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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Outboard Engine Telltale Issue

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Downbucket
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USA
188 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/03/2013 : 06:39:13

Hi:

Hoping someone might be able to help. I have a Johnson 8.0 hp, long shaft, 2001 outboard. Before launching my sailboat (Catalina 25), I changed the impeller and ran the engine in a barrel of water. No problem with water coming out telltale. Launched boat and motored to mooring. No problem. Put sails on, started engine to motor out of mooring field to the channel, and saw only intermittent drops of water from telltale for a minute then just steam. Took motor off and brought her home and did the following, all without success:

1. Checked impeller. O.K.
2. Removed the thermostat then ran engine in barrel of water.
3. Checked and cleaned intake screen.
4. Back flushed water through housing where thermostat goes.
5. Back flushed water through telltale.

Result of above: water exited every place it should except for the water tube which connects to the water pump tube grommet.

Next, I ran a pice of weed whacker trimmer line up through the water tube. There does not appear to be any blockage.

Next, took cover off of water jacket and ran trimmer line through the water hole. Again, there does not appear to be any blockage.

My next step will be to run vinegar through the housing where the thermostat goes. First, I need to replace the gasket which goes on the water jacket cover.

From my reading online and in repair manuals, if the vinegar does not work, I may need to replace the head gasket, or the head may be cracked.

Any ideas, suggestions, comments will be much appreciated. Because of an injury last summer, I was unable to sail so it's been 1 1/2 years. I am suffering from "sailing withdrawal" and desperately need a fix.

Thanks.

Will
(Portland, Maine)

Edited by - on

redeye
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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2013 : 09:12:53

I had ( have ) a '74 3 hp Ecinrude on the boat right now. I was at the gas dock with pretty heavy winds and waves blowing me into the dock and I tried to motor out in reverse, backing the boat into the wind and this was an engine with a 2 blade prop ( not the 3 blade "flat" prop that works so well at low speeds )..

Anyhoo... in reverse the prop was cavitating heavily as I was trying to get enough umph out of it to back into the wind and the engine overheated and died. The image that sticks in my mind is the steam coming out of the water outlet.

I did not even try to recrank the engine, and sailed home and took the engine to my mechanic and they said it blew a gasket. Fixed it up
and I've been using it for the last coupla years.

"Skippy"

Edited by - redeye on 07/03/2013 09:17:21

Sloop Smitten
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1181 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2013 : 09:16:58

I think I would start by taking a look at the newly installed impeller. If you blew a head gasket woulldn't you have other symptons? Water in the combustion chamber or oil, rough running? I find if I have a problem with anything mechanical immediately after doing a repair or service that the problem can usually be traced back to something I did incorrectly.

Edited by - on

Downbucket
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188 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2013 : 19:24:56

Eureka! I discovered the problem. Behind the water jacket there are two holes. One for intake of the water and the other for exit. The exit hole was plugged. I removed the impediment and water now flows abundantly from the telltale. Now for my first sail in 1 1/2 years! Fair Winds!

Thank you all.

Will

Edited by - on

redeye
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Response Posted - 07/05/2013 : 05:09:27

Sweet!!!

Edited by - on

Voyager
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5376 Posts

Response Posted - 07/05/2013 : 18:41:10

Nothing like a happy ending.
A fellow sailor in Milford harbor was limping back in port on his 90s vintage Yamaha 8hp on his aptly-named San Juan 72 Deep Sneakers. He said the engine started running rough after the prop popped out of the water at full throttle. He could get it up to RPMs but the prop more or less free-wheeled, rotating slowly. He said there was very little water coming out of the orifice. I asked whether the engine overheated? He didn't see steam so I guess he's in the clear. As I was paddling by in my kayak, I asked him to put it in gear and the prop spun pretty easily.

Will this happen if the shear pin goes? Or could it be a bad driveshaft?

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Downbucket
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Response Posted - 07/06/2013 : 05:34:31

Hi Bruce:

Not sure if your question was directed to me. Unfortunately, I do not know the answer. You might want to post your question as a new topic. You will likely get more responses.

Will

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/06/2013 : 05:46:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Voyager
 ..the engine started running rough after the prop popped out of the water at full throttle. He could get it up to RPMs but the prop more or less free-wheeled, rotating slowly. He said there was very little water coming out of the orifice. I asked whether the engine overheated? He didn't see steam so I guess he's in the clear. As I was paddling by in my kayak, I asked him to put it in gear and the prop spun pretty easily.

Will this happen if the shear pin goes? Or could it be a bad driveshaft?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Could be the shear pin... The prop could spin on the hub with no load, due to the slight friction, and barely at all in the water. It could be that the pin was sheared by the sudden re-entry into the water at full throttle. Also, the impeller may have been damaged by winding up past the "redline" and going dry when the prop popped out at full throttle.

Edited by - on

Voyager
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Response Posted - 07/06/2013 : 06:07:08

Thanks Will. sorry for the hijack.
thanks David - will talk to him today. Checked boats.net for the shear pin. Looks like that would certainly cause the problem.

Oh btw <<don't try this at home warning>>
When I spun the prop, I could have endangered myself. Had the cutoff lanyard been engaged and the driveshaft intact, my turning the prop could potentially have kicked over the engine, starting it unintentionally. If my hand were near the propellor with the engine running I could have lost a finger or two.
Definitely pull the lanyard off and remove the spark plug wire before trying this at home.

Edited by - Voyager on 07/06/2013 06:51:36

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