5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

[Syreal]

Hey guys , first time on the forums. We have a 5.8 liter OMC EFI engine we are trying to resurrect and just did a few necessary changes and it seems to idle fine. We ran some water through the prop with the "bunny ears" and can get any water to come out of the prop or the spitter. What are the first things we need to look to get fixed? Loose gaskets on the prop housing? Just some blockage? Leaks? It seems to leak a little bit as well from the upper part of the propeller housing too. This boat has been sitting for over 2 years if that helps at all. Were not super mechanical so any help would be appreciated! Thanks

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

Running on bunny ears you'll see water exiting all around the transom shield and along the exhaust bellows, you don't usually see it flowing out the prop at that point. The impeller is a simple job on the Cobra drive, what year is it?

 

[Syreal]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

The boat is a 1993 4 Winns 190 horizon , so I would assume the engine is a 93 as well.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

It would be nice to know exactly what drive you have because 93 was the year or the merger between OMC and Volvo Penta, I assumed it was a Cobra but now I'm not sure. It's the Cobra that I'm all too familiar with, have any pictures?
The Cobra has a plastic cover on the drive right in front, you take it off (3 screws) and the impeller housing is right there, pull it off and install the new one 1/2hr job. What is it your calling the spitter because I/O's are submerged and have no tell tale spitters.

 

[Syreal]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

Well its marked and labeled cobra a couple of times on the out drive itself, so unless they would do this to confuse you Im sure its a cobra because it has never been changed out. The spitter we were looking at was a little hole right above the inlet where water enters into the housing on the right hand side. If our memory serves us that is where water would spit from after the boat was pulled out of the water.

We can get it to spit some water after we turn the hose off but not during idle. We never put the engine in drive , could that be the problem? Also if we take off the housing how can we tell if our impeller is faulty?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

It's easy just remove the plastic cover on the drive, directly under that cover you'll see the impeller housing, the impeller is in that housing, you can visually inspect the impeller, it is rubber and has about a dozen vanes (wipers) if it's burnt up you'll see it right away.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

Well its marked and labeled cobra a couple of times on the out drive itself, so unless they would do this to confuse you Im sure its a cobra because it has never been changed out. The spitter we were looking at was a little hole right above the inlet where water enters into the housing on the right hand side. If our memory serves us that is where water would spit from after the boat was pulled out of the water.

We can get it to spit some water after we turn the hose off but not during idle. We never put the engine in drive , could that be the problem? Also if we take off the housing how can we tell if our impeller is faulty?

If u turned the water off with the engine running, then the impeller is toast. If the boat has been sitting for 2 yrs., then I would replace the impeller. The fins may have taken a set.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: 5.8 OMC not spitting water? Help!

On my Cobra there are 2 of those "pee holes" as they are commonly referred to. They sometimes get clogged. Take a wire & sick it thru the holes & u may loosen up any gunk that has clogged them.