1986 Johnson 140 cooling system question

[THEFERMANATOR]

The exhaust chest has to fill before it will pee water, but I know of NO outboard that doesn't pee when the stats are closed. They may not pee much, but there should be some as the whole point of the pee hole is so you you know it's pumping water. It would be counter productive for them not to pee with the stats closed. When in cold water many times the stats will hardly open.

For your 86 140 the pee tube gets it's water supply from a 90 degree elbow that comes out of the exhaust chest, near the top, very rear of the engine, just below the plastic parts for the ignition and wiring cover, and just inside of the port side cylinder head. It's not uncommon for debris to get clogged up inside of the fittings and lines. That water hose from the fitting goes over to a tee on the lower starboard side of the engine. One side is the pee tube feed, one side goes out, and for the early loopers the other side of it goes up to the throttle controlled coolant bypass valve that dumps more water out the pee tube once the throttle is opened so as to allow the stats to fully open and cool the engine under power.