Outboard ran without water for about five minutes

[sparklingwaterbubbles]

I put my 85 Force outboard in a big bin of water and fired it up, then started some other tasks while it idled. About three minutes later, it died. I thought nothing of it, and started it again. A few seconds later, it died, and I started it again.

Then I climbed out of the boat and realized the hose had slipped out of the bin of water, and the bin had also cracked. It was running dry. I held the crack shut and filled the bin back above the intake level. That took about thirty seconds. It started peeing again and the idle increased. The pee stream was also steamy, but it also was freezing outside.

I got back in the boat and turned it off. Twenty minutes later, it fired back up without hesitation and peed like normal. There was less steam. It idled strong. About five minutes later I shut it off.

From what I described, does it seem like any damage was done?

 

[T-Bill]

I put my 85 Force outboard in a big bin of water and fired it up, then started some other tasks while it idled. About three minutes later, it died. I thought nothing of it, and started it again. A few seconds later, it died, and I started it again.

Then I climbed out of the boat and realized the hose had slipped out of the bin of water, and the bin had also cracked. It was running dry. I held the crack shut and filled the bin back above the intake level. That took about thirty seconds. It started peeing again and the idle increased. The pee stream was also steamy, but it also was freezing outside.

I got back in the boat and turned it off. Twenty minutes later, it fired back up without hesitation and peed like normal. There was less steam. It idled strong. About five minutes later I shut it off.

From what I described, does it seem like any damage was done?

doesn't sound like it but I would replace the impeller anyway.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would check your compression. the idle was dropping because the motor was over heating.

and your impeller is toast.

use muffs next time.

 

[racerone]

Compression test. ----Post your numbers.-----Replace water pump impeller now.

 

[sparklingwaterbubbles]

Compression test. ----Post your numbers.-----Replace water pump impeller now.

100 (maaaaybe 99), 100, 100. Just ordered the impeller.

 

[sparklingwaterbubbles]

I would check your compression. the idle was dropping because the motor was over heating.

and your impeller is toast.

use muffs next time.

Thank you! They were right about 100 psi each.

 

[sparklingwaterbubbles]

doesn't sound like it but I would replace the impeller anyway.

Thank you! I feel sick.

 

[sparklingwaterbubbles]

100 (maaaaybe 99), 100, 100. Just ordered the impeller.

And thank you.

 

[sparklingwaterbubbles]

Okay I switched the attachment on the gauge and they all three read 120. The universe is giving me grace.

 

[T-Bill]

Thank you! I feel sick.

Okay I switched the attachment on the gauge and they all three read 120. The universe is giving me grace.

There are good YouTube videos on impeller changing if you plan to do it yourself.

 

[Texasmark]

doesn't sound like it but I would replace the impeller anyway.

Me too on the impeller. On replacing the impeller, Dad had a 1957 Scott Atwater 10 HP that I played with quite a bit. I had a 55 gallon drum in which I ran it usually. Sometimes I would just have it sitting on its storage rack and fire it up for a bit. I had to have a melted rubber mess for an impeller but I never changed it (never knew to change it) and the engine never seemed to care.

I was fishing a local river one day and motoring right along. All of a sudden I heard a bang, looked around and the only thing holding the lower half of the mid section to the rest of the engine was the shift rod. There used to be a railroad trestle across that river and at the time I was there, the tops of the cut-off pilings were just far enough below the surface (murky water) to not be seen.

So I get things home and one day I tore the engine down....my first experience with overhauling an engine. I had seen crank shaft-rod "babbit inserts on 4 stroke engines but never got into a 2 stroke. So, I am at the disconnect the connecting rods from the crank portion of the teardown and out come the needle bearings all over the floor....never found them all......How was I to know that 2 strokes have better designs to allow them to run on fuel oil mix.....24:1 in those days.....quart of oil to 6 gallons of gas. Needless to say, it got put in a box and set up on a shelf. Don't recall what happened to it.

 

[Texasmark]

Okay I switched the attachment on the gauge and they all three read 120. The universe is giving me grace.

My mercury service manual for 3 and 4 cylinder early 2000 era 2 stroke engines says that 120 is your dividing line....above ok, below expect problems.

 

[Mc Tool]

My mercury service manual for 3 and 4 cylinder early 2000 era 2 stroke engines says that 120 is your dividing line....above ok, below expect problems.

120 psi cold at cranking speed on a 2/ is good . Some older engines I have seen as low as 85 psi and they still ran fine .... down on power a bit but still quite reliable and usable

 

[jimmbo]

Maybe you got away Lucky, but time will tell, redo the Compression Test after about 20 hours on the Engine

 

[crazy charlie]

I put my 85 Force outboard in a big bin of water and fired it up, then started some other tasks while it idled.

Your 2nd sentence in your 1st BIG mistake. Typically running a motor in a drum /barrel of water is a pretty safe method .However you have proven my statement to not be 100% true. A "bin" aint a barrel/drum or landscaping pail which is what it should have been running in if not using muffs ..When running a motor out of a body of water ,"starting some other tasks" is a really really bad idea and what I would refer to as careless. You have a 1985 Force motor that either you or someone else has taken extremely good care of since it was still running and in use. A very rare find, so you owe it to the motor to take more careful care of it. I would recommend an entire water pump kit and not just an impeller service. If your compression #s are accurate ,You got very lucky here....VERY lucky..Best of luck on this and let us know how this goes.Charlie