Newbie Force 90- cooling issues

[ummduh]

Helping my FIL with his boat. He has owned it new since 1990 and never replaced the water pump impeller.

He said last season the water flow was "a trickle" out of the exhaust ports. The ports in question are the 2 that are about midway down the engine, side by side.
Doing some reading on here it seems like water doesn't always come out of those two ports, but according to him it used to, he has been the sole owner since new in 1990.

I just helped him change the water pump impeller today. It actually didn't look bad, the rubber was pretty stiff but it was all there.

Got it back together and it still doesn't flow through. We weren't even getting the trickle he had the last time he used it, there was no water coming out of the 2 exhaust ports today.

1990 Force 90.

We pulled the thermostat housing and the thermostat, and started it up for a couple seconds and got a couple gurgles, but no water even out of the open thermostat hole. There was a ton of water coming out from ports close to where the lower unit gets bolted to, and around the back of the propeller.

This is hooked up with the clamp thingy to the garden hose, not in a bucket. We did not take it above idle.

Where do we go from here?

If it matters the boat hasn't seen water in like 5 years or more at this point, it's been stored in a field for at least that long, possibly 10 or more. He had a shop do the carbs a few years ago, though.

 

[batman99]

Re: Newbie Force 90- cooling issues

I would install a brand new water impeller. For my Force engine, I install new pump impeller every 3 years (or when its water flow becomes too low). Also… Do keep in mind the water flow won't be strong until the engine gets hot ,and its thermostat opens up… As final test of water pump flow, do test on the lake / river - instead of connected to muffs. I find river / lake testing is a true test - instead of connected on muffs (where the pump has to both pull and push water). On the river / lake, the pump and its impeller only needs to push water upwards…

 

[ummduh]

Re: Newbie Force 90- cooling issues

We did replace the impeller. I just meant that the old one looked fine after all, but we still put the new one in.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Newbie Force 90- cooling issues

I replied on the first post, but needed to add this.
Test the alarm system.
The temp sender on the block(orange lead).
Key on, ground out the orange lead and listen for the buzzer.
I use a piece of wire or a jumper lead to ground it out.
The buzzer could be bad?
The sender could be bad if it doesn't make noise.
Test the buzzer first. Just supply 12v to it and see if it buzzes.
Not working any 12v horn,car/motorcycle will work.

 

[Benz Mondi]

Re: Newbie Force 90- cooling issues

To make sure that there's no blockage in the water pipe or passages in the water jackets in the head, you would take the lower unit back off, take the thermostat out and leave the cover off, put a garden hose in the thermostat opening and run some water in there to make sure that water comes out of the end of the water tube that connects with the impeller. If that's OK, then double check that the passages under the metal plate under the impeller are in tact and can effectively keep the in coming water separate from the out going water. Take some pics. It might be different on a 1990 90HP, but on my 83 85HP no water comes out from behind the propeller or where the lower unit bolts on. Only at the two nostrils midway and my added Tell-tale. The water your seeing might just be the overflow from the muffs.

 

[ummduh]

Re: Newbie Force 90- cooling issues

Thanks for all the tips, I will try to get crackin on them.

FWIW when we had the tstat out and ran water down the passage, it came out all over the lower unit. Behind the prop, and various places in and around where the lower unit bolts up.

I don't think this thing has ever been frozen, it doesn't generally get that cold here..