
Model No. 75ELR77S for 75 HP
Model No. J70TLCD for 65 HP

Sorry its not pumping back "into" foot just back to the foot. Its building up pressure until it starts leaking around the seams where foot bolts up.

If those are the exhaust ports then where is the peephole? On my 70 it comes out the side of power head but there is no port there on my 65 or 75. I can't find a port on either for the water to come out.

I just got both the 65 and 75 and they run great but only problem is the water building u pressure in housing.
Click to expand...

Well first, J70TLCD is a 1986 70hp motor and does have a telltale (pee hole). Could the previous owner have swapped serial numbers on it? Wouldn't be the first time. Your 75ELR77S is a 1977 and does not have a telltale. Water "should" spray out of the exhaust relief holes described by Joe, but sometimes it doesn't, for various reasons.

As for leaking out the seam, that is somewhat normal and not to worry about. That leaked water has gone through the cooling system, and is headed back to the lake anyway.
 
fdrgator said:
Well first, J70TLCD is a 1986 70hp motor and does have a telltale (pee hole). Could the previous owner have swapped serial numbers on it? Wouldn't be the first time. Your 75ELR77S is a 1977 and does not have a telltale. Water "should" spray out of the exhaust relief holes described by Joe, but sometimes it doesn't, for various reasons.

As for leaking out the seam, that is somewhat normal and not to worry about. That leaked water has gone through the cooling system, and is headed back to the lake anyway.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear its normal to leak around the foot. As far as the numbers being switched its possible as the model/serial number is on the mount not the power head itself.

On the various reasons for it not to be coming out the exhaust holes what could they be? I've already checked for clogs or obstructions. Replaced the main head gasket as well. It pumps through the power head just fine but other than the water coming out around foot it doesn't come out anywhere else.
 
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