First start of season, how long for water from impeller?

[banderberg]

I hooked up my hose to the intake hose on the engine and ran water until it came out of the alpha one. Reconnected intake hose and put muffs on and started up on the first try so yay! But my son who was watching the back of the boat said water came out immediately then stopped.. How long does it take for the impeller to get water through the cooling system and out the back of the boat? Also the impeller was installed last spring and we only went out a few times so it's nearly new.

 

[Scott Danforth]

You ran the hose to the motor and not to the muffs for the initial start?

If so, you toasted the impeller

Never ever ever ever run an alpha 1 without water flowing thru the muffs at full pressure

 

[banderberg]

You ran the hose to the motor and not to the muffs for the initial start?

If so, you toasted the impeller

Never ever ever ever run an alpha 1 without water flowing thru the muffs at full pressure

Nope, I just filled it up with water. Then reattached the intake hose. Then put the muffs on. Then started the engine.

I am really primarily interested in how long it should take for water to start flowing from the back of the out drive.

 

[dubs283]

If the engine is a sbc and the raw water system is completely drained it should take maybe 10 seconds or so at about 1200 rpm to start seeing water exit the exhaust if the pump and system are sound

You'll note a change in the tone of the exhaust as water begins exiting

 

[Scott06]

Nope, I just filled it up with water. Then reattached the intake hose. Then put the muffs on. Then started the engine.

I am really primarily interested in how long it should take for water to start flowing from the back of the out drive.

It takes what seems like a long time When u are waiting for it….I think there are 4 or so gallons in a sbc To fill up before it comes out the idle reliefs or drive

 

[muc]

It takes what seems like a long time When u are waiting for it….I think there are 4 or so gallons in a sbc To fill up before it comes out the idle reliefs or drive

Yes, this.
When you prefilled the system you probably didn't get much water in the block because the thermostat was closed. Getting the RPMs up to 1500-2000 helps speed things up and is important for those that have an engine mounted raw water pump (you don't, yours is in the drive).