GoFastScott

Hi guys, going out today, started the engines, let them warm up enough to see the gauges start rising, and leave the Marina. Get halfway down the channel and get a warning buzzer. Turn off the port engine, still beeping, turn off starboard and buzzer quits. Restart port engine and start turning around, forgot power steering is on starboard engine, get back to marina. Turns out I don't have any water going through my starboard sea strainer or engine- luckily it was only running at idle for about 5-6 minutes, and the gauge never got up over 190. Played with it for a few minutes, when it was hooked up to the freshwater flush water would be going through the sea strainer, but not out the exhaust, it was coming from the drain hole in the sportsmasters. I am a little new to these engines, and have a few questions:

1- could this be the impeller? If it is, why wouldnt water come through the exhaust when the flush line was hooked up?

2- how much damage could there be seeing as how it never got over 190 on the gauge and wasn't running very long?

Thanks for any help and suggestions, hopefully i'll get this fixed and back on the water soon!

raytart

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like a water pump. Easy do it yourself for less than $100. just a few tools needed. Remove belt by loosening tensioner. Remove/replace pump. (2 hoses) Tighten belt. Change the entire pump not just the impeller.

FIXX

iTrader: (2)

you said you were running the engine on the fresh water hose..their should be a series of ball valves that need to be opened and closed when running on the fresh water hose..then open them back up when sucking water from the lake..if water was coming out the drives instead of the headers that valve would have to be open instead of closed to do that..

as mentioned you probably have some bad impellers,also make sure you get the lost pieces of the impeller out of the coolers..

GoFastScott

Supposedly I don't have to switch any joints when I flush- which I had never heard of before, but the Donzi tech told me that and I verified water coming through the sea strainers and out the exhaust when I have flushed it out of the water before today. Ever seen that before? I have ordered a set of manuals, I didn't get any when I bought it, and maybe i'll call the Donzi factory tomorrow to find out.

FIXX

iTrader: (2)

unless they installed one way valves on the intake water pick up's?? is their more then one ball valve for flushing per engine? try to flush the salt water out of the heat exchanger any ways..not good to leave it sit in their..

Ted G

iTrader: (1)

A lot of boats imply T in a hose to the inlet side of the raw water pump. If you add water under pressure with the hose it should be drawn into the engine by the raw water pump rather than going back out the drive. If your raw water pump goes bad it can't pull from the hose anymore so it dumps out the drive. You need to change the impeller and housing. I do too as a matter of fact, which is why I'm so familiar

GoFastScott

Guys, thanks for the help- turned out to be the impeller, as suspected. Unfortunately I was out of town all week and had my local dealer check it out, boy that was a mistake and I doubled the mistake by not getting a quote before the work- they charged me $211 for parts and $210 for labor to change both engine impellers- sure seems high, should have waited til i got back in town and just done it myself! Well another lesson learned- always get a quote first!

thirdchildhood

iTrader: (6)

If a sea strainer is completely dry it may need to be primed. I immediately check my water pressure gauge on start up or look for water visually flowing through the strainer. I smoked an impeller on my 525 at the dock before learning this. Glad your problem was minor but check that pressure on start-up!

Griff

IMO, that price is really not high. Retail on the seapump kits are $105.50 each and that looks like an hour labor per engine for the install.

SkiDoc

iTrader: (4)

The cost is right on. It is a knuckle busting job which takes some time to do. The parts cost is right.