Intermittent water

[Rootguitars]

Water pump intermittently pumping water. Impeller and pump seems ok. Usually get steam but no water from pee tube. Then sometimes it starts pumping normal. This has been always in a barrel filled past the water intake. The last time out 4 months ago the water pump was working normally. Any help certainly appreciated.

 

[racerone]

The water in your test tank MUST be 6 or 8" above the impeller.-----Just covering intakes is not good enough !

 

[Rootguitars]

The water in your test tank MUST be 6 or 8" above the impeller.-----Just covering intakes is not good enough !

Water way above inlets. Thanks for replying

 

[tphoyt]

Impeller and pump seams ok doesn’t tell us much. When was the last time the pump was serviced and the impeller replaced?

 

[racerone]

Model # of this motor ?

 

[Rootguitars]

Model # of this motor ?

E25ECEB

 

[racerone]

Pumps are not self priming.-----Water must be 8" above the IMPELLER.-----When running in a test tank you may get exhaust into the pump.-----These pumps do not pump air.

 

[Rootguitars]

Impeller and pump seams ok doesn’t tell us much. When was the last time the pump was serviced and the impeller replaced?

I retimed the engine then used the barrel to test the operation. No water from telltale after about one minute so turned it off. Pulled the lower unit and checked the pump and impeller. Both seemed like new since it was operated only a few hours since the pump was new. Boat has been sitting for about three months since last in the water. I put a water hose on the lower end of the water tube and water came out of the telltale as well as the other areas where water normally comes out. No blockage from the water tube up and through the system. I had not thought of exhaust gas getting to the impeller so I’ll try muffs and see what happens. Thanks for the input.

 

[racerone]

Launch the boat and see how the pump and tell tale behave.---And the tell tale just indicates that pump is working.-----The tell tale water does NOT go through the block.-----A strong tell tale does not indicate that motor is cooling properly !!

 

[Sea Rider]

Is it a salt or fresh water used motor, which year might it be ? Have you checked the current thermostat condition ?

Happy Boating​

 

[racerone]

The model # and CE in it clearly indicates a 1989 motor.

 

[Sea Rider]

The model # and CE in it clearly indicates a 1989 motor.

The motor's schematic shows a blind t-stat housing, doesn't have a traditional removable cover which means you'll have to tear the cylinder head in order to check how much salt/lime contamination the t-stat and all the water passages have already collected over 32 years of boating on salt or fresh water scenarios.

Happy Boating
​

 

[Rootguitars]

The motor's schematic shows a blind t-stat housing, doesn't have a traditional removable cover which means you'll have to tear the cylinder head in order to check how much salt/lime contamination the t-stat and all the water passages have already collected over 32 years of boating on salt or fresh water scenarios.

Happy Boating
​

Thermostat is toast so I’ll replace it but should that keep the water from pumping?

 

[racerone]

????----What do you mean by a " blind thermostat housing " and no removable cover ?

 

[Crosbyman]

 

[racerone]

Tell tale will still show water with a stuck thermostat.

 

[Sea Rider]

Some issues:

The OP has not stated if the motor was run in salt or fresh water scenarios, do you think that after 32 years of boating all the water passages will be found pristine clean ? Nope, that accounts for reduced pressurized water being pumped by the impeller passing thru the entire powerhead. A motor with impeccable cleaned water passages will cool and run much better at wot compared to a highly salted, scaled similar HP motor.

Blind t-stat or whatever you guys want to call it means the t-stat is housed right at middle of # 13 & # 46, doesn't have a small removable upper cover on 13 as found in other models. If the OP plans to check the t-stat condition might as well tear the whole cylinder head area, desalt, descale, decrap the entire water passages, take advantage to decarbon the whole combustion chambers areas, install new 16-17-18, 27 components. Remove exhaust covers, clean, decarbon, install new gaskets and base gasket to count with an equivalent restored motor as when out of the box. Once fully restored will see how much more water is being pumped upward by the impeller which will highly increase the peeing amount seen at the tell-tale.

The fear about removing the t-stat is that if that particular motor was run in salt water for such long years expect to break some head's bolts along the free associated bummer removing them...

Happy Boating​

 

[racerone]

In my location I have never seen water jackets plugged up.----Good clean fresh water.

 

[tphoyt]

I wish that were the case in my location.
It’s not uncommon to find them completely blocked in my neck of the woods and they can be packed so tight you almost have to grind your way through passages to clear them the best you can.
To the OP if you want to rule out your pump you could always drop the lower and submerge it in a barrel and spin the shaft to see if its pumping. What about the key? Is this motor new to you?

 

[Sea Rider]

In my location I have never seen water jackets plugged up.----Good clean fresh water.

Plugged-Up it's much different than non clogged reduced water passages scenarios. Boating in good clean water will produce scale, lime deposits over the years due to : Porous water passages and hundreds of constant ON/Off heating cooling cycles the motor will need to run with.

It's the same as the scale, lime, crap found at the bottom of water boilers, your beloved coffee maker machine. The OP has already checked the water pump condition, it's the same as cleaning the carb severeal times in a row, once impeccabe cleaned why would you want to tear it appart again....

Years back bought an Evi from a seller who swore by Neptune that his motor was in 100% running shape, overheated 2 days latter running wot due to reduced salted water passages....

Happy Boating​