1985 Johnson 35hp Sea Horse - no water in pee hole / tell tale - just hot air

[spunkyman]

Hi
I broke out my 1985 Johnson 35 hp outboard this year. Some background first....

Last year, I had the carb rebuilt and she ran like a top. Plenty of water coming from the tell tale /pee hole. I put her away for the winter and fired her up today for the first time. Well, she runs good, but super smokey (prob too much oil in gas) BUT no water coming from the pee hole.

Here's what I've done
- took of hose from block/head and blew back - clear.
- took some compressed air and pumped it into the nozzle on block/head and I could hear it blowing through....
- changed impeller
I fired it up and still just a wee bit of mist and a very small amount of hot air/steam blowing out at block/head.
I can see water coming out of the 2 lower holes on the lower unit.
There is water coming out of the prop and some out the 2 big holes at the top, back of upper long shaft as well as some oil too.

I can't think of why there is no water coming out when I haven't done anything and it had plenty flow last fall.
I've even changed the impeller and nothing. I can hear that the flow where the water should be is clear.... compressed air is flowing through there.

One of my concerns is that with brass tube/hose that should carry water from the pump to the engine block is maybe not hooked up properly? I've cleared that with air too )blew through it) It's kinda wanky.... It's a wonder it goes where it should when replacing the lower unit.

Any suggestions?

 

[Bosunsmate]

Drop your LU and run a hose on the intake pipe.
If water comes out of your telltale ok then, then start the motor, if that stops the telltale flow then you have a pressurised leak into the water jackets somewhere. If starting the motor does not stop the tell tale then your problem appears to be in the LU

 

[racerone]

Have to ask.------" it's a wonder it goes where it should "----Does that mean you have the copper tube in the pump when lower unit is ready to be installed ??

 

[spunkyman]

For the first questions... where is the water jacket ? it's so dark up in that upper housing. I can't tell where it's actually coming into the block !

Second question about the copper pipe... YES .. it's in the little hole where it's suppose to go... but trying to line it up when reinstalling LU is a shot in the dark !

 

[spunkyman]

Drop your LU and run a hose on the intake pipe.
If water comes out of your telltale ok then, then start the motor, if that stops the telltale flow then you have a pressurised leak into the water jackets somewhere. If starting the motor does not stop the tell tale then your problem appears to be in the LU

Where's the intake pipe?

 

[racerone]

A good flashlight will help get the tube into the pump on assembly.-----Is the tube too short or buckled by any chance ?

 

[Bosunsmate]

Where's the intake pipe?

Its the tube the outlet from your water pump connects too, quite obvious looking up there really.

 

[spunkyman]

YES ! found it with a strong flashlight.... pulled the brass hose off the water pump and jammed it in the hole, then put the hose to it - success !! lots of water through the PEE HOLE !! So I changed the impeller just to be safe and reconnected the LU with the brass hose now in the right spot (connected to intake) and BAM ! FIXED !!! thanks so much ! Love this page !!! Hope this helps anyone else with an old Johnson/Evinrude !

 

[jasper60103]

Thanks for the follow-up. Good job!

 

[racerone]

So when you took the lower unit off the first time the water tube came with it ? ----With the tube stuck in the pump ?

 

[spunkyman]

YES ! The entire hose came out and trying to get it back up there as one piece (with LU) was a chore !! But I got a big ole flashlight and really sent her home in the right spot !! thanks again everyone. What a great feeling to win 1 of the many engine wars..... too bad they all couldn't be that easy !