Honda BF 15 no tell tale

[FLATHEAD]

2003 BF15 started it on the muffs yesterday had a decent stream for about 30 seconds then nothing. Got to it this morning , what I’ve done so far. Ran a wire in the tell tale, no change. Pulled the lower and inspected the impeller, is like new cleaned everything up, ran a wire in the tube running up to the motor, seems clear put lower back on, no change, still no water. Pulled thermostat cover, dry as the desert. I’m assuming no water is getting to the motor at all. I don’t have a drill at home with big enough chuck to put on the shaft to run pump alone in a bucket. I have tried the motor with both muffs and submerged. What’s next? Any help would be appreciated. Not a lot of experience on outboard motors.

 

[ahicks]

I have no experience on the 15's, but the bigger motors can often be rigged where you clamp a water hose to the pipe that normally plugs into the water pump. With the thermostat cover and thermostat removed, and the water turned on, water should come shooting out the thermostat housing. At that point, it should be pretty clear there's no obstruction there!

Is the grommet in place that seals the pipe to the water pump housing?

Is the intake area BELOW the water pump open and free of debris?

 

[FLATHEAD]

I have no experience on the 15's, but the bigger motors can often be rigged where you clamp a water hose to the pipe that normally plugs into the water pump. With the thermostat cover and thermostat removed, and the water turned on, water should come shooting out the thermostat housing. At that point, it should be pretty clear there's no obstruction there!

Is the grommet in place that seals the pipe to the water pump housing?

Is the intake area BELOW the water pump open and free of debris?

Thanks for the reply. After some thought I’m thinking it might be as simple as the pump not getting enough water. I have a well and the pressure is not all that high for the muffs. The drum I ran it in was barely deep enough to reach the cavitation plate. The intake below the pump is clean. The only other thing is if the tube is not lining up when I reinstall the lower. Can’t see it or feel it when your doing it but I’m fairly confident it’s inserted properly. Going to scavenge a bigger vessel for water today to get the pump under water and see how it goes.
If I was to run water into the thermostat housing with stat removed and lower off would water run out of the tube if I’m clear , or is there to many narrow passages or hoses that it won’t? Sort of reversed what you suggested!

 

[ahicks]

Thanks for the reply. After some thought I’m thinking it might be as simple as the pump not getting enough water. I have a well and the pressure is not all that high for the muffs. The drum I ran it in was barely deep enough to reach the cavitation plate. The intake below the pump is clean. The only other thing is if the tube is not lining up when I reinstall the lower. Can’t see it or feel it when your doing it but I’m fairly confident it’s inserted properly. Going to scavenge a bigger vessel for water today to get the pump under water and see how it goes.
If I was to run water into the thermostat housing with stat removed and lower off would water run out of the tube if I’m clear , or is there to many narrow passages or hoses that it won’t? Sort of reversed what you suggested!

Sure, I've done that. You just need to be careful feeding the water into the thermostat housing so water isn't going everywhere, making it difficult yo see if it's coming our where expected.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Thanks ahicks, Issue resolved. Was overthinking it. The pump wasn’t getting enough water. I got a trashcan that was deep enough that the water level was up to where the pump is in the lower, dunked the motor and it had a good strong steady stream. I’m now a believer that in a drum you need to be at pump height to get a proper flow. Just covering the intake won’t cut it at least not for this motor.