[poyntoncat]

and no, i am not talking about very tight swimming trunks form the 1970's..
So i am in my first week as a boat owner, and my wife tells me that she already feels widowed.
Todays challenge - my speedo does not work..
I am slightly "technable" which means i can turn my hand to most things, and i understand the pitot principle by which the speedo works, and i have read the threads (very good i might add..) regarding cleaning the tube and the passage through the lower outdrive unit - which i seem to be able to pass a small wire through, BUT, i don't have access to an air compressor to test the tube.
can i disconnect and test the speedo by simply blowing in it? should the needle move? and why does it have wires attached if it is just a simple pitot.
heeeeeelllllllpppppppppp!

[jarwiebe]

The wires are for the light inside the speedo for night time boating. I pulled the tube off the back of the speedo and was able to blow through it just with my mouth, of course it didn't seem like it was doing anything but my daughter watched the pitot port on the stern dive and said water was coming out of it and after the water quite she could feel air coming out of it. Now if it had been restricted I suppose my approach wouldn't have worked.

[poyntoncat]

Hey great advice Jake, coming at the challenge from the opposite direction!
I disconnected at the speedo, blew towards the back - no joy. I tried to blow through the entrance hole on the base of the stern drive - no joy. I disconnected the pipe at the top of the lower unit, and blew from the speedo end - we have air! so i went at cleaning the hole out with a little more vigor, and (hopefully...) hey presto - once all connected back up, i can blow all the way through, so we will see what happens back on the lake tomorrow....
thanks again.