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I noticed today that there is almost no cooling water coming out from the outboard water discharge hole. I remembered last time I retrieved my boat I started my motor in a muddy shallow water in order to drive the boat to the trailer. How could I fix the problem if I want to try it first before bringing it to a marina. I think it must be the small sand or stuff block in the cooling system somewhere but how I can clean it out? Thanks.

Use a small stiff piece of wire or small piece of wood and put it in the outlet hole and twist it around a bit. You may find that a
mud wasp has laid an egg in there. It happens quite often and just stops the water from discharging. It will only be in there a
couple inches. I have had it happen many times.
Laker

laker taker wrote:Use a small stiff piece of wire or small piece of wood and put it in the outlet hole and twist it around a bit. You may find that a
mud wasp has laid an egg in there. It happens quite often and just stops the water from discharging. It will only be in there a
couple inches. I have had it happen many times.
Laker

X2
Or you have a blown water pump impeller and need to replace it. We used to wear out an impeller every yr duck hunting a muddy sandy area every fall and just replaced the impeller at the end of the season

The water discharge on my motor has the capability of attaching a garden hose and flushing the system. I do it quite often because if the issues you are describing.

Check around and see if you have one and try flushing the system. I've also use air once in a while out of a compressor but a -0 minute water flush seems to work better.

Thank your guys for help. CBB, is it easy to open the lower unit and check the impeller? It seems I need to open the water tank top housing. I have a mercury EFI 50HP 4 stroke engine. I will give a garden hose flush first to see if this will work.

Just disconnect the water hose at the motor end and use compressed air to remove debris from outlet. Very easy once you look at it . Youtube water pump impeller change and you are good to go. Chances are it's bugs causing the problem, they plugged up my motors earlier this year. D

I was quoted $230 for the water pump repair kits including the impeller if buying part from them. I an wondering of I need to buy the kits or just buy one impeller. Do I have to change gasket and o ring too? How hard to get the lower unit off and rely it back through the shaft coupling? The marina told me that i will need to put the boat there and it takes one to two weeks to fix it.
Thanks.

Not sure what motor you have but it is not a hard job to do and just google for Pump kit and order it online. I would get a kit and change the gaskets and o-ring when you have it apart and not have to worry if the old ones will be ok after being taken apart. Lots of vids on U tube showing the steps needed to change the water pump impeller.

Just noticed you have the 50 Merc. Not a hard job to change it out yourself and lots of kits available online or some of the local dealers

Just ordered the part and finger crossed to hope everything runs well so I could start to DIY this little project (but big for me) non fishing weekend. Tips and advices are still welcome to be given like if I need to drain the gearbox oil, do I need to make a support platform for lower unit since I was told the weight could be heavy, how to put the driveshaft back correctly, etc.?

Thanks again for all your help!

No need to drain the LI oil unless you want to.

There is a process to get everything lined up, I just can't remember it right now. But Google is your friend. There is a video of almost every motor out there. And if not, a lot of them are the same. Just look for a Mercury and go from there.

Do a search on your motor for instructions and follow those instructions to the letter. You should be good and you don't need to drain the lower unit.