No water = no impeller

[rb437]

The final step in fixing my power steering was to bleed the air out of the system by running the engine and steering back and forth. During this process the earmuffs moved and I lost the water to the the lower unit. The result .......
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/rb437/DSC00056.jpg

After replacing the water pump, I needed another hand to re-installing the lower unit. Using this strap allowed me get everything lined up and then lift the lower unit without having to support the weight while raising it and bolting it up. Made this an easy one man job.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/rb437/DSC00057.jpg

And then finally I used the left over non-skid tape from my recent fish finder replacement on the trailer frame because I sometimes need to walk out to connect the winch cable.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/rb437/DSC00058.jpg

[Airslot]

To avoid future overheating issues, find the pieces to the old impeller. Otherwise, they will wind up somewhere bad ???

[spareparts]

take the water pick ups off, they usually fall down there, but they may have allready been pushed up stream, 3.7 L? pull the end cap off the resevoir

[rb437]

Yes to the 3.7l. Resivoir? You mean heat exchanger on left side of engine below manifold? Found alot of pieces in the water pump housing. Anywhere else they might be?

[frayed_knot]

Yes to the 3.7l. Anywhere else they might be?
Have you got a power steering cooler? That stuff usually ends up in there too.

[spareparts]

yeah, check the cooler, some of them have multiple small tubes, they will trap the pieces, and i should have said heat exchanger, just talke teh front end cap off, you will probably need a new gasket, sometimes you can get lucky and put it back on in the same place and it won't leak

[msbhammer]

Good thinking on using the strap. ;)

[C YENSEN]

you got any more pics of her apart, I need to change my impellar too, and would like some more guidance

thanks ;D

[rb437]

Yes on the power steering cooler too. I'll check that too. Fortunately they should both be easy to get to.

[rb437]

C YENSEN, Sorry no more pics of her apart. I could scan some pages from my Clymer Mercruiser manual and email them to you in PDF format. Would that help?

Spare, Good call on the water pick up and the heat exchanger. I checked the water inlet and found this:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/rb437/DSC00060.jpg

I checked the manual and looked at the boat and found the raw water flow goes from the outdrive to the voltage regulator, to the heat exchanger, then to the power steering cooler. I disconnected the incoming hose at the outdrive and the hose at the inlet of the heater exchanger and back flushed the voltage regulator, nothing but water and plenty of it. Next I removed the front cover on the heat exchanger and found this:
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/rb437/DSC00062.jpg

I checked the power steering cooler and found a straight shot through. I think anything that made it beyond the heat exchanger would have been small enough to keep on going. Thanks to all for the help :)