Check your water pumps

[Juan]

The last time I used my boat, the water pump was fine and showing over 14 psi but after a week of below freezing weather it's toast. I noticed it not peeing while fishing today so cut my fishing day short and luckily made it back to the ramp with zero water pressure. I'm guessing the freezing temperatures damaged the impeller so if you've had several days of freezing temps, you might want to make sure your water pump is pumping before you launch like I did.



I did manage to catch a couple of redfish and a limit of trout before I had to quit.

[freezerfiller]

Well that's a win in my book! I lowered my foot and drained all that would come out. I hope it will be ok, but will be on high alert.

[Juan]

I don't think water freezing inside the lower unit caused the impeller to fail. I thought it failed because the freeze damaged the rubber by taking out it's flexibility. The water pump was the original and almost 6 years old with 183 hours on it and still working perfectly but the picture proves it needed replacing. Turns out it wasn't a pump problem after all because it still didn't pee after installing the new pump so then I blew compressed air through the discharge tubing towards the foot until air came out at the foot. That dislodged whatever had it blocked and she pees like a Russian race horse now.

[985crabs]

I fished the morning after one of those cold nights because the redfish gather in a hole by one of our launches when its freezing. Started up in the launch lane, but motor wouldn't pee. I had to pull out.

I figured something was frozen so I tried to blow it out via the flush hose. Not happening. Then I applied vacuum pressure and a couple icicles came out. Worked fine after that.

My buddy quipped, "So now I know you'll suck an outboard for a redfish".

Doh!