Sand or gravel in water pump

[danl]

Has anyone ever gotten mud,sand etc. stuck in their boat motor water pump? I noticed yesterday that after backing off from shore that the motor wasn't spitting water very well. It was doing good and then down to a dribble. is there an easy way to try and fix it or do I have to start taking things apart?

thanks in advance.

 

[westwolfone]

Try sticking a wire in the pee hole first.

 

[WormWiggler]

twice I had an issue. twice it was a tiny rock in the pee hole. Sticking a wire will likely move debris and determine that is the issue, but if it is I would remove the pee hole and clean it out.

 

[LBrandt]

Ditto on the wire in the BOAT pee hole or else its going to not feel good.

 

[Allen]

Remember, the "pee hole" is generally a smaller inside diameter than the rest of the system. So a small rock can easily(?) make it's way through the system only to get stuck there. I've had that happen a time or two. In those cases, I simply had to remove the tubing from the upstream side of the pee hole fitting and free the rock there. Other times, it may be a piece of grass or a leaf and stirring things up with a piece of wire works just fine.

 

[guywhofishes]

check your thermostat too

wish I had done so when I had same symptoms a year or so ago

;:;banghead

 

[scrotcaster]

The bottom side of a bottom bouncer is ideal for pee hole insertion.. I always keep one handy for that reason.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Welcome Danl.

 

[danl]

Thanks for all the help. I will take a look at it tonight.

 

[Wild and Free]

If you power on and especially off sandbars then it is very possible to load the water pump up with sand and mud.
I sat at the Misty waters courtesy dock for an hour waiting for my passengers to show up saturday and I saw about half dozen people fire up their outboards with them not touching the water and let them run for way too long, pretty sure some of them have dead water pumps now.

 

[( deleted account )]

If you power on and especially off sandbars then it is very possible to load the water pump up with sand and mud.
I sat at the Misty waters courtesy dock for an hour waiting for my passengers to show up saturday and I saw about half dozen people fire up their outboards with them not touching the water and let them run for way too long, pretty sure some of them have dead water pumps now.

Yes, dumb thing to do! A second or two is OK but much longer can be harmful. See this pretty often.

 

[Apres]

1-2 times a year I notice my water pump slows way down. If I am on the water and concerned I go with the wire trick 90% of the time that does it. Otherwise I wait til I get home and use a plastic fitting that fits the spitter hose and backflush with the garden hose. I've never had that not work except for one time when 5 of the 6 fins of my impeller had snapped off and I had to replace it.