89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

[DDAADDYY]

Happy spring. Just resolved to hard cold start with a new feul pump and it works fine now. Power tilt problems from last year are gone. New one is sea water pump won't prime. Will blow lines tomorrow but any advice troubleshooting this would be appreciated. Just started today and pulling raw water filter cap while on shows steam so I shut it down before got to operating temp. New pump last year with 60hrs on it. Checking the impeller I noticed some brass shavings by the pulley it slots into and sure enough a little wear on the backside of the pump. Last year impeller shaft holed right through cover of pump. Any ideas on this issue would be appreciated as well. Thanks. Now if only the lake would thaw out!!

 

[DDAADDYY]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

Just trying to get on top of the pile again. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[bjcsc]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

Hey Daddy-O...I'm no pro, but it's my opinion that if your seawater pump won't prime, it's worn to the point it needs replaced. I would think the shavings confirm this...

 

[DDAADDYY]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

Well in another forum I saw regarding sea water pump won't prime, I followed advise trying to backflush. Everything is clear but under the "Water Connection" on the "steering fork" so it looks like the seals above the Water Tube/ Guide Sleeve at the needle bearing are gone. So it's ingressing air. Have the manual but curious out there how big a job is this really for like a guy who can comfortably completely teardown and rebuild an outboard powerhead?

 

[Don S]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

Sounds to me like you need a new raw water pump, and probably that water connection on the drive. Those connectors have a tendancy to corrode away inside the hose. Just give the hose a good push and see what happens.

 

[DDAADDYY]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

Don S do you mean the hose from the fork to the transom plate? It's all good. Wondering if last year this was already gone and while the leg was in the lake never noticed as water would have gone in then where the air is coming in now with ears. Thanks Don member your signature last year and the boys I work with agree on that never enough time thing. Parts are coming and lakes thawed, Will do this repair but first will try dumping in lake for curiosity cause the guy I got it from said no issues and other than this there isn't. The sea water pump thing is resolved as well the slotted insert that fits into the pulley the shaft from the pump connects to was kicked out a ways causing no clearance between the two parts so cleared that up too, impeller is very stiff to rotate and in perfect shape. Volvo tech in Vancover Martin, you probably know him Don, gave me the tip on the fork issue so hopefully this is it pulled valve cover checked clearances all good compression good fresh water flush good, sea water in progress leg oil great shape changed guy had too much in leg reading 4 inches above the level indicator on dipstick. oh boy almost ready

 

[DDAADDYY]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

So I hooked a garden hose up to the raw water intake hose and filled a tub of water and it sucked dry in 5 minutes good flow nice and cool. My previous post suggested I'd try this thing hoping the air leak on the steering fork was under the water line and it is unless WOT which of course it won't be untill I fix this but looks like I can put around and fish anyways. Thanks for the tips guys.

 

[Don S]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

If all your problems have been while on the muffs, you may have had a combination of low water pressure and not plugging up the secondary water pickup on the drive. I always plug the secondary, makes even low water pressure work at times.

 

[DDAADDYY]

Re: 89 Volvo AQ131D Sea Warter Pump won't prime

Well I did try putting the leg in a tub of water as well which caught that secondary hole as well as the intake vents on either side of the lower gear housing, didn't catch the fork though, so with the notion that the impeller works fine with no air ingress, and that the backflush showed a leak in the steering fork, I'll just wait till the seals on either side of the needle bearing above the water tube guide sleeve arrive. Could it be this was like this all along or can these seals in the fork calf in the midst of a Ft. Mac winter?
Thanks for your help and getting to Washington I see. Great boating there I hear.