If I can hear it, is it working...?

[Stoo]

I (still) have a 96 Yamaha 150. Today, my low oil alarm started wailing away. I had a look under the cowling and the oil resevoir was just at the lower limit line. I manually added some oil to this resevoir when the little manual pump switch had no effect. The engine ran fine after this and I was able to get in...

Back on shore, I had a look at the main oil tank, and with the ignition turned on, I can hear the pump whirling away, but the level in the resevoir wasn't increasing. I discombobulated the oil line feeding the resevoir, and not surprisingly, there was nothing coming through the line when the ignition was switched on, and I could hear the pump running.

The main oil tank is a begger to get at, as it's buried in a well. I presume that this is a submersible pump and I figure either the pump itself is nackered, or the line is plugged with something...

Can any of you offer any advise on this? My local mechanic (who is not a Yammie guy) can have a look in the AM, but if it is the pump itself, I'll be beached for at least three days... and of course I am on vacation this week...

On the other hand, if you folks think that the pump is likely OK (considering the fact I can hear it running...) I might twist myself under there tonight to see if I can see if the line if bunged up...

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[pathalla]

back in the day (not all that long ago) i had a similar problem with the buck fifty I had on my nautical cat, it however was an electrical issue in that instance. I ran it a whole season without the main tank, I could go quite aways before I had to stop and pull the hood off and refill. It was inconvenient, but I thought the pump was shot and at that time I didn't want to spend any money on it as I was looking for another boat. It turned out to be a loose wire, I'd get in the bilge and look around, hose linked maybe?

[Chris]

Why not fit a primer bulb temporarily and see if you can use it to drag some oil through.

If it can't then you probably have a blockage.
If it can then chances are the pump is knackered.

[Stoo]

Thanks guys... mostly I just don't want to be without a boat this week, so I'll try to jury-rig something... I am wondering if it might even just be the oil filter... If I had any idea where it was, I'd start there!

[Stoo]

I spent much of the day today removing my Aframe and having a go at removing the bit of decking covering the engine well where the oil tank is and gave up in frustration. I am just going to make a bigger mess, so I am going back to plan B which is to look at getting an access hatch that allows me room to fiddle back there.

In the process of getting some advice from my local Hurricane dealer, he mentioned that he will probably have a 2008 Yamaha 4 stroke available in a day or two that was on a demo boat, and only has 8 hours on it. His price is about $2500 less than the best price I got on an Etec in the spring, so I have told him I will take it, assuming his deal to sell the demo boat without the engine goes through.

I was planning to plunk an Etec on the back this year, but now considering the issues around a remote oil tank, I am thinking the 4 stroke is likely a better option. I might just flush the oil tank out and convert it to a rum dispenser...

In the mean-time, I am filling the under-cowl resevoir and getting about 20 miles between top ups!