FORCE 150 Water Leak question.....

[VIP FORCE]

I started up my 89 Force 150 today in my driveway with the cover off and the muffs on the water pickup. When the engine is running a good amount of water is pumping out the holes in the back of the engine. But I noticed the hose that connects the rear water outlet to the engine is leaking pretty bad and making a pool of water in the bottom of the engine. It is leaking out onto the ground but what will happen when the boat is in the water? Is it ok for this to leak or will it cause problems???

 

[azlakes]

Re: FORCE 150 Water Leak question.....

... hiya VIP,

not sure if we are talking the same "bellow" or not but I had a similar leak that I asked Frank about. Here was his response:

Hi Frank,

Question. There is a rubber boot between the lower leg housing and two water pump spurt holes that has a leak and small drip. Its held on by a metal squeeze ring and thats it. Is it easy to replace and ok to run with a small drip until replaced? Any tricks to get this on when I buy a new one?

If it has a hole and is leaking then you want to replace it because it is the idle relief . when the engine is sitting low in the water, exhaust gases pass through it. If the leak gets bad, the exhaust will stall the engine with the hood on. With it off, the engine will run normally.
However, if it is leaking where it enters the rear shroud, then it might just be mis-aligned. It is spring loaded inside and that is what holds it firmly in the tapered seat. Reach down and wigge it back in. The end of the plug is tapered to match the seat.
If you need to replace it and can't get the clamp off with a pliers, then you will need to remove the rear shroud to get to the clamp.Six screws on the front of the shroud and usually six inside the engine. When I replace the bellows, I use a plastic zip tie or a stainless screw clamp--much better than original.

Oh, yeah. before you buy a bellows, check the old one. Inside the tapered end is a plastic sleeve that the internal spring bears against. Sometimes the sleeve distorts ,not allowing the bellows to seat.