Speedometer Not Working

[lintmann]

This boat is I believe a 99, regardless its an Alpha 1, Gen 2 drive. I've just replaced the bellows and water supply hose and was about to hook up the speedometer hose and figured I'd blow into it to make sure the speedometer moved, it didn't. Then I disconnected the tube to it under the dash and tried to blow back through it, I couldn't.

Is it kind of odd that this tube/hose between the leg and speedometer would plug or does it happen? I'm wanting to try a shot of shop air blowing from front to back but I'm concerned that it may rupture the tube... Any ideas on where or how to clear this out.

FYI, I bought this boat from a friend about 3 years ago and I'm just now having time to make it seaworthy. I feel that I should have checked this before I reinstalled the bellhousing and hoping that it's a fairly simple fix.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Pitot tubes plug all the time

Worst case, that $5 tube ruptured and you spend $5 for a 25' section

 

[kenny nunez]

The hose between the drive and the speedometer may have been rodent food. That happened on a boat I bought that had been laid up for some time.

 

[airshot]

Find a different speedo, those pressure units are very inaccurate below 20 mph. Replace the Speedo with a more useful gage to fill the space then use or buy a sonar unit with GPS. Your speed will be very accurate from 1 mph on up to infinity....even if you get it unclogged or replaced, it will stop working soon.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Or you could get an app on your phone, cheap and easy.

 

[Earl Cordova]

On mine the pitot hole in the front of the lower drive got plugged.
The mechanic at the dealership told me to go buy a 1/8" x 12" drill bit at
the Ace hardware store down the street.
They had asked Ace to stock them just for that purpose and then sent
people there to purchase them.

Just turning the drill bit by hand was enough to clean it out.

 

[Jeff J]

I have never been on a body of water that required me to know how fast I am going. The choices have always been “no wake” or do what you want. I use the GPS on my phone or other handheld GPS unit on the rare occasion I get curious.

 

[Mc Tool]

You can get gps speedo's from Temu or Aliexpress for the price of a beer .

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I have two speedos in my boat, speed is monitored my son prefers to ski at 24 miles per hour. Then again I have a specific purpose boat.

 

[Mc Tool]

I have two speedos in my boat, speed is monitored my son prefers to ski at 24 miles per hour. Then again I have a specific purpose boat.

Ha ha , yeah I remember those days ,towing various family members around lake Wanaka ,each thinking they had nailed the ideal speed to be towed at but the dumbarses forgot who was driving the boat and the reality of it was I towed them at whatever speed they looked comfortable at the time . My brother bet us he could get from start to stop without getting wet , he was so full of himself we conned him into wearing a 3 piece suit ,and he nailed the beach start and was lookin real smug .....untill I eased off on the throttle and he realised what was coming. 1st guy I ever saw doin a deep water start in a suit

 

[Jeff J]

My dad used to stay dry skiing. Launch sitting on the dock and coast onto the beach. I had forgotten that. Been probably 50 years since I watched him do it. I never did get the hang of skiing but maybe only attempted it once or twice every ten years in my youth.

 

[Mc Tool]

My dad used to stay dry skiing. Launch sitting on the dock and coast onto the beach. I had forgotten that. Been probably 50 years since I watched him do it. I never did get the hang of skiing but maybe only attempted it once or twice every ten years in my youth.

Nah ,I was never that good and rather than look silly I drove the boat for the others

 

[lintmann]

Thanks guys, call me crazy but I prefer the equipment on my vehicles to work as they should, a dead gauge bugs the hell out of me. The leg is not plugged, I mentioned that I was trying to blow through it BEFORE I reconnected it to the leg. Long story short is that I removed the px tube inside the boat from the fitting through the transom and found a blockage there. I ran a wire through it, blew it out and all is good now. Cheers.

 

[nola mike]

I have never been on a body of water that required me to know how fast I am going. The choices have always been “no wake” or do what you want. I use the GPS on my phone or other handheld GPS unit on the rare occasion I get curious.

You must not ski

EDIT: Should have read the rest of the thread before commenting LOL

 

[airshot]

Thanks guys, call me crazy but I prefer the equipment on my vehicles to work as they should, a dead gauge bugs the hell out of me. The leg is not plugged, I mentioned that I was trying to blow through it BEFORE I reconnected it to the leg. Long story short is that I removed the px tube inside the boat from the fitting through the transom and found a blockage there. I ran a wire through it, blew it out and all is good now. Cheers.

I understand, I am the same way, it bugs the hell out of me when something doesn't work as it should. That is why I suggested replacing that Speedo with a more useful gage that actually does something usefull. Sorry to say, but those pressure Speedos are always an issue. I had to work on mine at least 2-3x every season before I gave up. The GPS is so more accurate and far lass trouble.....

 

[rolmops]

Thanks guys, call me crazy but I prefer the equipment on my vehicles to work as they should, a dead gauge bugs the hell out of me. The leg is not plugged, I mentioned that I was trying to blow through it BEFORE I reconnected it to the leg. Long story short is that I removed the px tube inside the boat from the fitting through the transom and found a blockage there. I ran a wire through it, blew it out and all is good now. Cheers.

You should realize that the thing you use will give you your speed relative to the water you are in and this very often is very different from gps speed

 

[Mc Tool]

Thanks guys, call me crazy but I prefer the equipment on my vehicles to work as they should, a dead gauge bugs the hell out of me. The leg is not plugged, I mentioned that I was trying to blow through it BEFORE I reconnected it to the leg. Long story short is that I removed the px tube inside the boat from the fitting through the transom and found a blockage there. I ran a wire through it, blew it out and all is good now. Cheers.

I have one of those old speedos in my boat ....doesnt work and it bugs me but I havnt been able to think of anything else to fill the hole as everything is covered by either the outboard gauges or the gps/ff