No tell tale on Force

Quick question. I have a 1989 Force 15 hp outboard. Got it cheap from a friend and it looks amazing. I gave it a tune up with the carb, (rebuild kit and fuel bowl had a hole in it, so replaced it). After breifly starting it, it didn't have a tell tale, so i shut it off and now i'm stumped. Ive also replaced the impeller when i was working on it, so now i'm puzzled. So my question is, should the water pipe ( the pipe exiting the water pump) be free flowing of water/air from the water pump to the exit of the tell tale? I currently have the lower unit off, and have tried to blow air and water into the bottom of the water pipe, and it does not exit from the tell tale. I have tried to run a small, but sturdy wire up through the water pipe, and from the tell tale end, but it still will not pass air or water. Also tried brake/carb cleaner through both ends. I have also cranked my air compressor up to 120psi, and tried to blow out any obstructions from both ends, but it has not worked either. I'm not sure if there's something obstructing the path or what the deal is. So once again, to sum up my question, should water/air be free flowing from the exit of the water pump, then cool the engine, then exit through the tell tale? This is my last resort before i hook up my 3000 psi pressure washer and give it a last ditch effort on full blast. Wife is already mad and telling me to throw the motor in the trash because i spend too much time on it, haha. Any help is greatly appreciated, because another day or to and this motor is junk.

Re: No tell tale on Force

Please send some pics of your experiment showing your details on the pump. If I understand this info you are trying to force water/air w/o rotating the impeller. I do not see that happening w/o rotating the impeller to let either exit the pump. Remember the impeller is used to force the water though from rotating (w/o rotating, I fill it is blocked).

If you are sending water/air through the motor w/o the pump the thermostat might be the blockage.

There was a post a few months back where someone used a drill motor to power their pump and it pumped water. I hat to guess what to search for to find that post. May be another viewer will remember.

Re: No tell tale on Force

I can't actually help you with your question; but I do want to say "Thank You" for referring to the tell tale by its design name, and not calling it what others routinely do; which in effect describes the anatomical structure of the exit of a urethra!

Re: No tell tale on Force

When you took off the old pump was it all there?
All the vanes in the pump?
There should be flow if you try to put water up the tube.
Try to Force it and your gonna damage it.
Too much pressure can blow the seal on the pickup tube and you'll be fixing that.
The thermo might be blocked?Salt water?
Put it together,run it and see if it gets hot.
The majority of the exhaust comes out the snout on the bottom (so rig up muffs)that way you can see if it's pumping water.
They didn't put a pisser on these motors.(SS,just had to add this)
If it's there it was put on later.

Try to breakup the paragraph cause it's real hard to read and retain.

Re: No tell tale on Force

wickware said:

Please send some pics of your experiment showing your details on the pump. If I understand this info you are trying to force water/air w/o rotating the impeller. I do not see that happening w/o rotating the impeller to let either exit the pump. Remember the impeller is used to force the water though from rotating (w/o rotating, I fill it is blocked).

If you are sending water/air through the motor w/o the pump the thermostat might be the blockage.

There was a post a few months back where someone used a drill motor to power their pump and it pumped water. I hat to guess what to search for to find that post. May be another viewer will remember.

Click to expand...

Yes, the whole impeller lower unit is off the boat and i have bypassed the impeller completely. Well to counter your idea about a drill or pressure needed...I've seen people have the lower units off there outboards before (mostly old 70's Johnsons), and see them stick a house up into the bottom of the water pipe, and then run the motor, and the tell tale works just fine. I know it's back woods country style and pretty sure it might mess stuff up. Maybe there is a different set-up with my motor. Its just always been my understanding that as soon as the motor runs, the tell tale works. In this case mine is now working, and it's not the water pump/impeller in the lower. Thanks.

Re: No tell tale on Force

Silly Seville said:

I can't actually help you with your question; but I do want to say "Thank You" for referring to the tell tale by its design name, and not calling it what others routinely do; which in effect describes the anatomical structure of the exit of a urethra!

Click to expand...

Your welcome...and that makes me frown when I see that posted, haha. Although I probably missed reading some previous key posts, because i refused to search for the urban dictionarys version of the tell tale.

Re: No tell tale on Force

jerryjerry05 said:

When you took off the old pump was it all there?
All the vanes in the pump?
There should be flow if you try to put water up the tube.
Try to Force it and your gonna damage it.
Too much pressure can blow the seal on the pickup tube and you'll be fixing that.
The thermo might be blocked?Salt water?
Put it together,run it and see if it gets hot.
The majority of the exhaust comes out the snout on the bottom (so rig up muffs)that way you can see if it's pumping water.
They didn't put a pisser on these motors.(SS,just had to add this)
If it's there it was put on later.

Try to breakup the paragraph cause it's real hard to read and retain.

Click to expand...

No parts are broken off from the pump; impeller was in one piece when i replaced it.
So you are agreeing with me that if water goes up the water tube, it should atleast exit the tell tale? ---if my motors has one?

I havent seen a Force outboard personally run before, but from youtube videos, it definitely looks like water immediately exits through the ports on the high back of the motor. There is a snout on the bottom, and i will have to see if i can find a pair of muffs small enough to use on this motor, my pair i use fit my other 75hp. I've just been testing it in a barrel.

As a commons sense sort of thing, and my own curiosity, how long should you let a motor run before it gets TOO hot? I mean i started this up, and let it go for about 10-15 seconds, then shut it down because there's no tell tale. But if your saying i might not even have one, then how long should i let it run before it damages itself?

I'm at the end of the line with this anyway, i just wanted the practice of a carb rebuild. I'm gonna get a good amount of fuel, start it up, the hose is getting turned on in the barrel, and i'm going to sit back and drink beer until it proves it's going to work, or burst into flames, haha.

Re: No tell tale on Force

At most Home Depot or any Harbor Freight and probably at a neighbors house there might be a heat temp gun.

Post pics of the motor the top of the head or anyplace near the back.
There usually is a fitting that can be removed and a hose attached to it.
Then you'll have your own tell tale.
You should be able to touch the head when it's running and not burn yourself.
Too hot to the touch will be too hot to run.
Close to the plugs will burn so get away from there and test the other parts.

Tape the muffs in place,duct tape works well unless it's wet first.

Re: No tell tale on Force

I'm heading out to look for the hose attachment near the head that you said to look for. I just put the lower unit back together and rechecked the impeller and water pump assembly. It all looks good. I'm going to try your hose idea and it that doesn't work, I'll duct tape the muffs to it and let it run. Thanks for the help. I ll let you know what's going on.

Re: No tell tale on Force

1. The small hose added to the rear top is to see cooling water is coming out the eng vs going in.

2. Have you tried running the eng in a deep barrel as deep as on the lake etc, that?s works better for some.

3. Attached is my ref to a ?True Tell Tale? running deep in a barrel that seems better for some.

Re: No tell tale on Force

I had one once that kept me on the hook for two weeks. I knew that everything was working as should be, but the dang thing would not pump water. Same type thing; turn it on for 20-25 seconds, no water, turn it off. I finally got the advice to put it in a deeper bucket like Wick said and sure enough, it pumped water. Heck, it was probably literally Wickware that told me to do it right here in this forum, lol.

A "must have", imho, is one of those "Infrared Digital Thermometers". Harbor Freight has them for under $30.00 I think. Simple as pie to use just point and pull the trigger....instant temp reading.