Telltale water outlet
Sorry guys I've got a million questions, at the same time trying not to drive you fellas mad.
I've only just bought my first boat in the last month, after growing up around boats with my grand father.
With help from you guys, from my threads and the threads i'm reading, I feel i am starting to tick all the right boxes in getting a safe up to date maintenance regime.
As soon as I bought the boat, I sent it straight away for a full service on the motor, which was completed, and the motor came back with a full bill of health.
The motor is a 1999 Johnson 130hp 2 stroke V4.
I've taken the boat out in the river twice for a couple of get to know it type trips, and have noticed that the Tell tale, peehole, place where the water squirts out the side of the motor, whatver you want to call it, the water stream is not a direct squirt, it doesn't stop and start water is allways coming out of it, although it is not a straight stream with a lot of pressure. Now when I flush it on the ear muffs, I have noticed down on the lower gear box leg that either side of the leg also has a tell tale squirt which is strong and constant, along with another one at around the same level down low squirting towards the transom.
Yesterday I dropped back into where I had it serviced (I wont name them because I don't think thats fair) spoke to the mechanic in regards to the top tell tale pressure, and he told me that the tell tale pipe connects onto a fitting which is connected to the motor body by a backing nut, this same fitting also has a breather type tube coming off it as well which just sits in the bottom of the motor body which the mechanic says serves no real purpose, the mechanic said if it was his motor he would take off the breather altogether, remove the fitting and backing nut, put a grommet in the motor body hole and pass the tell tale through the grommet and then I would get a decent squirt out. He told me to go home take the motor cover off, just pull the tell tale pipe off the fitting hold it out to the side, put the motor on flush start it and I would see a decent squirt, which I did and he was 100 % correct.
Has anyone come across this previously, and would it be good advice to remove this fitting, and use the grommet advice ?
Cheers.
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Mate I bought a boat
Mate I bought a boat recently, banged a water pump kit in it and occasionally the squirt is a dribble. I know the pumps workin, but the fitting or pipe gets a bit of shit stuck in it which is loose scale crap from the cooling system coz the engine hasnt had the best after use flush life Id say.
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
pharlap
Posts: 69
Date Joined: 02/01/12
Thanks Tim-o, yeah me the
Thanks Tim-o, yeah me the same, I sent my boat for a complete major service as soon as I bought it, because it had been sitting for 6 months, it was given a 100% clean bill of health, new water pump, gearbox leg fully serviced, I mean it's a 1999 motor that had done less than 200 hrs, like you I know everything mechanical is reported as A1, but this dribble telltale is annoying, took it out Saturday only in the river, but the motor didn't get hot, telltale water is only warm, it never missed a beat.....Maybe it's just me and now I'm thinking it's nothing to worry about.
When I was looking at boats to buy, everything I was told and read about selecting 2nd motors was centered around diagnosing the telltale, "it's gotta be a strong squirt" "it can't be too hot the water coming out" all this type of thing.
....if it designed like that why play with.......if it's not broke don't fix it !!!!
Thanks for your input Tim-o, I was starting to think this was a TABOO thread.
tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Mate I know the water pump is
Mate I know the water pump is good now I have changed the impeller and the housing, thermostat etc. The last one still would have pumped but it had been run dry and cooked the bakelite housing. So regardless of the telltale I know that pump will be working but if its weedy it would pay to switch the engine off and lift the leg and check the water intake screens. A strong stream does mean good waterflow but a dribble doesny mean there isnt proper circulation. When I get back, put the muffs on or better still put the leg in a bin full of water to trully test the waterflow rather than hose pressure giving a false sense of security, run the engine and if the telltale dribbles, a poke into it with a bit of wire to dislodge the bit of shit and there we have a jet stream again.
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.