2018 DF 175 New Problem

[outoftheboat]

2018 DF 175 - Only been in freshwater.
It has been a few months since I have cranked the boat so I thought I would do that today.
Put the motor in a tub not on muffs.
Cranked up but nothing coming out of the tell-tale.
This has happened before so I ran water through the clean-out port which produced water out of the tell-tale.
After that, the motor cranked with a weak tell-tale so I turned it off.
Cranked it back again and the telltale would not work.
Hooked back up to clean-out doing the same process with pretty much the same result.
I left it alone for about 15 minutes and cranked motor with nothing coming out.
I then turned it off and on three times and on the fourth time the tell-tale worked.
However, my temp started climbing from 132 to 185 and wanted to keep going.
Gave up and put her back in the shed.
Hope all of that makes a little sense.

Not for sure if I have an impeller problem, bad thermostat, something clogging it up or all three! Or, it could be something else???
Thanks for any help or advice.

[Moonlighter]

How long is it since the water pump was last serviced?

[Solarman]

You should never run motor when using the clean out port, it does not wet (lubricate) the impeller, it only flushes the powerhead. You can only run the motor if water is lubricating the impeller (muffs or impeller is submerged). It only takes a couple of seconds to destroy the impeller if it's dry. Just turning the motor with the starter can destroy an impeller if it is dry (it is only lubricated when in water).

Good luck.

[outoftheboat]

Moonlighter, I changed the entire impeller assembly March 2021 not just the impeller.
If anyone knows an easy way to remove the key that holds the impeller PLEASE let me know.
When we changed it that process was aggravating trying to get it out and the new one back in.

Solarman, Yes, I never ran the motor while using the clean-out port.

Thermostat has never been changed.

[artdf175]

Water pump impellers are good for about 2 years at the most and maybe less with higher hours of usage..
so I would say to start there
most of the time when the pee tube gets slow I use a piece of 100 lb or 150 lb mono and run it backward up the tube. I have also pulled the tube off the nipple on the block and cleared that as well
pull the cover plate with the hose hose fitting and inspect for debris
remember the pee tube is not water that goes through the engine it is just indicative of water pressure. water travels from the pump to the cavity behind that cover plate. then there are two passages for water to go - the engine block and the pee tube..
Thermostat - probably time to change it.. there are two levels available 71C (=160F) is the warmer of the two..
pulling this also gives you an opportunity to look at the water passages.
And while you are doing all this --when was the last time you cleaned and or replaced the anodes?
good luck and let us know what you discover
Art

[outoftheboat]

artdf175, The anodes look almost new. No corrosion or build up.
I have some kind of debris I think. I have been running water off and on through the clean-out port for the past hour and have sediment or something coming out that settles to the bottom of my tub.
t almost feels "greasy" but when you rub it with your fingers it dissipates. No clue on that one?
I will keep the thread updated.

[Moonlighter]

One of the worst things for impellers is to sit unused as they get a “set” in them and then dont pump well.

Yours is well and truly due for replacement. Do the full kit again, not just the impeller.

Apart from the impeller issue, if you leave a outboard leg unserviced for more than 2 years you are seriously looking for trouble getting the bolts undone to drop it. You also risk the drive shaft sticking in the driven gear. Splines need to be lubed. And gearbox oil changed.

[outoftheboat]

Quick update...Just went and cranked the boat with motor in the plastic tub.
No water came out of tell-tale so I revd the rev lever which made water come out.
Temp was normal and steady with water coming out.
Guess I need to drop the lower unit and inspect the impeller, which if I am going to do that, I might as well replace the whole assembly. If someone has an easy way to get the impeller key out, please let me know. Thanks for all the replies!

[noelm007]

Not too sure what kind of trouble you’re having with the impeller, there is nothing tricky involved.

[outoftheboat]

noelm007, The only problem I had was trying to get the key out and back in that holds the impeller.
It wasn't as simple as pull it out and put it back in.
No issues other than the key.

[Freddy jakob]

Check that the water pump case is not crooked. If you put it down on something that is completely flat. My pump case had a slight curve where it should seal against the installation surface. Could be something in the water pressure valve