Starting engine before launching?

[1960vw]

I took the family to the lake last Sunday in Calif. foothills. Beautiful day !! Anyway, as I was lowering my boat to the water via the launch, the guy on the next launch area yelled to his wife to start the motor as he was pulling back to the water to set it in. She cranked it on for 5 or 6 seconds before hitting the water. It was an I/O on about a 19 ft bowrider and that's about all I noticed. I thought one should not turn on the engine without water going through the system. Is he not damaging the impeller or something else in the long run? Just curious!

 

[pontoonokie]

Re: Starting engine before launching?

We had a guy do this by my wife and i the other day.. and i was of the same impression that it would damage things in the long run......

 

[spktho]

Re: Starting engine before launching?

Some people don't know and will only find out the hard way.

 

[TJDave]

Re: Starting engine before launching?

That's a great way to destroy your impeller. Smart one, that guy.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Starting engine before launching?

You also need to lower the drive down at least to a little more then half way down before starting it up, Or you will be doing a lot of damage to the drive area and more then likely putting a hole in the ujoint bellows and rusting the ujoints and gimbel bearing and having a water leak in side the boat, on top of burning up the rubber impeller and overheating and wasting other stuff on the engine and drive if not shut down in time. It only takes 45 seconds to start burn the impeller up, Do that a few times and it will not be much longer before you might be the one towing that guy back in to the trailer.:

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: Starting engine before launching?

Next time you see see that guy tell him about Iboats and that its an awsome boating site, That way he will come on here and ask, What happened, Then all of us would be more than happy to tell him

 

[ziggy]

Re: Starting engine before launching?

I thought one should not turn on the engine without water going through the system. Is he not damaging the impeller or something else in the long run? Just curious!

yep, that'll damage it...

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Bullet/87/87_14.pdf

check out page 2 of that link. impeller damage.

i won't even set dwell w/o water flow to my drive (impeller) i will turn my engine over by hand w/o water flow. but that's it... the impeller seems easy to damage...

tell him about Iboats and that its an awsome boating site

yep, tell him that. he keeps running his engine out of the water he may soon need some help....