Outboard Water Pump Not Spitting Water

[mrhookup]

Been working on several things with my engine, kinda learning as I go since I've never done a lot of engine work. We have a 1987 Suzuki 30hp 2-Stroke outboard engine. Fired up the engine in the garage last week and she wasn't spitting water out of the pee hole. Opened her up and found a couple of the blades on the impeller broken off and the gasket in bad shape (it hasn't been used much in the last handfull of years). Replaced those along with the wear plate today and put her back together but it still isn't spitting water. I blew air into the pee hole and stuck a wire in there to check for a clog but it was clean. It seems like the water is not getting sucked in from the bottom. I do have the intake fully submerged in a large bucket. I'm gonna try going in there tomorrow to look for a clog but you guys have any other ideas why the water isn't pumping properly? Otherwise she starts right up and idles well even after sitting for a while.

[tray19682005]

I had to open head side plate cover ,to remove remains of impeller it was blocked with tiny pieces of rubber. Follow pick up tube to bottom of motor to the head, there will be a square plate on left side , remove cover and look for blockagages if it looks good may have to remove head waterplate cover also and check there ,best to use air to blow out all passages and then follow to tube that spits out water for any remains of old impeller. I started mine with all covers off to find where mine was blocked took a while as mine was plugged all along the whole system but when I finnaly got it all out it spits water better than ever. good luck.

[sherman51]

check the water intake area real good. sometimes bees will get in there and build nests and stop up the water at the pick up. just a thought. i bought an old mercury 115 hp that was stopped up there. cleaned it out and got water going through the engine. but still wasnt getting anything out the hole. i took about an 18" piece of weedeater line and worked it is as far as it would go. then just started working it back and forth, then when i pulled it out i had some water coming out. so i repeated the process a couple more times. and this old greenish brown stuff started flowing real slow, then she opened up and started flowing good. havent had any more problems.

fyi you should change your impeller atleast every 3 yrs. if you run alot in muddy water or salt water every 2 yrs. i know they usely last alot longer than that, but it keeps you from ending up with alot of rubber going into your system, and stopping something up.

i had a mercruiser once we were working on. and forgot to turn the water back on and started it up. was revving the engine up and remembered the water. it smoked my pump. i put a new impeller in it, but it just kept over heating. i cleaned and replaced the lines from the pump to the engine. nothing i did helped. then i was talking to this guy i had chartered out on erie that also worked on boats. he asked if i changed the pump housing. i said no, i didnt think i had to change it. he said sometimes when the impeller comes apart it can warp the housing. so after working with this thing and putting 2 new impellers in it for about 6 weeks. i tore it back down and put a new housing and bottom wear plate and another impeller in it. took it out on the lake, and she was good to go. then i had already bought another boat, so i sold this one. good luck and keep us posted.

sherman

[mrhookup]

check the water intake area real good. sometimes bees will get in there and build nests and stop up the water at the pick up. just a thought. i bought an old mercury 115 hp that was stopped up there. cleaned it out and got water going through the engine. but still wasnt getting anything out the hole. i took about an 18" piece of weedeater line and worked it is as far as it would go. then just started working it back and forth, then when i pulled it out i had some water coming out. so i repeated the process a couple more times. and this old greenish brown stuff started flowing real slow, then she opened up and started flowing good. havent had any more problems.

fyi you should change your impeller atleast every 3 yrs. if you run alot in muddy water or salt water every 2 yrs. i know they usely last alot longer than that, but it keeps you from ending up with alot of rubber going into your system, and stopping something up.

i had a mercruiser once we were working on. and forgot to turn the water back on and started it up. was revving the engine up and remembered the water. it smoked my pump. i put a new impeller in it, but it just kept over heating. i cleaned and replaced the lines from the pump to the engine. nothing i did helped. then i was talking to this guy i had chartered out on erie that also worked on boats. he asked if i changed the pump housing. i said no, i didnt think i had to change it. he said sometimes when the impeller comes apart it can warp the housing. so after working with this thing and putting 2 new impellers in it for about 6 weeks. i tore it back down and put a new housing and bottom wear plate and another impeller in it. took it out on the lake, and she was good to go. then i had already bought another boat, so i sold this one. good luck and keep us posted.

sherman

Well I've went through the entire bottom end and I've blown air and water down the pee hole through the piping with the lower unit removed and it goes through just fine. Engine still won't pump water. Is there a way to tell if the impellar housing is warped? The old impellar didn't completely blow up just one fin broke off so I don't know if that would be enough to warp it.

My next guess is maybe we have a bad thermostat which is shutting off the water flow? Don't know much about that gotta read up on it I guess. Any other ideas?

I gotta get this thing fixed, seeing all of these reports is just killing me right now.

[sherman51]

i dont know how a suziki is set up. on a mercury there is alittle keyway that goes in between the impeller and shaft. there isnt any way you could have lost it out is there?? even if the housing is bad you should be getting some water.

how big of a job is it to get to the thermostat?? i would take that loose and start the engine and see if youre getting water to the thermostat. that would tell you if the pump is pumping water to that point. it could be a bad thermostat. these are just suggestions. sure hope you find your problem.

sherman

[mrhookup]

taking out the thermostat is the next test. and the keyway is not the problem, it's in there. this particular suzuki model was made by mercury so they are very similar i believe.

[Ace HI]

I would try it on muffs and see if water is coming out the exhaust it should, but running in a tank you can't tell. If the water coming out with the exhaust is hot it is cooling.

[mrhookup]

I would try it on muffs and see if water is coming out the exhaust it should, but running in a tank you can't tell. If the water coming out with the exhaust is hot it is cooling.

I haven't tried this yet but even if it is cooling I think it's important to have the water spitting out the side so that if the cooling does go bad while on the water you know about it

[sherman51]

I haven't tried this yet but even if it is cooling I think it's important to have the water spitting out the side so that if the cooling does go bad while on the water you know about it

i have to agree with you. i want my little stream coming out. it could save your motor. but atleast you would know if its the intire cooling system or just the pee hole.

sherman.

[mrhookup]

i have to agree with you. i want my little stream coming out. it could save your motor. but atleast you would know if its the intire cooling system or just the pee hole.

sherman.

this is true