New (Out of Box) BF20D Over Heating

[111torrance111]

Purchased a new (What seemed to be Out of Box) 20 HP BF20D tiller motor, followed all the setup up instructions for starting a new motor. Added Oil/Gas & checked the lower unit for gear oil.
Motor fired right up using rabbit ear for cooling, never got any water coming from the pee hole. Motor died after about 5 minutes, tried putting motor in bucket of water rather than using the rabbit ear, same results.

Seems strange that out of the box I should have a cooling issue, What can I check?

Purchased from Craigslist, not a dealer.

appreciate any advice.

Thanks/Jerry

 

[ahicks]

I would try blowing into the pee hole. It is hooked up right? If that produces nothing, I'd look to see if it has a water pump impeller installed, looks new or not.

 

[Sea Rider]

Why did you assumed the motor overheated ? the block was very hot as to let your hand touch it for a very short time? Start the motor in a tall bucket and poke up-/down several times in a row the red plastic cannula found in WD-40, carb cleaners cans the deepest will go inside the peeing indicator. If nothing happens seems will need to remove the lower leg and inspect the water pump's impeller and key...

Happy Boating​

 

[MattFL]

If it's not peeing, don't keep running it until you figure out what's wrong, that's a quick way to wreck a motor. When you put it in the bucket of water, was the water level above the water pump?

 

[111torrance111]

Took off the lower unit today and found the impeller in pieces, replaced with new unit and everything tested fine.

When we originally set it up out of the box we were using the flushing ears, some of the different posts I was reading suggested that the ears might of had low pressure and didn't "Prime" the impeller. Anyway, we're good now.

Thanks/Jerry

 

[ahicks]

Glad to hear you found your issue. I was pretty sure this was going to be an easy one.

FYI though, if the impeller was in pieces, it was likely shot (due to old age) when you first fired it up. Though low water pressure supplying muffs likely didn't help a thing, if that were the cause of the failure it would more likely have stayed in one piece - though it would have been clearly overheated.

 

[Scott Danforth]

What year? Rubber bits life clock starts at time of molding

 

[racerone]

It is possible that previous owner ran it without water to impeller.----There are folks that simply do not know this fact.

 

[ahicks]

Honda is generally sold by generation. Often just minor differences in the build. Pretty much impossible, or nearly so, to decipher year sold from the serial number.

If old age took the pump out, it would be in pieces. If low/no water pressure took it out, it would be melted. I mention that to maybe put a time line on the age of the motor, and to help let our OP know what went wrong. This MIGHT prevent him from making the same mistake again....

 

[Sea Rider]

Some of the different posts I was reading suggested that the ears might of had low pressure and didn't "Prime" the impeller. Anyway, we're good now.

For adequate muffs flushing it's all about having a good pressurized water flow coming out of the hose and muffs not loosing too much water side of their ears...

Happy Boating​

 

[Scott Danforth]

since the BF20D first came out in may of 2002. the OP's motor may have sat as long as 19 years even though it was new in the box.

 

[ahicks]

Same thought here. The engine could be 20 years old. If so, the fact he had it on muffs may have had nothing to do with the failure.....

 

[MattFL]

It is possible that previous owner ran it without water to impeller.----There are folks that simply do not know this fact.

I see this every so often at the boat launch, some guy starting his motor out of the water. It gives me the willies.

 

[racerone]

I know of a owner who used to run his 150 HP Mercury V-6 in his driveway.--Loved the sound of it.-----He was told repeatedly to use garden hose and muffs.----His reply was " I am only running it for 20 seconds or so , it won't over heat "

 

[111torrance111]

Thanks for all the follow up discussions, sure do wish a serial # would indicate a proper year model.

How hard can it be..

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks for all the follow up discussions, sure do wish a serial # would indicate a proper year model.

How hard can it be..

you use the serial number to buy parts. there were not much changes, however the BF20D came out in 2002 for the 2003 model year.

your dealer can look up the serial number and get you close to a year.