I started my boat after a little maintenance the other day. I carefully regulated the amount of water flow through the muffs so as not to blow water past the seals (done it before), and started it up. I was paying very close attention to the coolant temp gauge (closed system), and it never got above halfway on the gauge.
I had an unrelated problem and I shut the motor down after about 3-5 minutes. I heard a ticking sound from the motor and the manifold was pretty warm. I checked the water to the muffs and it was down to a trickle.
Let me tell you about being near the end of a rural water line. Low flow, low pressure.
It was early in the morning and someone in the house who shall remain nameless was getting a shower and starving the outside hose!
Long story short, the seawater water pump is toast. The impeller desintigrated and it appears that it all went down into the intakes on the sides of the drive. There was no residue in the outlet side of the water pump or in the riser tube. The large seal above the water pump housing did not get hot. The water pump housing looks OK, as in not deformed or melted, but I am replacing it anyway due to the melted plastic of the impeller inside. The closed system coolant temp never got above 1/2 on the gauge. I checked the outside case of the drive when it happened and it was warm, but not hot. The plastic guide for the water pump riser tube was slightly deformed, but not too bad. Still reusable.
A new water pump is on the way. I don't think that I ran long enough to ruin anything else, but what else should I check?
Oh, by the way, it is a Mercruiser 470 and the unrelated problem was/is the (drum roll) cam seals and redi sleeves! I cut a seal installing the timing cover and it leaked worse after the fix than before. Oh, well. New seal on its way.
Any help on what to look for before I reassemble would be appreciated. Eventually like to get this thing back in the water.
Thanks,
Greg
Moundsville, WV
I had an unrelated problem and I shut the motor down after about 3-5 minutes. I heard a ticking sound from the motor and the manifold was pretty warm. I checked the water to the muffs and it was down to a trickle.
Let me tell you about being near the end of a rural water line. Low flow, low pressure.
It was early in the morning and someone in the house who shall remain nameless was getting a shower and starving the outside hose!
Long story short, the seawater water pump is toast. The impeller desintigrated and it appears that it all went down into the intakes on the sides of the drive. There was no residue in the outlet side of the water pump or in the riser tube. The large seal above the water pump housing did not get hot. The water pump housing looks OK, as in not deformed or melted, but I am replacing it anyway due to the melted plastic of the impeller inside. The closed system coolant temp never got above 1/2 on the gauge. I checked the outside case of the drive when it happened and it was warm, but not hot. The plastic guide for the water pump riser tube was slightly deformed, but not too bad. Still reusable.
A new water pump is on the way. I don't think that I ran long enough to ruin anything else, but what else should I check?
Oh, by the way, it is a Mercruiser 470 and the unrelated problem was/is the (drum roll) cam seals and redi sleeves! I cut a seal installing the timing cover and it leaked worse after the fix than before. Oh, well. New seal on its way.
Any help on what to look for before I reassemble would be appreciated. Eventually like to get this thing back in the water.
Thanks,
Greg
Moundsville, WV
