need advice on 1980 15hp evinrude not pumping, impeller inspected and fine

hey all

i just got given this pristine 15hp evinrude from my aunty
the engine was my uncles and it has been looked after well

started her up after an 8 year rest in the cupboard
on using the ears i get a very fine mist from the two exhaust holes below the engine and a few drops from the pee hole that is to the right and comes out of the engine housing
serial number is 15b804b or something like that

when i put the engine in a tub, i get no spray at all

i pulled the leg off and inspected the impeller and it is in perfect order
engine was always flushed

so the only thing i can think of is the thermostat has ceased and is not opening, trying to avoid pulling that plate off at the back of the engine to get at the thermostat as i dont want to stuff the gasket and all the wires are so beutifully routed from the factory

this engine is clean and mickey mouse i just cant figure why it wont pump

unless there is a blockage under the pump housing that i didnt see, I didnt pry the metal plate up when i took the pump housing off, i dont think there is as i attached a hose to the tube when the leg was off and started her up, the pee hole still did not operate and there was only a very fine mist coming from the exhaust holes

any advice on what may be the next step ?
if i dont need to pull the water manifold off i wont

and if i do is there any trick for getting it off without stuffing the gasket

im not even gonna tell you what happened to the last 15hp johnson i had and ended up getting it to run perfect, but then it all went bad, very bad and the engine was a total loss, thats all ill say its to embarrassing

any advice much appreciated

Re: need advice on 1980 15hp evinrude not pumping, impeller inspected and fine

Couple possibilities,first.take the lower off again,plqace a water tube /hose etc over the pipe that comes down from the powerhead and check for flow.Those engines have a common problem of collapsing grommet under the powerhead,however,your engine being pristine and flushed gives me doubt about it being the cause,but its not impossible,yes,you can try pulling the thermostat first,and test it,as for your impeller looking pristine,well,looks can kill,will all respect,there is no way an impeller sat for 8 yrs in one location and is ok,it had to loose its flex ,and I highly suggest you change it.I have worked on hundreds of those little engines,they are great,but,the impellers are prone to delaminate from the hub,and ,due to the thiness of the vanes,they break off once the become britle from age.Let us know what you find

Re: need advice on 1980 15hp evinrude not pumping, impeller inspected and fine

im happy to replce the impeller thats easy

just when i ran the engine with the lower off i put the hose on the inlet pipe and still got no flow in fact after a while i felt warm water backwashing down the pipe over my hand holding the hose

ok ill order a new impeller and pull that plate off to test the thermo and blow some compressed air through the system

grrr

guess ill be more careful with the gasket this time
also will take a picture so i can route all those leads back the right way

cheers

Re: need advice on 1980 15hp evinrude not pumping, impeller inspected and fine

gonna pull the rear plate off tomorrow and test the thermostat
im just gonna drop it in boiling water and see if it opens

if this is the wrong way please let me know

Re: need advice on 1980 15hp evinrude not pumping, impeller inspected and fine

ok i pulled the water cover off and found a broken thermostat (broken support arm) hence the lack of water pumping through it

i cleaned out all the passages with compressed air and got them all flowing again
the gasket broke (of course)

so i have just ordered a new impeller, gasket kit (gotta get the whole kit) and a new thermo stat (mallory) from the iboats website

what a awesome ordering process they have
it even had a go at when when i listed my expected delivery date as 10 days

"we wish we were that fast or something" LOL

so i have cleaned up all the surfaces of the water cover ready for a new gasket, i could of made one but figure since i have to get a thermostat i might as well just order one

my old uncle (RIP) will be chuffed to look down and see his tinny rocketing along the water once again after a 8 year sleep

he used to say
"there is nothing you cant fix with gaffa tape"

so i am gonna name the tinny "Going Gaffa" in his memory

Re: need advice on 1980 15hp evinrude not pumping, impeller inspected and fine

That's a heart felt gesture. Good on you. Best of luck. Rick.