# Outboard motor won't pee



## dbrock010 (Oct 16, 2009)

Need some troubleshooting ideas for my Nissan Marine 9.8 outboard motor. Four weeks ago it started up normal. Yesterday, I started her up and everything was fine for about 20 seconds when I noticed that water was not cooling down the motor. I quickly turned it off and tried again. With the same result, I decided to head home and try to diagnose the problem. Water intake pump faulty? Need to flush with fresh water? What do you think?
Dave


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## MorganPaul (Sep 16, 2008)

enlarged prostate ?


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## btrayfors (Aug 25, 2006)

Dave,

Often it's just a clogged exhaust port. Take a small wire or paper clip and stick it up the water hole (where it "pees") while the motor is idling. I have to do that periodically with my 8HP Yamaha, then it starts right up spewing out water.

Bill


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Or a clog in the intake or somewhere on the route to the upper end.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

When was the last time you replaced the impeller??? If it has been a while, that could be the issue.


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

+1 on the impeller being first thing to check.


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## dbrock010 (Oct 16, 2009)

*thanks*

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I will try them all. As far as the impeller goes, it has never been changed, as the motor is only four years old. Also, I'll need to borrow some gloves before I check the prostrate:laugher


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Four years of year round use is an awful lot for an impeller... IMHO, that makes it the most likely suspect.


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## sailjunkie (Nov 4, 2009)

sailingdog said:


> When was the last time you replaced the impeller??? If it has been a while, that could be the issue.


I was going to suggest the same thing.


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

The pitot tube can be clogged without impairing the engine's cooling. I would attempt to clear the tube before worrying about anything else.


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## somers12 (Nov 8, 2007)

I'd also vote for the impeller. I have a Nissan 9.9 and have had some problems with it. I found this site: Here 

A fellow there called "Tohatsu Guru" there was very helpful and my problem was solved. You'll have to register, but it's a good site to know for all kinds of marine engine issues.

Hope this is helpful... Steve


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## scraph (Oct 19, 2009)

When you say that no water is cooling the motor ... do you have direct indication that it is not receiving cooling? Or ... do you simply mean that you are not seeing water streaming from the telltale?

If you are not seeing _any_ water streaming from the telltale suddenly then I would first suspect that it is clogged. You can either, as stated before, "poke it with a stick" or ... ideally ... you should be able to remove the telltale from the motor and clean it that way. If you are able to remove the telltale, and do find that it is simply clogged, I would also recommend running the motor (in water, whether submerged or with flushing muffs) for a minute or so with the telltale removed to allow any further crap in the system (mud, etc) to flow out the system.

This is a rather straightforward problem. Ensure the telltale isn't clogged. If it is, clean it. If it isn't, inspect and replace the impeller.


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## Finallybuyingaboat (Aug 28, 2007)

No one has mentioned this, but if the problem is with the impeller, try not to run the motor too long before changing it. If you are checking the tube with a piece of wire, do it fairly quickly. If the motor is running without being cooled, bad things can happen fairly quickly. 

Not sure about newer outboards, but changing an impeller is a relatively easy and inexpensive fix. I have done it on a few motors from the 70s & 80s in about an hour with the correct manual.


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Finallybuyingaboat said:


> No one has mentioned this, but if the problem is with the impeller, try not to run the motor too long before changing it. If you are checking the tube with a piece of wire, do it fairly quickly. If the motor is running without being cooled, bad things can happen fairly quickly.
> 
> Not sure about newer outboards, but changing an impeller is a relatively easy and inexpensive fix. I have done it on a few motors from the 70s & 80s in about an hour with the correct manual.


That's right, it is an easy job. But I have a 8hp Yamaha that requires the lower unit to be removed, and that can be a major PITA. Because of corrosion, it almost welds together.
Marc


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Some of the more modern four-stroke engines require fairly massive disassembly to remove the impeller.


Finallybuyingaboat said:


> No one has mentioned this, but if the problem is with the impeller, try not to run the motor too long before changing it. If you are checking the tube with a piece of wire, do it fairly quickly. If the motor is running without being cooled, bad things can happen fairly quickly.
> 
> Not sure about newer outboards, but changing an impeller is a relatively easy and inexpensive fix. I have done it on a few motors from the 70s & 80s in about an hour with the correct manual.


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## MARC2012 (Mar 17, 2008)

On Yamaha everything requires some disassembly.marc


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## PhilipStevens (Mar 24, 2002)

This sometimes happens on my elderly Evinrude 4-Twin. My local outboard shop told me to get an air pressure hose and blast it up the Pee-hole. Did the trick.

I know this is what they do with o/b's with low and no water output. 9 times out of 10, it works.

I hope the medical profession don't adopt this procedure for prostates!!


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## trantor12020 (Mar 11, 2006)

It won't pee? Simple solution. Drink more beer. It works for me. Not sure about the engine though.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

I had the same problem on my Evinrude 9.9, except that the impeller had been replaced the year before. The "stick in the pee hole" trick didn't work, so we took it apart and checked as many parts of the cooling system as we could get access to. Basically just poured water into it in different places to see if it would drain out the bottom.

In the end, it turned out that it was the pee hole after all, but that the poke-it-with-a-stick trick just wasn't working as there were particles in the tube that were too big to come out through the pee hole (kidney stones?). That was a bit scary in itself, though it's conceivable that they had grown there. Impeller was fine.


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## MARC2012 (Mar 17, 2008)

I wish we could get this figured out.If mine won't pee do not know weather I should consult a urologist,proctologist or just go to a bar & drink beer.Prefer latter.marc


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## TohatsuGuru (Oct 3, 2007)

I have a theory.

It's a demon.

A dancing demon.

No, something isn't right there.

Your right the beer helps

The "poke it with a stick" is the right approach. For a better result "poke" it while the engine is running in the water. The water pressure will sometimes help break up the scale while you prod it.


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## paulcossman (Nov 22, 2009)

*Thermostat*

Nobody has yet mentioned the thermostat. On my 15 HP 2 stroke Mercury, the water stopped coming out of the cooling exhaust hole. I replaced the impeller, and to no avail. I have the mechanic's service manual, and I couldn't figure it out. I didn't know that it had a thermostat in it. When I was told that, and I opened the cover, my (10 year old) thermostat was nothing but corroded metal which had completely clogged the cooling water. After cleaning it out, and replacing the thermostat, all was well.
I hope your answer is as easy.

Good luck,
Paul.


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## Svletitgo (Dec 18, 2009)

Also the entire system could be blocked by salt residy if it never been flush on a regular basis with fresh water.

Some fun hours ahead


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## dbrock010 (Oct 16, 2009)

*Motor just had stage fright*

Thanks to everyone who helped with my motor's little problem. I stole a paperclip from work and went down to the dock and started her up. I jammed the paperclip into the pee hole and oila! it was streaming again just fine

So it wasn't the impeller, thank goodness; just a clogged water out take.

Again, thank you. Problem solved. Next problem. . .


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## jrsdiesel (Mar 28, 2009)

Glad you got it working again. 

Just want to throw this in for anyone that may have this issue crop up. If you have a weed-eater handy, the string that is on it makes an excellent "clearing tool" for the outboard cooling water "pee hole".


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## oldironnut (Feb 28, 2010)

I have a 50hp mercury 3 cylinder 2 stroke that didn't pee. It turned that a mud dobber tried to make a nest in the rubber tube that went from the block to the external opening. I removed the tube, cleaned it out and made sure it was clear of any obstruction and replaced it. It started working normally. I watched the temperature carefully and so far all is well. Now for storage periods I dab a small gob of grease on the opening to prevent the little varmints from building another nest.


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## ClutchCargo (Mar 1, 2011)

It's best to take the lower leg unit off your outboard every year to fully check the impellor and intake etc. It's an easy job. And change the oil in the lower unit gearbox every year; if any water has made it's way into the gearbox you'll easily spot it in the oil. Good luck.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

For folks who consider work on their outboard to be an easy job, where do you do this work? In the cockpit? On the dock? Marina parking lot? What §t of whether do you do it in? I'm always worried about getting rainwater on the innards of my outboard.


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## ClutchCargo (Mar 1, 2011)

AdamLein said:


> For folks who consider work on their outboard to be an easy job, where do you do this work? In the cockpit? On the dock? Marina parking lot? What §t of whether do you do it in? I'm always worried about getting rainwater on the innards of my outboard.


Sorry AdamLein, I should have qualified my advice by saying that 'I found the job easy'.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

I didn't mean to be inflammatory. I'm legitimately looking for tips on making outboard work easier. I borrowed a friend's workshop at one point to do my last lower unit overhaul (and it really needed it) but that's not an option right now, and I've got a another big repair coming up.

Any suggestions?


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## Baywind (Dec 7, 2008)

I sail on the Upper Chesapeake and mine gets clogged on a regular basis. I keep a can of compressed air to clean keyboards on the boat. Before I start the motor I put the tube up the the water exhaust tube and give it a blast. Works every time.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm also on the Ches. Bay, and my engine was clogged with growth by the end of the season. After replacing the impeller, and cleaning it out, I discovered something simple but critical:

Make dang _certain_ that you properly align the the little boot on the water pump with the metal tube in the "leg" that leads up to the engine head. Otherwise you'll be innocently thinking that perhaps you just didn't clean out all of the scale for the check-stream and you'll quickly roast your engine! The water pump will be pumping away, but it'll just flood the leg and not make it up to the engine.

Luckily I only ran my own outboard for a few seconds before I knew I'd re-assembled it wrong and shut it down.


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