How do you know if your oil pump is going bad?

[guitchess]

My old motor is an '87 3 cyl Mariner with oil injection. This boat/motor has been abused but luckily is still running well. However, I am worried that the oil pump will go bad and I won't know it until I have done substantial damage to the engine. Will it be obvious if it fails, or should I be keeping a very close eye on the oil tank level to make sure it is still dropping evenly(this would be a pain as I can no longer see through the little window in the cowling).


thanks for you opinions/info

 

[achris]

Re: How do you know if your oil pump is going bad?

If you are that paranoid, just throw some oil in the main fuel tank, about a 200:1 mix. That way if the pump fails you still have enough oil in the fuel to stop any damage. And keep an eye on your oil usage in the tank....

I have only ever seen 1 of those oil pumps fail, and that was under warranty....

Chris.......