2008-2009 Suzuki DF 9.9

[Garyak]

Wondering if anyone might be using or have experience with one of these 9.9 4 strokes? I'd like to give you a mini quiz. Respond here or shoot me a pm....thanks.

 

[Avid outdoorsmen]

I use the 9.9 Suzuki on my offshore boat as a kicker. Doesn't get many hours but maybe I can help?

 

[Garyak]

I use the 9.9 Suzuki on my offshore boat as a kicker. Doesn't get many hours but maybe I can help?

Although it isn't obstructed, I get no water through the telltale when running in a barrel, so I'm concerned about overheating the powerhead. Lower unit oil is good..prop shaft rotates freely with no slop. 170 compression on both cylinders. Supposed to be fewer than 50 hrs on it as a kicker/get home motor on a jet boat in the salt. I did a internet search and found several similar mentions but no solutions offered and original posters never posted back their findings. Have you experienced anything like this?

 

[akdeweyj]

Although it isn't obstructed, I get no water through the telltale when running in a barrel, so I'm concerned about overheating the powerhead. Lower unit oil is good..prop shaft rotates freely with no slop. 170 compression on both cylinders. Supposed to be fewer than 50 hrs on it as a kicker/get home motor on a jet boat in the salt. I did a internet search and found several similar mentions but no solutions offered and original posters never posted back their findings. Have you experienced anything like this?

Dumb question, but did you try to clean out the telltale tube & fitting @ the motor?

 

[Garyak]

Not a dumb question, at all. I removed and inspected the tube. It was clear. I then re installed it and was able to freely blow air through the actual tell tale orifice which is much smaller than the inside diameter of the hose and feel it exit through the water intake on the underside of the anti cavitation plate. I was thinking that maybe the lower unit might have been worked on and re assembled in error, but I see no wrench tracks or scuffed paint, etc. I don't think it has ever been taken apart....odd.

 

[Sobie2]

My family has had two of these motors (different boats, both still working). A few years ago I came across the same thing. I often thought that they were clogged and I took to inserting a herring needle or a fish hook to open them. Finally I took a drill bit and opened up the opening and I haven't had had one close up on me again.

They are also subject to fuel in the carb and not starting, so I often drain the carb, and run marine stabil in my fuel to keep them running and starting easily.

Sobie2

 

[Garyak]

That's interesting. I didn't mention that I took a pipe cleaner and gently probed inside. It came back moist, but there was no grunge or gunk on it. It was so easy to blow air through the system that I doubt it is blocked. This particular unit is remote control with power tilt...kind of a pita to have to remove the lower cowling to fiddle with any of it. I have a '99 Johnson 9.9 remote, manual tilt made by Suzuki that has the spin on oil filter and seems to be set up in a much more user friendly fashion. Some of this "reduce weight and lower profile" stuff seems like a step backwards, to me.

 

[Cresent Hills]

Does that motor have a thermostat that is holding water back until it gets warm? I have a lil mercy that does that.

 

[Garyak]

Does that motor have a thermostat that is holding water back until it gets warm? I have a lil mercy that does that.

I don't know. I've never had an outboard that didn't start expelling water from the tell tale within a few seconds. I downloaded a manual on the net that doesn't address any of my concerns. I rigged up a different container so the pick up was about 8 inches underwater...let it run for about 4 minutes before I shut it down. No change. I'm going to call the guys in Spenard that sell Suzuki tomorrow and see if I can get it checked out.

 

[Frostbitten]

Kind of an obvious question, but did you check the water pump?

 

[Garyak]

Honestly, that was the 1st thing I considered but I'm not all that sharp of a mechanic...so, no, I didn't open it up. For such a low time unit, I felt it would be doubtful it was the water pump. Doesn't mean that someone didn't run it out of the water and fry the pump, though. That could be it.

 

[Frostbitten]

Honestly, that was the 1st thing I considered but I'm not all that sharp of a mechanic...so, no, I didn't open it up. For such a low time unit, I felt it would be doubtful it was the water pump. Doesn't mean that someone didn't run it out of the water and fry the pump, though. That could be it.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Easy fix.

 

[Sobie2]

I am telling you that the little plastic exit tube (tell tale opening) on the lower cowl for some odd reason has a tendency to close up, and the solution is to drill it out a little bit. Your impeller is fine and pumps water.

Sobie2

 

[Garyak]

I appreciate your conviction, but when I ran it yesterday, I removed the tell tale hose at the block for about 2 of the 4 minutes and still got zip water.

 

[Tolman24]

I had the exact same issue by the sound of it. I got zip out of the tell tale. I took it all apart and replaced the water pump even though it was in good shape. Took the tubes apart that i could get to and ran a wire through. I used compressed air as well. Thought I had it cleaned up good and put it together and into the bucket. As it started I got some water out of the tell tale and then nothing, zippo, nada. After banging my head against my boat a few times I thought it through. pump is good. No over heating. tubes are cleaned out so water has to be getting where it needs to go. It must be the tell tale itself. While the motor was running I shot compressed air through the tell tale opening. I could hear it bubbling in the barrel. After I stopped I got about half a stream out. I did it a couple of more times and then had a really powerful stream. I think I had some glacier sand or see weed bits that had worked its way to the tell tale and then dried between uses. I think it had gotten wet so when I hit it with air it went back the way it came and opened up. I will try the compressed air before I try anything else next time because it is quick, easy and cheap. I have an attachment for my hose that has a rubber end that works great for this. I bet you could use one of the compressed air cans that are used for cleaning electronics and do an on site fix as well. I hope this helps.

 

[Frostbitten]

The tell tale is just a plastic fitting. Remove the hose from the fitting, start it up and if it spits water out of the hose, then ream out the fitting and call it fixed.

Seeing that its a used motor, and there's an indication that the water pump might be faulty, I'd replace it regardless.

 

[AKExplore]

it as a kicker/get home motor on a jet boat in the salt

Garyak,

When sea water evaporates it leaves salt deposits. You kicker was run in the salt. If it was not flushed with fresh water after running in salt water, then you have salt deposits in the cooling chambers in the motor. These can then travel through the cooling system when water is run through the engine and potential clog small openings such as the water pump indicator hose, end nipple, etc. The Yamaha's that I have run will normally have this problem in either the hose or the nipple at the end of the hose. I have had salt crystals come out of the water pump indicator after I have cleaned out the nipple end with a small plastic tie wrap.

Is there a high temperature alarm on the kicker? If so and the alarm has not sounded when you have run the motor, then you have an obstruction somewhere in the water pump indicator route in the engine.

Doug

 

[Garyak]

So, here's the latest. Talked to the service mgr. @ Marita's. He said these units don't flush well in a tank for a couple reasons: 1. The exhaust aerates the water immediately adjacent to the intake enough that water pump is basically in a state of cavitation, and thusly doesn't get a grip on the bubbly water. 2. He said there were also a couple more intakes further up inside the cowling that usually don't get submerged when being run in a tank...rendering them as additional air suckers. I do not see these extra "ports" depicted on my crummy downloaded manual...but that's what the man said. I bought the screw in flushing adapter that fits just above and in front of the anticavitation plate and right on top of the water intake. A forum member on another site emailed me that in order for this screw in flusher to work that I'd have to duct tape the water intake closed so the water would be forced up the tube. He was correct...when not taped, all the water just dumps out the intake. So, with flusher and tape in place, I turned on the water and it starts flowing out of the telltale port in the side of the block. I start the engine and after a few minutes the thermostat opens and the water coming out of the tell tale port warms up indicating that I'm getting circulation through the water jacket. I ran it for about 12 minutes with no temperature change in the warm water. That suggests consistent circulation to me. Then I get an email from another guy that said there is a seal/gasket or some such thing at the base of the water tube and that if it is damaged or missing that none of it will work the way it should. Makes sense to me. All I have really proved at this point is that I can force circulation through the block if I tape the intake shut. As suggested before since the unit is new to me it would be a good move to replace the water pump and while at it I'll check out this water tube business as well.

 

[Garyak]

Quote from AKExplore: "Is there a high temperature alarm on the kicker? If so and the alarm has not sounded when you have run the motor, then you have an obstruction somewhere in the water pump indicator route in the engine."

I really don't know if there is an overheat alarm. Since I was pretty sure I wasn't getting circulation I only ran it for a couple minutes at a time to avoid over heating so I doubt I'd have set it off even if one was present and functioning. When I turn the key on prior to starting, I get a tone until started. When checking the emergency lanyard I get the same tone when I yank it to kill the engine. I expect that is a safety device so you don't walk off with the key on and drain the battery.

 

[Frostbitten]

I ran that exact same motor for a few years, and I never had a problem running it in a tank (old kitchen trash can) and water spitting from the tell tale with no worries.

So it won't pump water when running in a tank, but you can force water through the block with the flushing port....sure sounds like a water pump problem to me.