Tohatsu 3.5 water telltale

[mick]

Just started Tohatsu 3.5 for first time this season (fresh fuel, by the way). Started no bother and ran fine. Telltale streaming water normally for short time then died away to a pathetic dribble. The water intake is clear. What else to check?

 

[Topcat47]

Sounds like water pump problems.

 

[Lakesailor]

If you started it in a tank or dustbin it won't suck in the water properly. Too much turbulence. I take it you have gears and it was in neutral. Even so it will probably be better in open water.
If it was in open water, it might be the impeller, but why did it work to begin with? I'd try poking the tell tale hole with a thin bit of wire. Some muck may have dried out in the winter and been pushed down the tell-tale pipe by the new stream of water.
If you need to you can take off the cover and actually remove the tell-tale pipe to ensure it is clear. It's just a bit of rubber pipe onto a little elbow on the water jacket.

 

[Oldhand]

If you didn't flush out the cooling system with clean fresh water at the end of the season, there is proabably some muck just blocking the narrow tell-tale passage. I have cleared this in the past by removing the tell-tale tube, attaching a car tyre foot pump to the oulet and pumping vigourously. Tell-tale flow was restored when motor was run after this operation. As I was advised of the above by an outboard agent, I suspect it is quite a common occurance.

 

[chrishelen]

Snap,mine did the same earlier,i think Lakesailor hit the nail on the head,as it was fine when i put it away last winter.I will take it out on the dingey on sat,and see what happens.

 

[captainslarty]

Yes, its a known problem on the toh 3.5 - dalt xtals for in the water outlet, the small piece of wire poked 'up it' usually works.

 

[achwilan]

Pump impeller?

 

[mick]

Yes, muck in the pipe. Thanks, all.