So I had my impeller replaced and ran the motor for 20 minutes and the alarm goes off. Checked the oil reservoir, it was full. Then I noticed no water was coming out, it's started to pee just a little but the alarm didn't stop. I called the dealer and they told me all I could do is troll back to the ramp using trolling motor only then bring it to the shop.

They said that they found some mud clogging things up, but no other problems and they ran it for several minutes and the alarm never went off. Is it possible to see what's getting clogged up and fix it while on the water or on the trailer? Just want to know in case it happens again. Never had this problem before, and something doesn't sound right.

Wonder if you could get a plastic drain router and,(with the motor off,lol),run it in the exit hole on the outside of the motor? But,I agree. Doesn't sound right. If it was peeing more,when you took it in,than when you got it back,then it ain't right. Did you ask 'em for the old impeller back?

Yes, I got the old impeller and it looked fine. But, I haven't gotten it back on the water since they checked it out yesterday and said it was ok. They told me it was natural for my little 50hp to have a weak stream and as long as something is definitely coming out and the alarm isn't going off it's fine. I wasn't very encouraged by this and now feel like I'm gonna have to watch it more closely.

Dont forget about the thermostat, it may be the culprit. If the water pump is good and the t-stat is good then obstruction or not being far enough in the water is all it could be.

Ours will stop up with hard water from time to time, you can stick a toothpick up the pee hole(just sounds bad I know) and it will clean it out. Sometimes if it is just a little sand silt or mud in there you can rev it in neutral and it will shot it out.

You can try disconecting the rubber hose under the cowling and blowing it out with an air hose.

What kind of motor is it?

Thanks redchevy, I was wondering if there were things like that I could try but didn't want to mess anything up. It's a 50hp Merc 2007

I keep a wire coat hanger in my boat to clean the pee hole out. On my motor it will go in about 8in. They get clogged up by bugs when the boat is sitting and not being used.

Good on getting the old impeller. I always examine my old impeller to see about how long I can go between changes.

I do my own water pump jobs. Changed the last one at 5 years and it was in great shape. The ones in older OMC's are built like a tank.

matt

+1 matt, I had my impeller changed for the first time on my 1997 Evinrude Intruder 115 motor when it was 13 years old in 2010 (right after I bought it from my dad, maintenance wasn't my issue/responsibility up to that point) and it looked to be in fine shape. Doesn't pee any better with the new one than it did with the one Evinrude put in it at the factory 13 years before.

I talked to another mechanic who agreed that those old evinrude impellers were built like tanks. Biggest problems with those old evinrudes were the VRO.

You can keep some trimmer line in the boat and run it through the pee hole as well...

I keep trimmer line in my boat as well and had to use it once while on the lake, works great.

I know I know, I started it, but all this talk about running stuff up somethings pee hole is just plain painful to hear!

LOL, yes it is. I'm a recipient of that in my younger days, I can't bring myself to inflict that kind of pain on a motor.

Show the motor how hard you can pee

I've got a 115 Evinrude, never changed the impeller....it's a '83 model. But I'm real careful about keeping an eye on my pee-hole.