water pump not pumping

[hamcatfish]

new here, i am restoring an 1974 bay boat with a 1987 johnson 200hp. i replaced the water pump, now it will not pump water. i think i may have done it wrong. my question is i installed it it with clockwise rotation. is this motor a counter clockwise rotation motor and did i install pump wrong? about to pull my hair out. i really dont want to pull the water tube, thinking it may be cracked. HELP PLEASE!!!

 

[ThomW]

It should not really matter which way you spun the impeller when installing. it should turn and the fins will correct themselves. Was it pumping water before? What was the condition of the old impeller? If it was destroyed, did you flush for rubber pieces that may be clogging something? Did you ensure the key was back in place on the shaft when you installed the new impeller?

 

[hamcatfish]

i do not know if it was pumping before, i bought it as a project boat. replaced water pump as "just to make sure" measure. i am in process of pulling the power head to check the water pipe. power head is stuck badly. hoping i have all the bolts out. 2 ft nuts, 6 bolts and a nut on back. i will know more when i get to the water pipe out.

 

[Texasmark]

I have always heard that if installed in the reverse direction the blades will correct themselves. In some eccentric pumps I agree. I just redid my 2002 115 Merc and apparently that pump is used on numerous engines above and below that HP and there isn't enough room for the blades to reverse. The interior of the pump isn't eccentric like others I have seen.....if it is, it isn't much of a displacement.

You can run the starter to see which way the engine turns when running. Also, there may be some marks on the interior of the pump housing showing the direction of the blades when the engine was last run. Mercury drive shaft turns CW looking down on the pump.

The other possible problem is you failed to install the impeller insert that locks the impeller to the drive shaft. If all that was done correctly then put the LU on muffs and a water hose and manually turn the drive shaft to ensure that the housing is clean. Then take that water hose and put it on the end of the water tube and see if it squirts water out the telltale and exhaust cooling ports in the mid section. If that all is ok, you may not have stabbed the water tube properly or you man have a seal on the top or bottom of the tube that failed or you didn't install properly.

 

[robert graham]

Before you start ripping into the lower unit and pump maybe check your tell- tale opening and tube to be sure they are open and flowing freely…often spiders/ bugs build nests or otherwise plug these up. Remove tube from head and probe with a piece of wire to remove small chunks of calcium/ salt deposits in that port…..I keep a section of weed eater line in my boat tool kit just to clear this tell- tale port…..good luck!

 

[roffey]

are you running om mufs or lake water?

 

[ThomW]

Robert may be right. Especially if it has been sitting a while, there will almost always be some bug that has build a nest in the tell tale hole. I second his idea of taking some weed whacker line and poke it up into the hole from outside of motor. may be all you need to get the water flowing again with the new impeller.

Again...did you reinsert the "lock key" on the shaft when installing the new impeller?

 

[hamcatfish]

running of muffs, i have pulled pump angain, key is in but top seal was was not straight, gonna try one more time , then power head comes off.. ps motor does turn clock wise

 

[ThomW]

When you try running it this time, poke around the pee hole with a piece of stiff line...may see crud start coming out...then water. Worth a shot before you pull the head.

 

[Plankwalker]

Just two things to add from my experiences with impellor replacement. Given you are likely holding the impellor case upside down when twisting the impellor in, it needs to go in counter-clockwise so that it is in the clock-wise position when you flip it right-side-up when you install the casing back in the lower unit. Second, I found once that the new grommet was too loose to form a snug fit on the copper water tube. I added two wraps of electrical tape to the tube and that was enough to form a tight seal and water began to recirculate again. Beyond that, I add silicon spray lubricant to the impellor to help with the first start up.

 

[roffey]

I had cooling issues earlier in the year. I was told start at the impeller and work back (It turned out my impeller had spun on the shaft). It worked on the mufs as there was water pressure but not in the lake, hence my question. I believe there is a water pump on the motor it self or there was on my 4.3 I/O, O don't know much about O/Bs. There is a key on that pump as well.

 

[hamcatfish]

ok i been a mechanic for 50 years,,this has me stumped. i am trying to pull my powerhead. it will not budge, not even a crack in the gasket.. any one have a factory service manual? there must be a or some hidden bolts. my model number is j200txcuc a 1987 johnson. all bolts i can find are out
"the 2 studs on the front, 4 bolts on each side, 1 stud in the back" even the 3 holding the center secton on to the powerhead. help. if i can get the powerhead off, then i can fix the water tube "what ever it is" it will not move.

 

[hamcatfish]

this motor must have been in salt water. every bolt on it is frozen. ones i have gotten out are covered in white corrosion powder. i know for 100% sure the water pump is right and working. water tube going up to the motor looks like it eat up, up higher than i can get to. still trying to brake the poerhead loose. no luck, every bolt on it to the exhaust adapter is out. it is still stuck, not even a crack in the gasket. have even tried heating it with a torch. about ready to give up and spend 4 to 5 grand for another motor,, if i can find a good one. this motor runs great, just NO COOLING WATER.

 

[robert graham]

Maybe check the pee hole to be sure it’s open…..before totally screwing up the motor with a bunch of stuck bolts?

 

[hamcatfish]

I HAVE GONE OVER EVERY THING 10 TIMES.. THIS MOTOR FOR SURE HAS A EAT UP WATER TUBE. NO QUESTION. AS ARE MOST OF THE BOLTS. POWER HEAD WILL NOT COME OFF. LOOKS LIKE I GOTTA CUT IT OFF. THIS POWERHEAD IS GOOD AND RUNS GOOD. ALL WATER TUBES ON IT ARE CLEAN, I HAVE CLEANED THEM TO MAKE SURE.. TRUST ME, I DONT WANT TO DO IT THIS WAY, BUT NO CHOICE. GOT TOO MUCH IN THIS RESTORE NOT TO FIX IT WHAT EVER WAY IT TAKES.

 

[hamcatfish]

here is what im working with. before and after pics

 

[roffey]

Keeping in mind I am not a mechanic, if the water pump worked before you changed it and now it does not? I would redo the impeller before pulling the head off. The water pump in the leg is a 10 min. job.

 

[Texasmark]

here is what im working with. before and after picsView attachment 367985View attachment 367986View attachment 367987

Excellent work!

 

[hamcatfish]

thanks roffey, i replace the water pump in the beginning for part of the restore, therefore i do not know if it worked or not. i have done the job twice, and went back over it several times double checking every thing. even with hooking water hose "cut a short hose off and push it on" directly to the water tube, with lower unit off. i got very little water to the motor even with the thermostats out of motor. it all came out into the midsection, not to the motor, there fore a big hole in the water tube some where. i talked to a friend that has worked at a dealership for 40 years. he advised that since it came from Nebraska. tube prob froze and busted. advice, pull power head and check it, replace it.

 

[hamcatfish]

Excellent work!

thank you, like i said have too much work into boat ,not to try to fix motor right.