2001 Challenger twin cooling Help!

[Bonemvn]

My boat runs very strong and all seems well, however, I don't seem to have any water flow out the back to show that it is pumping water through the engines. I know I read somewhere that I should start each motor and check that it is flowing but it doesn't flow for either one. I just got the boat and maybe have a couple hours on it without incident but now I am worried. Please advise me if you can

 

[Bonemvn]

Anybody with some input here? I pulled the lines off the t fittings hoping they were plugged but no luck. Is this normal or should I actually be seeing a lot of water flow out the back?

 

[JamesHBCA]

I have the same boat in the same problem. I found one of the engine lines full of sand. There was a small rock in the tee fitting that caused it to fill with sand. I ran quite a bit with no water coming out the back before I realized. The engine still run cool. But there's no telltale water coming out from under the ski hook.

I'm going to take a better look at it this afternoon. I'll let you know what I find.

 

[dbracela]

Probably clogged tell-tale lines. Back flush on a hose or pull them off and blow them out. The fitting often gets clogged as well.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Likely plugged up at the elbow near the output of the head. Your engine is still getting water pumped through it though.

The FLUSH line is exactly that. It flows the waster in reverse to help FLUSH out any debris. Remove the lines and blow them out. I bet you find sand.

 

[JamesHBCA]

I removed my lines and blew them out. They where clear. Perhaps it's blocked in the exhaust pipe at the fitting. Is running with garden hose connected the same as reverse flush? Would that clear any blockage in the exhaust fittings?

 

[Waterluvr]

Look at how the two engine flush hoses that supply cooling water from a garden hose intersect at the T and then feed water to the engine (you have one fitting up high with a cap under the edge of the engine cover and another on the transom for each motor). Since the top connection is gasketed and has a plug, when you hook water into the rear transom flush port it is sending water to the engine and cooling in a reverse loop, the hose that supplies water during normal operation in the water that connects to the pump housing will have water flowing back out the other way towards the pump once you start the engine and turn the flush water on.

So yes, running with the hose is a reverse flush just be sure and start the engine first before turning the water on and likewise turn the water off before shutting the engine down. I rigged up an extra garden hose when I bought mine to spray water at the shaft inlet to the boat to keep the carbon seal wet while I was flushing it.

Pick up one of these garden hose valve body's, it screws right into the back of the flush inlet on the transom and has a rotating bushing to help attach the hose to it. It allows you to close the valve, turn you main water supply on for the hose and then simply walk from the helm to the transom when the motor starts to turn the water on.