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I haven't had my boat off the trailer since August and it's driving me crazy. I'll try to give you the short version of this long story. Last August I screwed up and start my motor with it out of the water. Let's say I had a little too much throttle also. I started the motor about 4000 RPMs for about 3 seconds. My motor is a 1984 Suzuki DT115. I lowered it into the water and restarted it without any issue I started trolling and about five mins later I noticed water came out of cable holes. I blow the exhaust cover gasket. I still had a very strong tell tale stream and was hoping I just blow a hose.
I live in Nebraska and we only have two Suzuki dealers about 1 1/2 hour a way. I called both and either called me back. I couldn't find anyone in Lincoln who would touch a Suzuki. There was 23 bolts holding on the exhaust cover and 5 bolt broke off. I found a guy in Omaha who said he could fix it for $1,200. He was going to pull the powerhead and strip everything off it. He took it to a Machine shop to laser drill out the broken bolts.
Exhaust Gasket.jpg
My Mechanic pulled my motor off the boat. He called me two weeks later and say my motor was really to pick up. I took my boat back to him, so he could re-install the motor. By now it's October and I'm really to go fishing. I decided I better try my motor before I drove an hour to the lake. I hooked it up to the muffs and started my motor up. It started up at almost full throttle. I shut the motor off and pulled the cover. I installed new cables last year. So the first thing I noticed was the throttle links was all the way screwed in and he never even tighten down the clamps holding the two cables into place. After about 5 mins off turning the motor off and on....I got the idle finally set. So I was really to head to the lake. Then I thought, let's check the the gears out. So I tried to put it in forward... nothing, then I put in it Reverse.....nothing.
So I called my Mechanic and found out he never started the motor once he re-installed the motor back onto the boat. I also found out his helper re-installed the motor. So back to Omaha I go. He pulled the head and hooked up the linkage, which they forgot to hook up. I could see the "C" clip sitting in full sight.
Two weeks later I'm headed back to the lake. I started up the motor and I have no water coming out of the tale tell. I also noticed the exhaust gasket was leaking again. So I go back home and I pull the lower unit. I find out my water pump housing is fried and the impeller is destroyed.
Water pump.jpg
I called my Mechanic again and he blamed my for using the muffs and running the motor. I blame him for not testing my motor and setting the idle correctly while it's on the boat. He claimed everything work correctly on the stand at the shop. I ordered a full water pump kit including a new housing.....another $230. Now we are in the dead of winter. I installed the new water pump over winter.
So I final got it back into the shop three weeks ago. He claims that the block is slightly warped where the initial gasket blew. He put on two new gaskets and sealed it up with 3M 5200. He thinks it will work this time. I don't think he every started the motor up. So I waited three weeks to give it a full cure time, due the cold weather.
Off to the lake I go today to give it a test. I started it up and I have very little water coming out of the tell tale. It's also now leaking out of a different spot. It started leaking out of some bolt holds. I shit you not, he didn't tighten down three bolts down. I could spin the washers with my fingers.
By looking at the pictures above you can see the rubber impeller turned to mush. I want to try to fix the water pump issue this weekend. I'm sure there is some blockage some where. I'm pretty sure I put the water pump on correctly and everything is clean in the lower unit.
Where would you start....blow air in the tell tale....coat hanger?
Thanks Shane
I live in Nebraska and we only have two Suzuki dealers about 1 1/2 hour a way. I called both and either called me back. I couldn't find anyone in Lincoln who would touch a Suzuki. There was 23 bolts holding on the exhaust cover and 5 bolt broke off. I found a guy in Omaha who said he could fix it for $1,200. He was going to pull the powerhead and strip everything off it. He took it to a Machine shop to laser drill out the broken bolts.
Exhaust Gasket.jpg
My Mechanic pulled my motor off the boat. He called me two weeks later and say my motor was really to pick up. I took my boat back to him, so he could re-install the motor. By now it's October and I'm really to go fishing. I decided I better try my motor before I drove an hour to the lake. I hooked it up to the muffs and started my motor up. It started up at almost full throttle. I shut the motor off and pulled the cover. I installed new cables last year. So the first thing I noticed was the throttle links was all the way screwed in and he never even tighten down the clamps holding the two cables into place. After about 5 mins off turning the motor off and on....I got the idle finally set. So I was really to head to the lake. Then I thought, let's check the the gears out. So I tried to put it in forward... nothing, then I put in it Reverse.....nothing.
So I called my Mechanic and found out he never started the motor once he re-installed the motor back onto the boat. I also found out his helper re-installed the motor. So back to Omaha I go. He pulled the head and hooked up the linkage, which they forgot to hook up. I could see the "C" clip sitting in full sight.
Two weeks later I'm headed back to the lake. I started up the motor and I have no water coming out of the tale tell. I also noticed the exhaust gasket was leaking again. So I go back home and I pull the lower unit. I find out my water pump housing is fried and the impeller is destroyed.
Water pump.jpg
I called my Mechanic again and he blamed my for using the muffs and running the motor. I blame him for not testing my motor and setting the idle correctly while it's on the boat. He claimed everything work correctly on the stand at the shop. I ordered a full water pump kit including a new housing.....another $230. Now we are in the dead of winter. I installed the new water pump over winter.
So I final got it back into the shop three weeks ago. He claims that the block is slightly warped where the initial gasket blew. He put on two new gaskets and sealed it up with 3M 5200. He thinks it will work this time. I don't think he every started the motor up. So I waited three weeks to give it a full cure time, due the cold weather.
Off to the lake I go today to give it a test. I started it up and I have very little water coming out of the tell tale. It's also now leaking out of a different spot. It started leaking out of some bolt holds. I shit you not, he didn't tighten down three bolts down. I could spin the washers with my fingers.
By looking at the pictures above you can see the rubber impeller turned to mush. I want to try to fix the water pump issue this weekend. I'm sure there is some blockage some where. I'm pretty sure I put the water pump on correctly and everything is clean in the lower unit.
Where would you start....blow air in the tell tale....coat hanger?
Thanks Shane
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