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Author Topic:   Mercury Water Pressure Gauge Problem

fishinchips posted 04-01-2007 04:25 PM ET (US)
I own a 170 Montauk with a Mercury 90-HP four-stroke. I noticed my last time I went out on the boat that my [Mercury engine cooling water pressure gauge] does not work. How can I trouble shoot this? Thanks for the information. I need to know where the connection is on the Mercury motor. Since the boat is in the garage now, how can I test it? Thanks.--ken
fishinchips posted 09-07-2007 06:04 PM ET (US)
Fix 2003 Mercury 90 four-stroke with water pressure gauge:
--I removed the connection hose to the gauge on the dash side.
--I removed the connection hose on the motor side. I used canned air to blow it through. Water came out.
--Next I looked inside the hose connection on the motor side. I had to use a mirror and a flashlight to view it. Saw the passage way stuck with salt. I had to pick at it and also use HOT water and sprayed it out. After a long process, the hole got cleared.
Since I used HOT WATER to clean out this passage way and it was near the dip stick. I wanted to make sure no water had gotten into the crankcase. So I did an oil change just to be sure.
Tested everything works and no leaks.
Ken
Chuck Tribolet posted 09-07-2007 08:39 PM ET (US)
Do you flush your motor after you use the boat in saltwater?
If no, you should.
If yes, think about pulling the PSI hose off the fitting,
attaching a short piece of hose (so the flush water dumps over
the side) and then flushing. You probably don't need to do
this every time.
How many times did you use the boat before you had a problem?

Chuck
fishinchips posted 09-08-2007 01:28 AM ET (US)
I always flush it out and it still happened. Talked to another buddy that has the same motor and his got clogged too. Even talked to the tech at the shop when purchasing the oil filter and he sees this all the time on these 2003 Mercury and Yamaha 90-HP four-stroke motors.
I will flush it out much longer now. --Ken
fishinchips posted 09-08-2007 01:31 AM ET (US)
I usually put on about 100 hours to 120 hours in about half season and then switch over boats to the hydrasports during the other half.--Ken
highanddry posted 09-08-2007 11:35 AM ET (US)
You need a new pressure sensor. Mine also went bad. Mercury said it was something else, I knew better and ordered one. Now it works again and they reimbursed me
gss036 posted 09-08-2007 12:48 PM ET (US)
Vinegar does wonders for cleaning out salt build up. I am thinking that the way you are describing the hookup at the engine, this is the only thing coming out of the hole or is there water going else where with this connection? Most pressure guage tee off of a water flow line for the poppet valve.
placerville posted 09-09-2007 11:03 AM ET (US)
Ken,
The line that goes from you engine to you guage will have a static leg of water. Even though you flush your engine, that line would keep whatever water (salt) was in the line the first time you operated it. It would not take long for the salt to crust up the line.
We've had water issues at our dock and haven't been able to flush our engine lately after use. On our Suzuki, the pee hole crusted up with salt 2 days after using the boat.
Matt
erik selis posted 09-09-2007 11:20 AM ET (US)
I had the same problem with mine last year. I also blew out the tubing with pressurised air after disconnecting both sides. There was quite a bit of dirt that came out of the tubing but the water inlet on the gauge itself was also blocked. I removed the gauge and cleaned out as much as possible. It worked after reassembly and still does, one year later, but I wouldn't be able to say how accurate it is as there now appears to be an offset. :-)
Erik
andygere posted 09-11-2007 11:20 AM ET (US)
I am amazed that a new technology engine is still using the crude tubing style water pressure gauge. Is there an option for a digital gauge (where the pressure transducer is threaded into the block and the output to the gauge is sent as an electronic signal)? My E-TEC has this style and it is great because it eliminates the plugging, and as well as the possibility of the tubing leaking and flooding your console.
Mel Wallace posted 09-11-2007 03:30 PM ET (US)
After reading this and hearing that vinegar works wonders to clean out salt, has anyone filled a tub with a water/vinegar solution, lowered their motor in it and attempted to flush? Would seem like a good thing to do now and then - even for us fresh water folks that do run into some "hard" water.
fishinchips posted 09-14-2007 12:17 AM ET (US)
Maybe from time to time I got to disconnect the tubing from the gauge side and spray some compressed air in there???
Ken
fishinchips posted 12-10-2007 11:11 AM ET (US)
Well, it happened again. PSI gauge did not work again. Did the same routine, disconnected the small black diameter hose on the back of the gauge. Disconnected the small black diameter hose from the engine block. Used compressed air to blow it out. Water came out.
Then I used a mirror to look at the hole on the engine side. Saw the hole was clogged with salt.
This time, the salt was SOFT and did not get hard. I used a metal coat hanger and pushed it through.
Put everything back and it works again.
Ummm, how can I stop this problem ? I been flushing the motor for 20 mintues with the ear muffs on AFTER running in salt. Also flushed out the motor with the hose directly attached to the peehole for an additional 15 minutes.
Do I need to run the water on ear muff FIRST ? Then take it out in salt water ?
I normally store the boat with the motor in the vertical position.
Ken

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Author	Topic: Mercury Water Pressure Gauge Problem
fishinchips	posted 04-01-2007 04:25 PM ET (US) I own a 170 Montauk with a Mercury 90-HP four-stroke. I noticed my last time I went out on the boat that my [Mercury engine cooling water pressure gauge] does not work. How can I trouble shoot this? Thanks for the information. I need to know where the connection is on the Mercury motor. Since the boat is in the garage now, how can I test it? Thanks.--ken
fishinchips	posted 09-07-2007 06:04 PM ET (US) Fix 2003 Mercury 90 four-stroke with water pressure gauge: --I removed the connection hose to the gauge on the dash side. --I removed the connection hose on the motor side. I used canned air to blow it through. Water came out. --Next I looked inside the hose connection on the motor side. I had to use a mirror and a flashlight to view it. Saw the passage way stuck with salt. I had to pick at it and also use HOT water and sprayed it out. After a long process, the hole got cleared. Since I used HOT WATER to clean out this passage way and it was near the dip stick. I wanted to make sure no water had gotten into the crankcase. So I did an oil change just to be sure. Tested everything works and no leaks. Ken
Chuck Tribolet	posted 09-07-2007 08:39 PM ET (US) Do you flush your motor after you use the boat in saltwater? If no, you should. If yes, think about pulling the PSI hose off the fitting, attaching a short piece of hose (so the flush water dumps over the side) and then flushing. You probably don't need to do this every time. How many times did you use the boat before you had a problem? Chuck
fishinchips	posted 09-08-2007 01:28 AM ET (US) I always flush it out and it still happened. Talked to another buddy that has the same motor and his got clogged too. Even talked to the tech at the shop when purchasing the oil filter and he sees this all the time on these 2003 Mercury and Yamaha 90-HP four-stroke motors. I will flush it out much longer now. --Ken
fishinchips	posted 09-08-2007 01:31 AM ET (US) I usually put on about 100 hours to 120 hours in about half season and then switch over boats to the hydrasports during the other half.--Ken
highanddry	posted 09-08-2007 11:35 AM ET (US) You need a new pressure sensor. Mine also went bad. Mercury said it was something else, I knew better and ordered one. Now it works again and they reimbursed me
gss036	posted 09-08-2007 12:48 PM ET (US) Vinegar does wonders for cleaning out salt build up. I am thinking that the way you are describing the hookup at the engine, this is the only thing coming out of the hole or is there water going else where with this connection? Most pressure guage tee off of a water flow line for the poppet valve.
placerville	posted 09-09-2007 11:03 AM ET (US) Ken, The line that goes from you engine to you guage will have a static leg of water. Even though you flush your engine, that line would keep whatever water (salt) was in the line the first time you operated it. It would not take long for the salt to crust up the line. We've had water issues at our dock and haven't been able to flush our engine lately after use. On our Suzuki, the pee hole crusted up with salt 2 days after using the boat. Matt
erik selis	posted 09-09-2007 11:20 AM ET (US) I had the same problem with mine last year. I also blew out the tubing with pressurised air after disconnecting both sides. There was quite a bit of dirt that came out of the tubing but the water inlet on the gauge itself was also blocked. I removed the gauge and cleaned out as much as possible. It worked after reassembly and still does, one year later, but I wouldn't be able to say how accurate it is as there now appears to be an offset. :-) Erik
andygere	posted 09-11-2007 11:20 AM ET (US) I am amazed that a new technology engine is still using the crude tubing style water pressure gauge. Is there an option for a digital gauge (where the pressure transducer is threaded into the block and the output to the gauge is sent as an electronic signal)? My E-TEC has this style and it is great because it eliminates the plugging, and as well as the possibility of the tubing leaking and flooding your console.
Mel Wallace	posted 09-11-2007 03:30 PM ET (US) After reading this and hearing that vinegar works wonders to clean out salt, has anyone filled a tub with a water/vinegar solution, lowered their motor in it and attempted to flush? Would seem like a good thing to do now and then - even for us fresh water folks that do run into some "hard" water.
fishinchips	posted 09-14-2007 12:17 AM ET (US) Maybe from time to time I got to disconnect the tubing from the gauge side and spray some compressed air in there??? Ken
fishinchips	posted 12-10-2007 11:11 AM ET (US) Well, it happened again. PSI gauge did not work again. Did the same routine, disconnected the small black diameter hose on the back of the gauge. Disconnected the small black diameter hose from the engine block. Used compressed air to blow it out. Water came out. Then I used a mirror to look at the hole on the engine side. Saw the hole was clogged with salt. This time, the salt was SOFT and did not get hard. I used a metal coat hanger and pushed it through. Put everything back and it works again. Ummm, how can I stop this problem ? I been flushing the motor for 20 mintues with the ear muffs on AFTER running in salt. Also flushed out the motor with the hose directly attached to the peehole for an additional 15 minutes. Do I need to run the water on ear muff FIRST ? Then take it out in salt water ? I normally store the boat with the motor in the vertical position. Ken