This is kind of a dumb question. Can you start your engine in your boat without the drive? I assume you can. I was planning on sticking a hose in the hole for water. It's a bravo setup so it has a sea water pump that runs off the motor. I just want to make sure before I do it. I don't like to assume!

You can as long as you have a way of getting water to the pump. The pump sucks through the drive.

I know you know but, hey, gotta say it.

DAVE

That's what I figured. I can put a smaller hose inside the hose in the bell housing. So it will get water. I just didn't know if there were other things I should be concerned with. Like I said, I hate to assume!

Well, a better idea would be to use the garden hose and hook it directly to the inlet of the water pump.

thats what I do and I still cant get enough water through it.
Your house pipe might be different than mine, but I have copper 1/2 inch pipe to the hose and my bravo water pump can take more than house can put out.
It just gives me enough water to NOT burn up the rubber impellor and make sure the engine starts. If I run it for any period of time I'll get a high water temp.

I have an old radiator hose, bushing and a nipple the garden hose can attach to.

I'd be concerned that dropping down to a hose to get into your transom assembly might not work.
DAVE

Dave, the hose in the bell housing goes directly to the water pump. I always use muffs and my hose(when the outdrive is on) when I change my oil and it's always fine. So shouldn't it be okay with the hose going directly into the bell housing? That's where it picks the water up from my drive. Just checking.

when i rebuilt my moters i got a 1 inch ball valve a garden hose adapter and a hose barb and put it together. That way I could shut the water off and do what I had to then turn water back on and never left the boat. Home Depot should have al this.

Blackhawk, I do it all the time. The cheap garden hose they sell at Lowes (the green nylon stuff) is exactly to right diameter to go into the bellhousing and not "blow out" when you turn the hose on.

Great, thanks for the pointers!