Help! Water Not Coming Out of Exhaust

[seymourbt 0]

We have an 03 Elite V with a Merc 350 Mag MPI Tow Sport and last week changed the impeller for the first time since owning the boat we bought 3 years ago. The old impeller looked good with no real cracks or chips, but we replaced in anyways since we went through the work of taking it apart. Today we changed the fuel filter for the new season and decided to fire it up through the fake a lake to make sure everything was good. Boat fired right up no problems, but we noticed that water was not coming out of the exhaust. Thinking we didn't want to overheat anything we shut it off after about 20 seconds (tops). We didn't see any visible leaks coming from the water pump or hoses. All the connections we played with looked good. The water was spewing from the fake a lake like there was no vacuum/suction. Played with the fake a lake to make sure the connection was good and no difference. Anyone know what else to check? Or how to troubleshoot? Thanks in advance!

[CenturionSkier 43]

It takes a minute or so for the water to fill up the engine block, manifolds, and the Muffler before you will see it coming out of the back of the boat. Try it again and be patient you should be just fine. Your only other possibility would be that you hooked the 2 hoses on the pump up backwards, but that is kind of hard to do.

[WickedC4 12]

x2

[Nick213 583]

Ya what skier said and you won't overheat the engine in a minute or two the alarm would go off before that would happen

[volzalum 280]

If you have a valve on the intake just after the through-hull, make sure it is open. Some boats have them, others don't, so may not be applicable to your case.

[seymourbt 0]

Update-

After running it for a minute we still didn't have water coming out and the temp started rising. We then began to troubleshoot and hooked the garden hose up first after the V drive and then before the V drive and got water through coming out the exhaust. However, it was pulsating like every 2 seconds it would take it and then not for 2. Once we increased the idle to took the water steady with no issues. Is this normal? We haven't had this happen before. Still no luck taking it through the fake a lake, not sure why that is. When we pour water down the hose that connects the water coming in the bottom of the boat to the v drive it comes out the bottom no problem so nothing is blocking it.

[WakeDoc 471]

Are you sure the fins on the water pump impeller are turned in the correct direction?

[acman 59]

Not sure but can you put the belt on so it's spinning backwards on this engine. Also I have a ball valve at the inlet on my boat anyway you closed this by mistake?

[seymourbt 0]

I'll check that the next time I get to the boat (next weekend). It's impossible for the water pump to go on backwards with this engine. Thanks for everyone's help so far. Anyone know if the pulsating at idle speed is normal?

[Kevin Baugh 78]

I am pretty sure that the fins will be flipped to the correct position even if you install them wrong

[duramat 462]

I'll check that the next time I get to the boat (next weekend). It's impossible for the water pump to go on backwards with this engine. Thanks for everyone's help so far. Anyone know if the pulsating at idle speed is normal?

Just throwing out an idea, I'm not mr master mechanic

 

Double check your belt on everything, make sure it's proper tight. When your saying pulsating, I'm thinking some slipping may be happening?

 

I would take hoses off and look for blockage too, starting at the tranny cooler (both sides)

 

Good luck, let us know

[bcollins 18]

Not sure about the pulsating but I had the same "issue" last year. Between it sitting for a few months and fake a lakes being serviceable at best I thought I wasn't getting water circulation. Learned how to pull the water pump real quick after that fiasco. Anyway, I essentially did what you did, i.e. giving it a bit of gas to get it going and it was fine. Definitely took longer than I thought it should but I just monitored the temp to make sure it didn't overheat and it eventually got good suction and started coming out of the exhaust. I did have some minor blockage in the trans cooler but it must have been there forever because all my old impellers look brand new. Anyway, lake test it is my thought becuase I had zero issues once I put it on the water.

[Skibumm 184]

The pulsing is normal if what you are seeing is very little water then a kind of burp of water about every couple of seconds if you are at idle. Mine does that too and has since day one. Also there is not way that the fins on the water pump would be backwards if the pump is spinning it will correct them on the first rotation.

[Kevin Baugh 78]

X2^

[harlobra 24]

Update-

After running it for a minute we still didn't have water coming out and the temp started rising. We then began to troubleshoot and hooked the garden hose up first after the V drive and then before the V drive and got water through coming out the exhaust. However, it was pulsating like every 2 seconds it would take it and then not for 2. Once we increased the idle to took the water steady with no issues. Is this normal? We haven't had this happen before. Still no luck taking it through the fake a lake, not sure why that is. When we pour water down the hose that connects the water coming in the bottom of the boat to the v drive it comes out the bottom no problem so nothing is blocking it.

 

Are you sure you had the fake a lake on the right through hull and not the one for the ballast?

[Kevin Baugh 78]

that would be a problem

[truekaotik 458]

 

Are you sure you had the fake a lake on the right through hull and not the one for the ballast?

I have to agree with Kevin "that would be a problem", but if it was to the ballast, he would never see water out the exhaust, correct?

[volzalum 280]

Did he ever get water out from the fake-a-lake? Or only when sticking the water directly in a hose?

[seymourbt 0]

Hahaha yes we are sure we had the fake a lake hooked up to the correct through hull. Next thing to check is hooking the fake a lake up and giving the engine some gas. Hopefully it will sort itself out. I think we have narrowed the problem down to the fake a lake or the hose connecting the V drive to the through hull because the engine ran normal when inserting the garden hose directly in the V drive.

Bcollins or anyone- where is the trans cooler? Our old impeller looked good but it can't hurt to check for blockage.

[truekaotik 458]

the trans cooler is located in front of the distributor cap. it is the T with water lines entering each side. while looking at the motor from the back seat. disconnect the hose to the right. feel inside the T and youll feel a screen. clean all the crap out off the screen.put it back together.you can check the other side as well but it mostly will collect on the right (input) side of the T.