Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

[Huntleybill]

Last summer I test ran the boat motor described above. (this test run was the motor in a garbage can filled with water. While it was running, water was spraying out of the exhaust port as it is supposed to. All good! This weekend, I put the motor on my boat and fired it up to make sure everything was still ok. I noticed there was no water spraying out of the exhaust port. I ran the motor for about a min. and still nothing.

Did my water pump go bad over the winter? I checked input area. It was clean and unobstructed the best I could see.
What would be your recommendations as to troubleshoot/repair. Just seems odd that it worked last year and not now.

Thank you all
Bill

 

[oldcatamount]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

An impeller will seldom, if at all, gives you a warning when it's about to fail.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

Don't go the guesswork route... drop the lower unit and go into the pump.

 

[Huntleybill]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

OK...but before I tear it apart, I filled the can up so that it was about 1 inch ( give or take ) above the cavitation plate. Is that enough water or should it be higher for the pump to work?

 

[James R]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

Water should be way above the cavitation plate. If the impeller has not been changed in the past two years or if you have no history then change it. $25 for an impeller is better than the cost of a new motor.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

OK...but before I tear it apart, I filled the can up so that it was about 1 inch ( give or take ) above the cavitation plate. Is that enough water or should it be higher for the pump to work?

At the water level you state, the pump would draw air!

The water level must be above the water pump as it is not a self siphoning/priming pump. So.... have the water level about 3 or 4 inches above the seam where the lower unit meets the long exhaust housing (pump underwater).

 

[Huntleybill]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

Ok...then this raises another question...In the owners manual for my motor, it shows the water intake just UNDER the anti-cavitation plate. Also, I was told to make sure that when the motor is mounted on the boat, the anti-cavitation plate should be right in line with the bottom of the boat. Seems to me that if it is mounted that way ...and it is....that when I'm cruising down the river, water will be running at the level of the anti-cavitation plate.

If the motor has to be 4 inches further down, then I'm going to overheat all the time. Or am I misunderstanding how the cooling system works??

 

[boobie]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

When you're running down the river water is being forced into the water pickup. Not like running in a barrel. Next time you run it, fill the barrel up to the same level as it would be when the boat is in the water and idling and see what happens.

 

[lindy46]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

That pump needs to be submerged initially. It is not self-priming.

 

[Huntleybill]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

Update: I dont know if any one reads posts this old but thought I would update you on the progress. I filled the can to about 6 inched above the anti-cavitation plate. Started it up and after about 30 seconds started spewing water like crazy. I reved it a few times and it was still pumping. I heard a knock start so I shut it down. Found something I forgot to tighten and fixed it. After about 10 min. I started it back up after refilling can. Ran for about a min. with no water coming out. I shut it off, let it sit for awhile after making sure can was full. Started it and after about a min, still no water.

I'm going to change the impeller just to be safe!

 

[Daviet]

Re: Am I nuts? 1972 Evinrude 40 hp. 40203E water pump issue ???

Probably a good idea to replace the impeller, let us know how it turns out.