mercury 60hp problems

[casper10]

I have a merc 60 hp with water pumping problems. Basically the water is not reaching the tittle tattle outlet. It is coming out of a small hole inside the leg housing near the exhaust. At first I thought I had blown a hole in the engine but i have my old Mercuy engine and this hole is present here also it is about the size of a pencil. If i jet water up the water pipe it will come out of the tittle tattle pipe where it should do but also still out of the hole in the leg housing,. If I jet water (but not much pressure) it will only come out of the leg housing hole. The impellor is 100% ok, i have been checking it regular while trying to sort this engine out. There is nothing in my manual about water coming out of this hole in the leg housing (does anyone know what it is called and why it is there?)
I am guessing that I have a blockage in the engine waterways ( i have taken off one of the plates to the engine that exposes 1 side of the engine waterways and this is all clear) If it is a blockage is there anyway of dissolving what may be there ?
Any help would be greatlly appreciated.

Many thanks

Trevor

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[[2068]]

This can be a number of things, some sort of blockage, or a porous block which is pressurising the waterway, dodgy head gasket, etc...

dv.

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[BarryH]

I wouldn't go for the scarey diagnosis yet.....

You say the pump impeller is ok and in good condition. Have you replaced it then? Did the water pipe go into the grommet in the powerhead ok? If its not in there its not sealing and leaking water. Is the pump casing ok. I had one where the metal insert came away from the plastic casing.

On the back of the powerhead is a brass threaded blanking plug. This is for a water pressure gauge fitting. Run the engine up and loosen the plug. Does water come out. Have you got water coming out the exhaust/prop hub.

Follow the tube up from the tell tale to where it connect to the block. Loosen the fitting and temove it. Run some thing wire down the tube just to check for a blockage. Also see if theres a blockage in the water way where the tube connects.

I would suspect the water pick up tube. Its supposed to stay in the power head when you drop the gearcase. 99% of the ones I've done the tube drops out.

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[jfm]

Agree 100% with barryH.

One more thing, the water that is coming out should be praps75deg (bit hotter than your house hot water). If it's about that, then engine is likely cooling ok. If hotter, there is starvation of colling water. But all that's a bit unscientific, follow Barry's points first

It is correct for spent cooling water to come out thru the prop hub and thru the relief exhaust outlets on the back edge of the leg (ie the two holes above the waterline but below the powerhead)

This needs fixing. Lots of 3cyl 60s had burnout of the top piston

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