MacGregorSailors.com

Hello,
I have the Suzuki Outboard DF50 circa 2007 motor and am confused.
1. Which one of the two is the Pilot-water hole - the top one in the Photo or the bottom one in the Photo?
The top one is actually a plastic plug (?) while the bottom one looks like a spray nozzle.
If it is the bottom one, then all the diagrams showing this in the Suzuki Manual are wrong!
2. I have no water coming out of the pilot hole (lower nozzle) and suspect the water pump is busted - I can feel puffs of exhaust come out of the lower hole but no water.
3. Can the water-pump on the DF50 be replaced using a dinghy with the boat in water? It seems like a trivial job when done on land (youtube videos) and I understand the risks of opening the engine and being clumsy on this job!! However, can it be done while the boat is in the slip in the Marina? Costly logistics make me hope to find someone who can do this using a dinghy!
4. Is there a Suzuki Outboard Service person around the Haverstraw Marina (Hudson River) that I can be pointed to?

Thank you!
Regards

The bottom one in the photo drains the cowl so water doesn't pool around the engine should it get in there somehow. The upper one is the water 'pee hole' which should spray water when the motor is running. If it's not, pop the cap off and wash it out or blow it out (when you pop the cap off and the motor is running water should come out-- if not, the impeller needs replaced. You COULD do the repair as you suggest but it would be better to put it on the trailer and do it in the parking lot in case you drop anything!

~Phillip

You can take the boat to shallow water to remove / install the lower unit, and do the impellor job on the workbench ashore.

The "pee" hole often gets clogged. I got some sand sucked up and it plugged the thing. A small piece of wire might clear it. Or you could pull the plug as described above. I'm not that courageous.

Technically you could do the work from a dingy. Frankly, that scares me as I would likely drop the entire lower unit down deep. If you can pull the boat, it would be MUCH easier from the trailer.

Try clearing the pee hole first. Either a wire or as described above. It may just be clogged and no big worries. A 2007 motor is't that old and unless it's got a lot of hours or abuse, I doubt the impeller is ruined.

Keel_Hauled wrote:The bottom one in the photo drains the cowl so water doesn't pool around the engine should it get in there somehow. The upper one is the water 'pee hole' which should spray water when the motor is running. If it's not, pop the cap off and wash it out or blow it out (when you pop the cap off and the motor is running water should come out-- if not, the impeller needs replaced. You COULD do the repair as you suggest but it would be better to put it on the trailer and do it in the parking lot in case you drop anything!

~Phillip

Thank you very much - I was mistaking the lower hole as the pilot hole! I will now pop out the plastic and investigate!
I have opted to get the boat moved and put on the trailer, though alternatively, I'd have used a harness and taken the risk from a dinghy. If nothing else, I'd have employed some divers! Ha Ha!!

If you're planning to do the work yourself . . . I went through it when my Suzuki (DF-60) was about 5 years old, and you might face similar problems. You'll want to read the following thread, partially quoted below:
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 37&start=0

EXCERPTED:
Well it's still the holiday weekend, so the machine shops are closed, and here's my tale of woe. I quite successfully managed to crack open the gear case today, without any manual. Just take it nice & easy, tap w/ a 2x4 after removing the six obvious bolts. Hmmm, obviously still quite attached. Figured that I should remove the anode and sure enuf, a seventh bolt! After removing that one the lower gear case separated nicely.

So, there's the water pump ... so far so good! Just four bolts, replace impeller & gasket, smear a thin coating of silicone, & back under way. But NOOOOO! The first of those four bolts shears nicely into the socket.

@ Frank C:-
Thank you for the excerpted message, though I caution that the message is misleading for work on the DF50 as the removeal of the 6 bolts alone, along with the disconnection of the drive-shaft, will remove the casing. The Anode/Tirm-tab is simply bolted onto the lower casing on the DF50 and does not bolt on to the upper casing. In my case, I got my water pump done by the Suzuki Dealer and was with them the whole time it was done. Since I had too purchased the Trim-tab/Anode, after all work was done, I got them to renew the Trim-tab anode and this was done after the pump was replaced.

EXCERPTED:
Well it's still the holiday weekend, so the machine shops are closed, and here's my tale of woe. I quite successfully managed to crack open the gear case today, without any manual. Just take it nice & easy, tap w/ a 2x4 after removing the six obvious bolts. Hmmm, obviously still quite attached. Figured that I should remove the anode and sure enuf, a seventh bolt! After removing that one the lower gear case separated nicely.

So, there's the water pump ... so far so good! Just four bolts, replace impeller & gasket, smear a thin coating of silicone, & back under way. But NOOOOO! The first of those four bolts shears nicely into the socket.

[/quote]

For other Forum Readers looking for Water Pump Replacement:-

Correct procedure for replacing the water pump on a 2007 Suzuki DF50:
Bring boat out of water - too risky with a dinghy even when motor tilted all the way up.
View the spindle rod at the Forward of the Engine, just in front of the water-inlet grills.
Shift the Remote Control to Forward or Neutral or Reverse and position the spindle to work upon.
Check the locking female screw-spindle - this screws on to the rod for the Gear-Shift.
Ensure Engine Remote Control in Neutral.
Ease off the Lock-Nut below the female spindle by 4-5 turns.
Turn the female spindle 4-5 turns so as to disconnect the Gear-Shift.
Now work on the 6 bolts all around the casing, so as to remove the pump/propellor section.
Gently glide out the shaft along with the pump casing ------ Check: IF you think you can do this in the dinghy, you might save yourself dry-docking dollars, but ensure you have enough rope-lashing and other catch-surfaces for things falling out -- please note - nothing is expected to fall out, it is only a safe practice that I am advising here.
Bring the casing to the workshop vice and remove 4 screws that house the impellor.
Remove the impellor debris and clean up.
The Suzuki part from Browns that was used is listed as 17400-88L00 and is currently located here:- http://store.brownspoint.com/detail.asp ... 7400-88L00
Save the original Engine Casing from your Engine, this will be used.
Discard the "O" ring gasket and the Engine casing from the Kit you receive. This is not used.
Discard the Engine Casing that came with the kit. This is not used.
Use the flat machined gasket and the impellor wheel from your kit.
Remove 4 screws from the pump body.
Key out the key between the impellor and the shaft
Clean up the surfaces well and install the impellor with adequate Marine Grease.
Insert Key
Place gasket - use grease for water tightnes
Replace 4 screws on pump body - cross-tighten them.
To renew an old Anode, turn around the body of the pump.
Remove bolt on Anode.
Replace Anode/Trim-tab.
Bring housing from workshop to boat.
Position the drive-shaft inside the main body.
Half-tighten the 6 bolts.
Connect the gear-shift rod with the female spindle.
Work back the lock-nut to make it hand-tight, and some more, with the spindle.
Tighten the 6 bolts; cross-thghten the bolts.
Inspect the Gear-Shaft for movement when the Remote is Operated from the Conning Position.
Inspect the Drive Shaft that it is locking in the opposit direction and running in the right direction when you put in Forward and Reverse, and free-running in Neutral
All should be fine at this point.
Now, if you could do this while the boat's in the water, you saved yourself a good deal of money!
Use "Rabbit-Ears" for testing the Engine under Run condition.
Place Masking Tape on water-outlet as explained in Manual (horizontal plane, looking up, just above the propellor shaft.
Flood the casing with water and start engine.
All should work fine.
Remove Masking Tape
Remove Rabbit-Ears
Boat is now ready to be launched.

Happy Boating!!