water pump on a 89 ,125 force.

[DON, NEW YORK]

I just got this boat, and while checking out things I found that the buzzer for the water pump was not hooked up. I hooked up the muffs and put water on the lower unit and ran the motor. I did not get the flow of water out that I thaught should be< but a friend of mine said thats about right.It was not hot.just warm. I then hooked up the alarm and it went off. This is my first o/b motor and I do not have a clue. I can fix this If i knew where the dang pump was. or for that mater the themostate?????? the motor runs like a top in the water. what should i check out first ????? DON FROM ROCHESTER,NY[*]

[roscoe]

The first thing you should check out, is a repair manual. Available at the bottom of this page.You have to drop the lower unit to access the waterpump.The thermostat is above the top cylinder.Then trouble shoot the warning buzzer. It may be faulty, and previous owner disconnected it. OR, maybe he was trying to sell an engine that needs a new waterpump. The manual will tell you how to test it.

[jrlogan11]

Agreed roscoe. But if it seems to be pumping plenty of water and it is coming out warm, not hot at all, I bet your alarm is the problem. Even properly functioning pumps still put out fairly hot water, and overheated engines put out painfully hot water, in most cases. Don't ignore the alarm though, find out for sure.To change the impeller, you will need a seal kit and should probably just change all the seals while you're in there. Also, don't forget to get lower unit oil.Good luck!P.S. Oh yeah, if that alarm goes off immediately after a cold start, then your alarm is faulty. Engines don't overheat in 0.5 seconds!

[DON, NEW YORK]

Thanks guys, The alarm comes on within 1 to 2 min after a cold start.