496 sea water pump question
 

I have a 496HO in a 25 Baja I just purchased and when I hook it up to the garden hose it does not suck in water. I taped off the side of the water intake at the outdrive and used the low water hook up for the hose. I replaced the impeller and still no water. I then took off the inlet side hose of the pump and installed a scrap piece of hose and put the garden hose to it and everything works fine. I'm use to the 502's where the water hose comes straight from the outdive to the pump. What or how does this 4 way valve? connection thing for the air winterization **** work. It seems like the water cannot get past this to get to my pump. The air relief valve at the top of the air line is closed. Any help or advise would be appreciated.

I had the same problem times two....last fall I bought a 302Baja with twin 496MAG/HOs...I was use to my old Baja with502s and the muffs / garden hose worked fine. But on the 496I could not get muffs and a garden hose to work very well either.
First you say you taped off one side of the water inlets on the lower unit...on my drives there is also four water inlet holes in the front of the nose cone that need to be taped off also. With them and one side inlet taped ,I have be able to hook up muffs with a garden hose turned on full blast and getting water into the motors.
When I winerized I taped the inlets as discribed above and then used a small 12VDC water pump to pump the RV anitfreeze with the motor running and it worked great.
I got the pump at Harbor Freight Co for about $25.
Hope this helps.

I also put the entire lower unit in a huge bucket and it still would not suck in the water.

Check the the rear wear plate(the end that the hoses hook to) on the pump for groves the 496 water pumps do not like groves in them it makes them not pick up water at idle on the hose or in the water.