Water Pump Not Pumping?

Hello. I am new to boating and have recently puchased an Evinrude 9.9hp outboard from 1982. It starts and runs great, but does not appear to be pumping water. I have the water intake holes submerged in a large garbage can full of water, and nothing but steam comes from the water exhaust port. The motor was stored for several years, and I didnt know if the cooling system needed to 'bleed' air for a few minutes before it began pumping or if the impeller might be bad...?
At any rate, I stopped running the motor after a couple of minutes just in case, not wanting to burn it up.
I have found a water pump repair kit on line, and I am wondering if anyone knows what is involved in replacing the water pump impeller on these motors.
Thank you!

Re: Water Pump Not Pumping?

I strongly recommend you get a manual for the motor. OEM manual are by far the best but expensive. You can get a manual right here on i-Boats.

Re: Water Pump Not Pumping?

Do you have the lower unit submerged low enough? The water level in your can needs to be well above the water pump, maybe 6" or so.