Reply To: Johnson 18hp FD14 1960

[Don]

OK, my guess is that the repair man misaligned the impeller housing and water tube, then the tube got bent deformed when he attempted to reinstall the gearcase….So now, the water tube is actually too short because it is bent.
There is a relatively easy way to check my suspicions without wrestling the gearcase back on… With the engine tilted up, or perhaps upside down (be careful that debris or water does not fall down inside the exhaust housing and get into the powerhead), simply attempt to fit the aluminum impeller housing/grommet back into the exhaust housing and into the water tube. The impeller housing should be relatively “flush” with the bottom of the exhaust housing when the water tube is inserted through the rubber grommet. The water tube is definitely bent if the impeller housing must be pushed farther up into the exhaust housing in order to engage the grommet…
The copper water tube should pull out of the upper grommet relatively easily, post a picture so we can determine if it is bent….D