I ran my engine without water

[astampfel]

1990 VJ90TLESB, 90 Hp Johnson

I had my boat in the driveway with the muffs on, but forgot to turn on the water one time. It ran for between 5-10 seconds. When I noticed I stopped the engine and let it air cool.

I went on the water the next day and received the high temp alarm (steady high pitched tone). I shut it down within a few seconds and had Sea Tow take me back in. I didn't notice if the witness was spraying water or not.

I think my water pump was damaged due to the lack of cooling in my driveway from the day before. So, I want to remove the lower unit and take a look. In the forums I've read about all the hidden bolts that need to be removed and possibly a drive linkage. For my engine, I was wondering if someone could give me some pointers when I attempt to remove the lower unit. Is there a linkage pin that I need to remove? Is it under the carburetor? Do I have to remove the carburetor?

Do I have to worry about anything (melted parts) being stuck somewhere in the cooling system? Is there a filter/screen after the impeller than would catch debris? Is there another filter/screen that I need to clean? Can I retest the new pump in my driveway?

 

[ezeke]

Re: I ran my engine without water

There are seven screws total that need to be removed from the lower unit to remove it: two on each side; one holding the trim tab; one hiding above the trim tab; and one in front of the trim tab.

Mark the position of the trim tab so that you can replace it exactly as it was.

The shift rod has to be disconnected from under the carburetors. This is done by pulling a pin on the starboard side and the pushing the lever towards the port side.

Try not to turn the shift rod while working or you will have to reset the shift rod length for the gearcase to shift correctly.

You should wait until you have inspected the waterpump before ordering so that you know what parts need to be replaced, unless you are ordering a complete water pump #5001594.

The easiest way to flush the system is to backflush by disconnecting the large hoses at the bottoms of the cylinder heads.

You can get a general idea of the water pump service here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj1c4oYpHAw

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: I ran my engine without water

This post will show a similar motor for you http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=309188

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: I ran my engine without water

There are seven screws total that need to be removed from the lower unit to remove it: two on each side; one holding the trim tab; one hiding above the trim tab; and one in front of the trim tab.

Bolt holding the zinc anode?

Ezeke, Bob, and many other folks on here have done this on a far wider variety of engines than me, but I'll just add that you'll need to assess what, if anything, needs to be removed to allow you access to the shift linkage pin. On my '90 200 there's enough room to get to it without too much headache, whereas on my '81 90 I had to temporarily remove some hoses to gain access to that area.

Also, a factory service manual is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[ezeke]

Re: I ran my engine without water

Bolt holding the zinc anode?

Ezeke, Bob, and many other folks on here have done this on a far wider variety of engines than me, but I'll just add that you'll need to assess what, if anything, needs to be removed to allow you access to the shift linkage pin. On my '90 200 there's enough room to get to it without too much headache, whereas on my '81 90 I had to temporarily remove some hoses to gain access to that area.

Also, a factory service manual is worth it's weight in gold.

There is an eighth screw holding the anode, but it is not necessary to remove it to remove the lower unit.

Fortunately, the 1990 90HP shift rod connector has the clip, so it's fairly easy to disconnect.

The 200HP has the split lower cowl that you can remove easily, so that makes it a lot easier to work on.

 

[astampfel]

Re: I ran my engine without water

So, I replaced my water pump and it works, but it was not easy. First, putting the impeller into the cup was difficult; it kept wanting to spring out or the fins would move into the opposite direction. Next, I couldn't get the linkage pin back in, so I had to unscrew the shift linkage a little to give me more room. Now, my neutral position is not vertical, but more towards reverse. So, I guess I have to set the shift linkage.

 

[GatorMike]

Re: I ran my engine without water

Sounds like you might have moved the shift lever after droping the lower unit if you had to turn the shift rod to get it to line up when you put it back together. It should have lined up without making any adjustments. There is a good chance you will have to pull it back off and screw the shift rod back in.

If you have any problems PM me. I am no expert but have changed waterpumps many times over the years and we are practically neighbors. I'm in Casselberry I see you are in Winter Springs. 5 minutes away.

If it shifts from forward to Neutral to reverse without any clicking or grinding I would think you are OK with what you have tho.

 

[astampfel]

Re: I ran my engine without water

GatorMike,
It's good to have an expert nearby to help in the fight against my boat. It seems to shift OK, but I'll keep an ear out. Instead of dropping the lower unit, can I adjust the shift cable?

 

[ezeke]

Re: I ran my engine without water

If you turned the shift rod you will need to reset the length to spec. That's very hard to do without removing the lower unit.

 

[pcrussell50]

Re: I ran my engine without water

Fortunately, the 1990 90HP shift rod connector has the clip, so it's fairly easy to disconnect.

noice! i have three different v4 crossflows.

useless ramble:
on my '75 135hp, i have to remove the throttle/timing bellcrank to get at the shift shaft under the bottom carb. on my '78 140hp, i use a 1/4" drive socket on an extension to get at the shoulder bolt that holds the shift shaft to the linkage. then to put it back together again, i use a couple of craftsman bent-tip and hook picks to line everything back up so i can get the shoulder bolt back in. i have a new respect for brain surgeons now. my third crossflow is a '93 115hp that i have not had to remove the lower unit of, yet. hopefully, it will have the clip of which you speak, and that it will be easy to r'n'r.

zeke, you have always been

 

[GatorMike]

Re: I ran my engine without water

GatorMike,
It's good to have an expert nearby to help in the fight against my boat. It seems to shift OK, but I'll keep an ear out. Instead of dropping the lower unit, can I adjust the shift cable?

You're a funny guy.....I'm no expert. I am pretty familiar with that motor of yours though. I have owned and rebuilt 3 different crossflow V4s in my life as a boater I am in no way a mechanic but with a repair manual and a little help from the guys on this forum even us amatures can work wonders. You see that is the only way I can afford to by a boat. Buy one with a blown powerhead then rebuild the motor. My last 3 boats were bought that way. The 3 I rebuilt were 115s from 1983-1998 models but they are almost exactly like your 90 all are crossflow v4s and most of the parts are interchangeable.

Actually I wouldn't mind getting with you sometime and picking each others brains about our boating problems since we live so close. You can't be more than 10 minutes from me, Winter Springs isn't that big.