'99 40hp Force issue/s

[GoFastr]

Last weekend took the old gal out for a late afternoon ride (1999 21 Party Barge w/40 hp Force OB). All seemed to be going well. at one point while trolling along I got up to look behind to check for water spitting out (changed impeller etc last fall). I only saw little to almost no water and it was getting a little steamy around the engine. So i stopped and popped the cover off and saw the white water tube coming off the top of the motor at the rear, had melted off. Around it was crusty salt (yep I'm in saltwater). I cleaned it and snipped off the tip of the tube and connected it back up with a small tie strap.

Still not much water. So I started limping back to the house. I noticed more steam and stopped and went thru the same routine discovering the tube had melted off. So this time i left it and the cover off. Started up and kept limping at idle back. At first the nipple on top of the motor was blowing pretty good but mostly steam. After few minutes it suddenly started shooting a water stream into the air like a jetski does. So i'm thinking there might have been some salt crud built up in there causing the steam only and melting tube problem, and then it finally blew itself out.

What is the exact function of that tube? Looks like where water exits the head.

Okay with that being said, during this time my tachometer was and had been working great. During the limp home it suddenly went dead and stopped working. Could the steam whilst still under cover possibly have melted a wire? Where do i look for it if so? What else should i be looking at/for?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

If it got that hot??/
I'd check the impeller again.
The tube is for showing it's not pumping.
From the sounds of it it got hot from no water and stopped pumping.
Yes it's possible the wiring got soaked and shorted out.
You should have heard a buzzer if it got hot enough to melt anything.
You need to test it. Key on,ground out the sensor at the head.It should make the buzzer go off.

 

[GoFastr]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

No buzzer and it wasn;'t the first time it overheated. I did the impeller kit change last fall. Priot to that it got hot enuff to cutout and had to let it sit for awhile.

As I mentioned, with cover off and little white hose off, it steamed for a bit then suddenly started squirting water into the air. I ASSume it might've been plugged maybe with salt crystals and blew itself out?

I hope to get in there tomorrow (Sat) after the much needed rain passes and start giving it a good look over and see if i can find anything obvious wire wise. Plus i plan on running some Salt-Away thru it on the muffs while still on the lift and see if that helps clean it out some more.

I just got this thing last fall as a practically giveaway and slowly but surely am finding and fixing problems as i come across them aside from the basics like cleaning and tuning up.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

They come with a buzzer under the dash or in the shifter.
Under the dash it's a round black thingy.
Try to find one or the other.
If you can't find one, put one in.It could even be swapped out to a light on the dash??

 

[GoFastr]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

Will do.

So the nipple on the top of the head with the white line, one referenced above now squirting water into the air, is that pretty much where the water exits the cylinder head after circulating thru the cylinder head? Should that be squirting out some port to give indication of the water pump working? It appears to lead to the other end of the motor compartment then goes down towards the shaft area?

Can't seem to find a good illustrated parts breakdown (IPB) that shows the nipple or line for a '99 Force 40 hp.

 

[belairbrian]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

You won't find it in a parts diagram as it didn't come on the motor. It was likely added after the fact. The water exits through the exhaust. Many owners remove the plug on the top of the cylinder head (which is there for hooking up a water pressure gauge) and add a line so they can see that water is getting up from the water pump.

It should be connected where the plug (no 20) goes in this pic.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

Post a pic of what you've got??

 

[GoFastr]

Re: '99 40hp Force issue/s

Ended up getting pulled off in another direction troubleshooting an A/C problem on the '95 Mercedes E320.

"The water exits through the exhaust. Many owners remove the plug on the top of the cylinder head (which is there for hooking up a water pressure gauge) and add a line so they can see that water is getting up from the water pump."

Duh!...With you're statement above, it just dawned on me that yes, that tube/nipple is providing the water pressure reading to the Teleflex "Water Pressure" gauge at the dash. It had always fluttered and was hard to tell how if it was actually providing a useful reading.

With that being said, there had to be some salt crud in the water jackets limiting the cooling water thru the cylinder head causing it to overheat and eventually broke loose as described above, hence the water now squirting into the air. I ASSumed it was for seeing water pizzin out the back.

My first plan of attack will still be to flush it out with Salt-Away. Thanks for shining the light on the situation.