Running boat out of water

How can I start my motor on my boat without destroying it when its not in the water? Ive heard people mention something called "fake_a-lake" but I can not find this thing anywhere. Is this something I can buy? What it is? Where can I get it?

do a search on ebay, you can buy them for about $10. Its not a good idea to run your motor out of the water because #1 the impeller that is pulling the water to your motor is rubber and will burn if no water keeps it lubed #2 the motor is not being cooled #3 if its in gear you can destroy your strut bearing and shaft seal, both of which use water to lubricate.

http://www.overtons.com/cgi-bin/overtons/order/large.cgi?32740

(Message edited by spoon on November 05, 2004)

http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FAK01&variation=&aitem=1&mitem =1
Buy from Ski Dim.

Thanks! Picking one up on ebay. Looks like a much needed tool.

some people have made their own fake a lake from a toilet plunger and some PVC parts from home depot.

I own the patent on that John.

It's called the Ersatz Water Closet.

Don't waaste your money...just disconnect the water inlet after the strainer and stick the end of your hose in and tighten the clamp back down. Turn the hose on and let it run until you see water coming through the exhaust and then start the boat. Total cost= zero dollars, unless you don't have a hose. Even with a fake a lake you don't want to rev the engine too high. Your household water pressure will likely be only enough to support idle speed. Anything more and you may suck the hose shut on itself and constrict the waterflow...and you know what happens with no water flow!!!
Eric

Eric,

Be carefull running the water without the engine running. You can potentially fill a cylinder with water and hydrolock the engine if the valve is open and the manifolds get too much water in them. I always place a hose in a 5 gallon bucket and put it under the exhaust at the rear of the boat to "reclaim" the warm water. Then I attach the other end of the hose to the water intacke before the raw water strainer. Then put a garden hose in the bucket and start the water flow. This prevents the hose pressure from ever getting to the engine, and the raw water pump can do it's job. Also by reclaiming the used water I can warm the engine up faster and also rev higher than idle because the garden hose is just replenishing the water that does not make it into the bucket.

Robert is right, don't run the hose for more than 15-20 seconds, because it can backup through the exhaust system in to the cylinders. Major problem

Never had a problem...don't run it for hours at a time...just long enough to warm up the boat. By your logic, the same would happen with any flushing device. You're still loading water into the system.

AS long as water is fed into system before the raw water pump it all should be safe. How would the hose pressure get by the impeller at any pressure greater than the impeller would ingest it?

Bingo Fredrik! My hose feeds in after the strainer, but before the impellar and trans cooler. A little water does get through, but not enough to fill the engine. Bottom line is use your head. I'm not going to let the water run for the amount of time it takes me to winterize...too expensive.

Eric

I just pull the hose after the striner and stick my hose in. Sure it takes 20 secs to undo and 20 secs to secure but its cheap and does the job.

As for water getting in the bores its unlikey but it is possible as i have had the same problem on jetskis.