Johnson 9.9 peehole problem

[polarum]

I have been using a 1979 Johnson 9.9.o/b for over 20 years - mainly just to get in and out of moorings and the water pump always discharged a spray of water from the exhaust outlet holes. Yesterday, for the first time, the water started to stream from what I'm told is called the peehole higher up on the starboard side. Should it always have been exiting from this hole and has something been blocked all those years? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[VicS]

The pee hole is located in the rear stbd corner of the bottom part of the engine casing and is connected by a small hose to an outlet on the power head. You should normally get a good jet of water from there but it easily gets blocked. If you look at the Motor Cover diagram in the Parts catalogue you will see it as item # 40 and the hose is # 62 on the "cylinder and crankcase" diagram

It sounds as though you have virtually lost all cooling water flow and are in danger of causing damage through overheating.

It could be due to failure of the pump impeller. You have replaced that every 4 or 5 years haven't you? It could be due to blockage of the waterways due to corrosion, scaling or salt deposits, it might just be a blockage at the intake.

I will mention that I have had recurring problems with a slightly later 6hp Evinrude caused by corrosion around the grommet at the top of the water tube squashing the grommet over the end of the tube. The 9.9 looks similar . That grommet is item #39 on the "exhaust housing" diagram and the water tube is #54

 

[andy_wilson]

What is happenning now, is what mine always did.

Congratulations, youv'e fixxed it and all now seems to be well!

 

[jonathankent]

I'm confused by your post.... how can the water pump/impellor have a problem if water is coming out of this hole. I would have thought that the engine is running how it should be.... and the problem was before, but didn't cause a problem.

 

[polarum]

Thanks for the comments and information. You state that "It sounds as though you have virtually lost all cooling water flow and are in danger of causing damage through overheating." But I am now getting a good jet of water from the hole you described and it starts and stops immediately with the motor starting or stopping. The pump impeller has been replaced at intervals and the motor always runs well though it only gets very light use each season. But I am quite puzzled as to why it has never appeared from this hole until now and I feel a bit of a dummy. It must , as you suggest, have been blocked and the water forced out through the exhaust holes which I believe was normal procedure with these engines until 1977.

 

[VicS]

Sorry I have misread your post and misunderstood what you were asking.

If you now have a good stream of water from the peehole and there are no signs of overheating I'd say you have no problem.

JMKENT has summed it up "The problem was before but did not cause a problem "

The lack of flow from the pee hole should have been noticed when the engine was serviced. Surely water flowed from there when it was new?

BTW an excellent source of help and advice on outboards are the iBoats forums where you will find separate boards for different makes of engine. If you go there with a question always quote the full model details including the model number if possible. Be patient with them though. They recently switched to new software and it seem to take ages for the index pages to load but once you get to the board you want it seems to run OK

 

[William_H]

Hello Trousersnake yes you should always have had a tell tale stream. That is what it is for to tell you pump is OK. You should worry if you don't have a tell tale. Yes it may have had some sort of blockage in the tube but for my experience this is unusual. Anyway keep an eye out for it in future. If it stops then fix it. olewill

 

[bobg]

To prevent the peehole becoming block there is a service which should be done after every outing in salt water - flush it out with the engine running in fresh water, preferably for five minutes and in a tub is better than flushing muffs. This prevents the build up of salt which will almost certainly lead to a blockage and the potentially expensive consequences. Sometimes, the salt blockage is close to the outfall and can be clean with a piece of wire, but don't poke hard as you may damage the outfall pipe, which is usually rubber.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
there is a service which should be done after every outing in salt water - flush it out with the engine running in fresh water

[/ QUOTE ] Thats fine if we are talking about the dinghy o/b that goes home with you every time but I assume in the Trousersnake's case we are talking about the main engine which stays onboard, even on the transom. A 9.9 is a hefty lump. Even my 6 has got so heavy now that I only lift it on or off the bracket when the boat is ashore, and I have to get help with that now.