Water in lower unit ?

[HighlandR]

Thanks very much for this help guys I really appreciate it.

Peter, I took the stat cover off and there is no thermostat, just an empty hole where one should be.
I double checked the outlet hose just to be sure and it's clear, so since the motor has been ran a few times and no water coming out ( only for about 2 seconds at start up ) I guess the impeller is damaged, damit !!

When fitting a new impeller which other parts should I replace?

From the photos, do you know which year/model the engine is ??

For whatever reason there is no tag with model number on the engine where it should be, so I do not know which part numbers are needed which is making ordering new parts almost impossible !


Does anyone have any photographs that show how to disconnect the gear shift rod to remove the lower leg ?
I hear removing the rod is the most difficult part of replacing the impeller ??

[paddlers]

I'll give you my experience of the later model (2005) if it helps.

Remove the cowl and operate the shift you should see a link connecting the gear rod held with a small circlip and possibly a clamp. disconnect then remove the bolts (3 on mine) these might be tough to shift if it,s not been off for a while !!
The gearbox should now slide down. Remove the housing of the impeller and be careful not to lose the little shim that stops the impeller rotating. Decide if you need a new housing/base at this point ! If not grease thoroughly with waterproof grease and reassemble making sure that you grease the splines(not the top to avoid hydraulic lock) !
Year usually is a rough guide by colour/decals if you google parts the american sites are great for diagrams !!

Good luck with it, straightforward providing everything comes apart.

[HighlandR]

Hi Paddlers, after reading your message I set straight to taking off the gearbox.
Had a nosey around at the gear rod linkage and figured how to release it, it's a plastic clip with a pin on one end ( which secures the rod ) and a sort of half circle slot in the other to lock / unlock it into place.

The gearbox bolts came loose easily, can see the remains of copper grease on the threads. The gearbox came free very easily, no resistance at all.

I've attached photos, rather than try to explain parts etc.

First thought was it is normal to be this manky inside ?, and should there be a gasket on the gearbox where it joins the leg ?

I then noticed the small rubber section ( duno what it's called ) that mates with the impeller housing, should this piece be inside, under the housing to seal properly ? I'm thinking that is maybe why its so manky and would also explain why no water is being pumped ?

The vanes on the impeller actually look ok through the hole on top, but I will change in anyway.

If anyone recognises the model and year please let me know, so I can order new parts !

Just had a Google at decals and colours, but can't find exact years, some of the photos are just too vague to compare against but I'll keep searching.

Thanks Paddlers !

[paddlers]

Somebody will tell you coppergrease is a bit of a nono when it comes to saltwater, waterproof grease is much better.
Does look a bit grimy in there, possibly exhaust gases? My 135 Mariner has a small sliver of silicone to seal one edge. It was there when I disassembled it so replaced it when I rebuilt it. Have you attatched a hosepipe to the tube that runs up into the head to check it flows through the block with a gentle pressure?
I've no idea how to test the impeller but poor quality ones can rotate the brass sleeve and not the vanes so genuine parts are the way to go!
I'm just an ungifted amateur but I'm sure one of the more knowlegable on here will be along soon to tell you where to go next!

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by HighlandR

Peter, I took the stat cover off and there is no thermostat, just an empty hole where one should be.
I double checked the outlet hose just to be sure and it's clear, so since the motor has been ran a few times and no water coming out ( only for about 2 seconds at start up ) I guess the impeller is damaged, damit !!

Well since it does flow water and there is no thermostat, I would still say something is plugging the tell tale. You may have a ton of junk floating around in the head area. It may also take quite a bit to clean it out. If it were me I would rig something to back flush the tell tale, and flush the block as well as possible.

Originally Posted by HighlandR

When fitting a new impeller which other parts should I replace?

They generally can be purchased as kits and will come with a couple of seals and a gasket along with the impeller itself.

Impellers should be changed every couple of hundred hours if the vessel is used a lot, or every other year if stored properly and not used much. Others will say yearly and lower hours, but I have found that to be over servicing them.

[HighlandR]

On the 3rd photo, the black oval shaped rubber piece on the intake pipe - should that be secured in the impeller housing, or sitting on top as it has been ?

The photos were taken as soon as the gearbox was removed, nothing was touched

[HighlandR]

I'll connect the hose up to the main pipe shortly inside the leg and flush it for a while to try clear any junk that may be in there.

[A1an]

Also try back flushing it via stat hole, you may find an obstruction will go back the way it came.

[HighlandR]

Hi Alan ! It's back flushing right now through the stat, will let it flush for a while to get any crap out. I'm stumped as to how the leg water pipe should be connected to the impeller housing !

[HighlandR]

15 minute flush !

[paddlers]

On the ones I've seen a short (10 to 20 mm)short male pipe protrudes up from the top of the housing containing a rubber washer .Over this slips a guide approximately 80cm long (plastic) that enables you to locate the downpipe when refitting the gearbox.

On the ones I've done there's nothing on the end of the downpipe !!

[HighlandR]

The rubber piece looks to be attched to a length of rubber hose which is then onto a length of copper pipe ? not sure if its copper but it is metal ! the pipe is pretty loose.. it can rotate too, not sure if it should be or not !

I started a new thread on this impeller thing to make it easier for anyone to follow rather than trail through "water in lower leg " thread !

http://www.rib.net/forum/f36/merc-15...ing-63895.html