cleaning the speedometer hole in the outdrive

Y

Y Knot

New Member
Nov 11, 2007
120
Richmond VA
Boat Info
1995 290 Sundancer
10' inflatable
Engines
two 4.3 V6 TKS 2013 and a 2009 with alpha 1 Gen 2's
I have to pull the boat again...I tried cleaning it the last time by just sticking a drill bit in there spinning it around, it didn't work. Any ideas?
 
That always worked for me... Use a bit with the big hex shank so you can get a grip.
 
How far did you go in? It's a good inch or inch and a half, or so. You'll know when you "bottom out" against metal.

Next, follow the leading edge of the drive upwards to the "gap" by the cav plate anode. Look in there and you will see a quick disconnect - remove that. You have now disconnected the part of the pitot tube that goes into the boat and to the speedo from the lower part of the drive. If you blow into the upper tube by mouth, you should be able to get the speedo to move a bit. If you use a little compressed air and blow into the pitot opening, air should freely come out of the disconnect.
 
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Pull the tube off the back of the speedo and blow it out toward the drive.

No sense in jamming the schmuck in there any farther.
 
Y Knot: You're working on the correct drive, right? :smt001

When you put the bit in and out, in and out, in and out, did anything show up on the threads?
 
I am having a similar problem and after reading Dennis's reply I looked through the engine compartment for where the pitot tube entered (I cannot get to the drives, the boat is in the water) thinking I could find a splice where I could blow out the line from. I couldn't find it so I pulled out the speedo to pull the tube off and blow from that end ... there is no pitot tube attached to the speedo, it is just the wiring!! I'm used to the type where the pitot tube goes right to the speedo - there must be something in between that converts the pressure in the tube to an electronic signal. Does anyone know how this works? I'm curious what happens to the pitot tube after it enters the engine compartment. On our last outing this week the speedo started working again and was accurate with the GPS ... so something is a bit flakey. I'd like to trace it through and check for loose connections along the way. Thks.
 
Tomco said:
I am having a similar problem and after reading Dennis's reply I looked through the engine compartment for where the pitot tube entered (I cannot get to the drives, the boat is in the water) thinking I could find a splice where I could blow out the line from. I couldn't find it so I pulled out the speedo to pull the tube off and blow from that end ... there is no pitot tube attached to the speedo, it is just the wiring!! I'm used to the type where the pitot tube goes right to the speedo - there must be something in between that converts the pressure in the tube to an electronic signal. Does anyone know how this works? I'm curious what happens to the pitot tube after it enters the engine compartment. On our last outing this week the speedo started working again and was accurate with the GPS ... so something is a bit flakey. I'd like to trace it through and check for loose connections along the way. Thks.
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Do you have Smartcraft gauges? With a 2003, you may. If so there is a pitot sensor on top of one of the engines. The black tube runs to that sensor, where it becomes the signal you deduced. You can disconnect the tube at that sensor and try to blow it out.

I had the same problem and never could get mine to work. I reprogrammed my Smartcraft speedometer to display speed over ground coming from my chartplotter, rather than having it display speed through the water from the pitot sensor. I first had to wire the NMEA0183 output of my Raymarine SL70 chartplotter to the NMEA0183 input on the Smartcraft speedometer.
 
I can't imagine being able to blow through the tubing and clear an outdrive pitot. When mine got plugged, it was always because I hit limbs/logs in the water and it would pack in there pretty hard. Always drilled it out.
 
Yes, its the right drive that is connected. From what ive read here im guessing i didnt go in far enough. Now that i know ill hit metal and not break anything ill try that. If that doesnt do it ill look for the tube. Anyone know what size bit?
 
ZZ13 said:
Do you have Smartcraft gauges? With a 2003, you may. If so there is a pitot sensor on top of one of the engines. The black tube runs to that sensor, where it becomes the signal you deduced. You can disconnect the tube at that sensor and try to blow it out.

I had the same problem and never could get mine to work. I reprogrammed my Smartcraft speedometer to display speed over ground coming from my chartplotter, rather than having it display speed through the water from the pitot sensor. I first had to wire the NMEA0183 output of my Raymarine SL70 chartplotter to the NMEA0183 input on the Smartcraft speedometer.
Click to expand...
Yes I do have Smartcraft - is it a Smartcraft speedometer? I'm assuming so since it is electronic. Thanks for the guidance on the tranducer location - I'll take another look and see if I can find it. Do they normally put it on the Port engine? We were out on the weekend and the speedometer started working again - but there must be a flaky connection somewhere.
 
Tomco said:
Yes I do have Smartcraft - is it a Smartcraft speedometer? I'm assuming so since it is electronic. Thanks for the guidance on the tranducer location - I'll take another look and see if I can find it. Do they normally put it on the Port engine? We were out on the weekend and the speedometer started working again - but there must be a flaky connection somewhere.
Click to expand...
On my boat the pitot sensor is on the rear top of the starboard engine right at the distributor cap. It has a label on the wiring that identifies it.
 
Thanks Bill, I'll look this weekend when I am at the boat.
 
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