I have a stock 7.4L with a Bravo 1.

The last two summers I seemed to run fine off of the hose. This year the pump is pulling water so fast that the hose is barely keeping up at IDLE. Same house, same hose. Why would suction increase after 40hrs of use? I guess it's not a bad thing since I know I'm getting plenty of cooling water. I just don't understand why this is happening.

The drive was off at the end of last year, during the winterizing, to check things over.

Could the dealership have not put it back on correctly?

Is it just possible you replaced the hose this year? Maybe with a 1/2" rather than a 5/8" or 3/4" hose? Did the pressure drop? Obstruction in the muffs?//// Out of ideas here!

Go to Home Depot and get a water pressure guage and check your pressure at the tap. I am on a well and I have to readjust my pressure every once in a while. If the pressure is low it will also affect delivery volume. You should be around 50-60 PSI.

Dave

Speaking as a buider, it is possible for yor presure at the tap to remain the same, but your volume to be fluctuating. ie if everybody down the street was watering at the same time your meter presure would remain but supply would be down. If it runs good and cools, I wouldn't give it another thought.
Chuck

My engine builder steered me away from it. He told me to put foot in bucket. I did and the hose could not keep up. ONLY idle when on the hose.

Welllllll.....not exactly...

http://www.sterndrives.com/bulletins/mc/99/EN_009.PDF

Good points to know

Wow, thanks, informative.

When they talk about water ingestion, where exactly do they mean that it would be ingested at. "Do not run at idle and do not throttle chop" Whoops, i have been f**king up.
Thanks, Mark