flow problems
 

will ear muffs and a garden hose provide enough pressure to push water through the drive to the sea pump ? cannot get water to flow to through hose to pump inlet but water will flow the other way trying to figure out why i burned up a brand new pump!!

Some times the impeller system needs to be primed, some guys have added H20 in hose.
 

Do you have a newer style bravo 1 drive? When you hooked up the muffs to the main water pick up holes on the side of the drive, Did you or do you know to also cover up the low water pick up holes on the nose cone area at the front of the lower unit there should be 4 holes there that you will need to cover up or you will suck up air and could burn up the impeller in no time at all. merc sales a cover for this but you could use good old duck tape to cover them up also, It works varry well just don't for get to remove the tape when done. Also make sure before you hook up the muffs you need to lower the drive down first so you can make sure you are geting all the air out of the water hose system between the drive and the impeller housing then hook up the muffs then cover the 4 holes then turn the water on all the way up, Then while you are watcing the water psi at the muffs you want to watch to see if the water almost stops flowing all over the drive way and see if it lookes like the water is being sucked into the drive when the engine starts up so you know the impeller is doing it's job or not. Then have the guy/girl rev the engine up to 1300rpms, And if you know for sure there is no big water leake inside the bilge area coming off the engine then with in 45 seconds you should have a lot of water coming out the exhaust holes either at the too side holes on the out side transom area almost up aginst the transom of the boat on both sides, You should see it start flowing while back there Or it should come out your exhaust tips if they are open.If you have no water with in 45 seconds to 1 min max shut it down. Then If you know by chance where the impeller housing is on the inside of the boat mounted to the engine block try to feel the impeller housing behind the pully to see if it is warm or hot to the touch it should be cold like the garden hose water, IF it is hot then the impeller is bad. Also if you do not see it suck in water at start up it will be a bad impeller. [FYI] If you have been running the engine on the hose and you have the low water pick up system and you have NOT been covering them 4 holes up, And you have almost 2 years Or 50 plus hours on the engine then it is time to replace the impeller becuase it will be bad soon and you WILL find it right at the time that you really do not have the time to be dealing with this problem. THIS IS ON ALL BRAVO ONE MERCRUISER DRIVES, from I believe 1998ish and up The bravo 3s do not have the low water pick up system in that time frame. I hope this helps you some good luck with it.
Also you should look in to buying a certin muff set that merc sales just for the bravo/alpha drive, It is a too part style rubber muff with a long skiny rod that that will go thur the holes of the lower unit and hook up on both sides of the drive holes, And all you do is push it up to the drive really tight covering all the holes and turn the water on. Any merc dealer should be able to get them or you can find them at west marine. PS you still need duck tape or buy the cover for the low water pick up to run it on the hose.