Overheating help needed

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by smokeonthewater

Spare's post is telling you be agrees with phat's post...

I do too... Replace the impeller and housing before we go any further.

IF you still have a problem then we'll dig in.

Thanks Smoke. That's what I thought he meant, but wasn't sure. A new genuine Mercury impeller kit (Impeller, key, o-ring and seals) is $17 off eBay (I bought 2) and they are expected to arrive on Friday. A new housing kit is $90 - $110 off eBay. There doesn't look to be anything wrong with the one in my engine. No cracks or leaks, no visible wear, seals all good. WHY are you guys saying replace the housing also?

And as to the rest of my post. Is it okay to blow compressed air backwards thru the telltale hose into the engine just to make sure everything's clear?. There's no t-stat or poppet valve in these engines, so really I don't think there's anything to impede the airflow (except a blockage if there is one). For that matter, is it okay to hook a garden hose up to the telltale hose and run low pressure water backwards thru the engine?