SunnySideUp

Just dug out the Mercury Outboard Engine to do some fishing over the next couple of weeks.

It started on the 2nd pull after a 2 year lay-up, it's always been pretty good.

Now, I seem to remember that some water used to squirt from a little pipe under the engine ...... now there is just a little drip, drip, drip.

This pipe is called the 'Tell-Tale' .... water issuing from here gives you an indication that the water is circulating - the droplets are just body temp. and no steam is coming out .... so I'm guessing it's the Tell-Tale at fault rather than the water pump/impeller.

The engine was idling for about 10 minutes with no ill effects ... am I right in assuming the engine would have overheated within this time and starting to show signs of dis-comfort? Even siezing up - or does it take longer?

dpb

You should have been stuffing something up the pipe to clear it - like the shaft of a pop-rivet

- youve probably blown it up allready

Devildog

Pete,

You did start it up in water?

SunnySideUp

Start it in water? Why do that?
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I'm really, really smart .... of course I did!!

But how long before I can be sure it's getting cooling?

TopBanana

Just change the impeller. They're dirt cheap and easy to fit.

I used to run my 15hp on the side of a wheelie bin. Couldn't do the same with the 140 though!

SunnySideUp

I popped it on the side of my wheelie-bin.

Gearbox off the lower leg to get to the impeller is it?

TopBanana

It depends, I think on some of the tiddly engines they're behind the prop. But normally you have to take the lower leg off and it's somehere near the end of the driveshaft. Impellers normally come in a kit with new pump seals, which I used to fit with a bit of vaseline.

Markus

If there isn't a stream of water coming from the outlet then I'd be worried as water will not be circulating properly. It could be a dead impeller, or just a clogged pipe-way.

Our Merc had not been used for many years when we got it and it didn't spit out any water at all. As we were new to outboards we were not completely sure if it should be passing water, so used it for a few hours, it did get very hot, refused to start on a few occasions, so we got our club mechanic to look at it, sure enough, the impeller was knackered, and a few other bits had melted due to the overheating. The chappy repaired and serviced it (needed new spark plugs, he reckoned they were the original ones from the 80's!) for about $280 which wasn't bad.

Once repaired, as soon as it's running the pipe has water streaming from it, and looking at other water cooled outboards this seems to be the norm, so if no constant stream after it's running, assume it's not being cooled properly and get it looked at asap, as new engines are not cheap.

Leslie

It is possible that the impellor rubber blades got stuck on the inside of the casing when you laid it up and that the impellor was damaged when you started it up. It is also possible that the tell tale is blocked so if you can unscrew it and check, you may find it has been alright all the time. The Telltale did get blocked on the big engine on my boat but was fine when I took it apart to clean it.

Les

The Zohan

exactly what i was thinking

SunnySideUp

Cheers all ...... I'll have a look at the tell-tale (not sure if it screws in?) - the engine just sat there for a good 10 minutes without missing a beat which leads me to suspect the tell-tale rather than anything more suspect.

I'm taking it on holiday this weekend so a bit short of time to fix the impeller ... may get it sorted where I am going.