496 ho sea water pump not pumping
 

I got the boat out of storage and started to get it ready for the boating season. When I hooked it up to the hose to fire it up I wasn't getting any water into the manifolds. It's like the sea water pump isn't pumping. It worked fine when I winterized it in the fall. The hole pump is new and was put in last July and only has about 10hrs on it. Is there something I should do to prime the pump? Thanks

Are you using the muffs on the drive? Or so you have a hose connection for fresh water flush?

I'm using a hose on the drive.

Dunk the boat and fire at the dock. Our neighbor has the same problem with his 496 HOs. If they sit for a long time, like over winter storage, they will not pump when run off the hose at the beginning of the season. Once they prime and run at the ramp for 1st start up of the year he's good to go and run off the hose.

Ok thanks a lot I'll give that a try.

I have several that I have to pull the highest hose off the engine and throw a few revs to get the water flowing. All customers boats with shaft drives. Even in the water or with a hose to the strainer.

Friend of mine had this same situation with his baja

I'm going to give it a try later this week to see if it works for me. I sure hope so

Do you have a drive with Dual Water Pickups? (DWP)
If so, are you taping off the other set of pickups that your muffs are not covering?

I absolutely HATE using muffs on an I/O. Having a fresh water flush system installed is ABSOLUTELY worth the time and money invested.

This is the muff that most people prefer, because they can not slip off the drive:
http://blog.boattrader.com/files/eng...-rig.300px.jpg

The impeller blades forms a folded over set from sitting plus the gen VII pump scaring makes priming very hard. At the very least POSSIBLE you might need an new impeller ???. Merc recommends every 2 years whether one uses the boat or not and most of the time it is wise to change at the beginning of boating season. .Just some added info.

Try this --- Unhook your inlet water hose at the impeller housing - install the same diameter hose but long enough to either sit in a bucket of water or hook the garden hose to, See if it pumps then -