engines sucked a lot of mud...

I went out yesterday for a boat ride in Clear Lake/Clear Creek (on galveston bay) with the the inlaws. The tide was down a couple of feet, so keeping to the channels was recommended. One time I missed a channel and started churning mud. I tilted the engines up some and made my way back to the main channel. A couple of minutes later, one engine alarm sounded and I shut that one off, then looked to see if water was coming out of the telltale hose on the other engine. About that time (no water) that one alarmed and I pointed her to shore. I got a quick tow to a ramp (luckily just a couple hundred yards away) and had a friend bring the truck the 'rescue us'.

While on the trailer, (the engines had cooled; no alarms) I could run both engines up to about 2500rpm and this black sludge looking gunk would come out of the telltale hose, then nothing. I went through that routine a few times until water was coming out somewhat regularly. I took her home an ran the engines (at idle) with the muffs for about half an hour (each) and all -seems- to be OK.

Does anyone have a suggestion on what to do next, if anything? Should all the mud and silt be out by now?

Could I have damaged my new impellers?

The engines are Johnson V4 140's made in 1989 if that matters.

Thanks for the help!

Havis

[macojoe]

what to do next??? Stay out of the MUD!!

should be ok? I would go slow at first just to make sure. and stay close.

I would remove the hose off small pee hole gromets, so to get a good flow of water and they clean out fast.

should be fine

[phatdaddy]

I like to wade fish the flats and tend to bump bottom a lot getting to them. I installed a temp gauge and a water pressure gauge. I,ve noticed that after I stir the bottom I can loose as much as 3 or 4 psi @ 4000rpm. A local tech told me that anything over 10 psi @ 4000rpm is acceptable(Mariner 150,carb.). I put a new pump kit in every year or when the psi drops, which ever comes first. Macojoe's right all you can do is go run it, but don't just look at the pee stream, mine looks the same at 6psi and 12 psi, this is why I put the gauge in.

[Blue_Runner]

Check your intake grates real good. Sometime oversized sand particles or small rocks will lodge in the grate squares. Take something small and pointy and make sure your grates are clean.

I doubt you damaged the impellers due to the fact that the lower unit was still under water providing lubrication.