Tell Tale not pissing

[mm14562003]

Happy Holidays all--<br /><br />I have an issue with my Tell Tale not pissing on my 200 HP Yamaha (1999 SW Series). I noticed this during the season that she sometimes didnt **** water, I know its probably not normal but she never over heated. Attempting to winterize my Yammie in the driveway my over heat alarm will go off when using the rabbit ears for a couple of minutes. Thinking it was those cheesy rabbit ears, I submerged the lower unit intake fully in a pail. She still doesnt **** water and the over heat alarm will eventually will go off again.<br /><br />Could I have caused an airlock if those crappy rabit ears I used didnt supply enough water??<br /><br />Should I attempt to blow out the tell tail? Any tips to do this? <br /><br />I have no idea... Any help would be greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Happpy Holidays to all!!

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Do not run your motor until you've installed a new impeller.Great damage will be done otherwise.

 

[butlp]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Sea Craft,<br /><br />Check to make sure the pee hole is not blocked; I’ve read on this site that they can get blocked with small bugs and sand.<br />I had the same problem and found that if I pulled the rubber hose off (inside engine hood) the pee fitting there was plenty of water. You should still replace the water pump (good maintenance practice) on a 4 year old motor!

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Using the muffs with waterline pressure and you still have no stream??????<br />Can you get to both ends of the tell-tail hose?? If so, I'd take it off, check the engine fitting for blockage and the overflow hole itself (Pee-hole). If those areas are both unrestricted, blow air through the hose with it unconected. You should have water coming out with the garden hose connected even with a weak impellor.<br /> If you find everything open, which I will be surprised if you do, then replace the water pump.

 

[mm14562003]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

But will it still over heat if the pee hole is obstructed?? Thanks

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

The blockage in the water passage could well be from broken parts of the impeller.<br />When installing the new water pump kit, make sure that all the pieces of the old impeller is retrived.

 

[Oil Man]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Sea Craft,<br />I agree with Lost Canadian -- I had one block up so bad I had to pull the whole tube out and flush out the sand. It's cheap and easy to try before you start on an impeller change.

 

[mm14562003]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Thanks for the info. You are probably right, I fished on the flats a lot this year and occasionally rubbed bottom on plane. Probably just crap stuck in it. I will give it a whirl.<br /><br />But would the blocked pisser cause the outboard to overheat?? Just curious.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

If the water passages are blocked, overheating will occur.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

If just the orifice or tube leading to the tell tale is blocked the engine won't overheat, it is just there as an indicator of good coolant flow. However, if the tell tale isn't flowing because there isn't good flow due to blockages some were else then you have a problem and the engine will overheat. Stick a red tube off a can of WD40 up the tell tale and see if its blocked. If not you need to address the cooling system.<br /><br />It is best to check coolant flow in the water, or in a test tank, not on the garden hose. On some engines the pressure from the garden hose will mask cooling problems, on others a poor seal at the muffs/hose will make an engine overheat. Also, is there any water coming out the exhaust relief?

 

[mm14562003]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Jimd --<br /><br />I really didnt look for the water coming out of the exhaust, just the tell tale. I am a rookie!!

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

If there is no water coming out of either you have a problem. If there is water coming out the exhaust but not the tell tale, the tell tale itself may be clogged which is no big deal. Or the flow may be partially blocked or insufficient to come out the tell tale even though its coming out the exhaust which means your cooling system is weak and in need of service.<br /><br />As I said above this is best checked with the engine in the water. Beware that the water level in a test tank or your "pail" must be above the actual location of the water pump not just the inlet. These impellers do not suck they push.

 

[mm14562003]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

JimD <br /><br />What do you mean by the impellor pushs? I had the water level up just above the intake. Maybe that is why, I didnt have a problem when I drove her around to put her on the trailer and the motor would have over heated for sure.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

The type of water pump on outboards does not produce much of a vacuum to suck water from the intakes. However, once submerged and full of water it is efficient at pushing that water up into the engine. The point being that the water pump impeller is located some inches above the intake and just submerging the intake in a shallow pail won't submerge the impeller and as a result you may not be able to suck the water up into the impeller area and the engine may overheat.

 

[Arnold96]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

I have had a similar problem twice. The er gets easily clogged with a large grain of sand or tiny pebble. As for the water hose on a Yamaha, this is a difficult thing. There are 2 pickups, one lower and then the one with a plastic screen above the plate. If both are not covered with muffs, or if the top one is not sealed with tape, it will suck air and the engine will overheat. Better still would be to install one of those flushers that don't even need muffs.

 

[mm14562003]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Hi all, I broke down and just had my mechanic winterize her this year since she couldnt stay cool.<br /><br />Sure enough it was a damaged impellor and my mechanic showed me where part of the impellor housing melted and prevented water circulation to the power head. <br />In order to winterize my engine he took the lower unit completely off, plugged up the water intake pipe (from the lower unit) and used my fresh water flush hookup to cool the engine while fogging and running the fuel out of the carbs. I would have neer figured on doing that so I am glad I watched.<br /><br />I hope you all have a great off season.<br /><br />MM

 

[tezam]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Sea Craft: Couldn't your mechanic have run the engine and cooled it through your cowling connection (not the ear muffs) with your garden hose without removing the lower unit? Jerry

 

[mm14562003]

Re: Tell Tale not pissing

Tezam, <br />Yeah, thats what he did. Prior to fogging he dropped the lower unit completely, plugged the water intake pipe (from the lower unit) and used the fresh water hook up through the cowling. <br /><br />He plugged the intake pipe to raise the water pressure through the power head.