Water Pressure Gauge: Fresh install no pressure?

[J10B]

I just bought and installed my water pressure gauge.  I put the hose on the foot and cranked it up.  No PSI at at.  I reved to 1700...not even a bounce.  Is it normal to not have enogh pressure to warrant a PSI reading at idle?  I dont want to rev too much on account its NOT in the water?
I checked for kinks and havent seen anything major... but Ill check again tomorrow.  Its installed on the back top of the motor Ted into the water hose that pises out the the hole.  I have the teflex gauge from BPS.

[J10B]

anyone? Please let me know your starting PSI.

[BassBUFF]

Mine barely registers at idle in the water but shows pressure by 1700 RPMs. The few times I've had it on the muffs, I didn't look at the pressure gauge. I would think you'd get some reading on the muffs. Sorry, I wasn't much help.

[nlareau]

I get 2-3 PSI at idle.  Rev the motor at all and you should see some pressure change.

What motor?  Has it been cold enough to freeze?  If you freeze a gauge with water in it you just bought yourself a new one...

[nlareau]

If you just pull the water hose going to it and run the motor, do you have water coming out of the hose?

[J10B]

i just installed everything.  Its about 50ish here and there was water pising from the waterpump hole... thats where I connected the water press. gauge too.

[nlareau]

What motor?

[AB]

Yep we really need to know which motor to tell ya.....but tee'd into the pisser hose generally isn't the best location unless it is one of them old johnnyrudes....

[J10B]

99 Force 120.... Where else would you put it?

[AB]

On a Force that may be your best bet.....Hammer puts them on top of the port cylinder head, Merc has a fitting either in a head or in the block, and Johnrude, well they just plain do things backwards.  Try disconnecting the line from the back of the guage, fire the motor up and see if water spits out of the line.  Let it go until a nice stream of water comes out, the line just may be airbound.  Plug it back in, then see if you have a reading.  Many motors will have low pressure at idle, depending on your guage (0-30psi or 0-60psi) it may not even register until above 2000....My hammer runs about 3psi at idle in the water and 5psi at idle on the hose once the poppit opens up.  If you live in an area that may freeze, remember to disconnect the line from the guage if you are supposed to get a freeze.  It will allow the water to drain from the guage and prevent it from being damaged by ice formation.

[nlareau]

I am told the PC term for that is "tell-tale".  Somehow talking about motors pee-ing has never appealled to me.

Now on to fluid mechanics:  If the hose going to the gauge is smaller diameter than the tell-tale hose (I'll wager it is) then you have more 'resistance' to moving water in it.

If the place where you put the "T" in is reasonably close to the end of the tell-tale hose, then the water is at very low pressure there when it exits the hose.  So the water will mostly want to run out the open tell-tale hose not along the 15' long higher resistance hose to the gauge.  I know you have some water coming out the hose, but I don't think it is enough to measure.

You need to get the "T" way earlier in the plumbing, closer to where the water pump is generating the pressure.  As AB said, that is usually near the first entry into the head.

[J10B]

where would I look to find that ?  Also I hooked everything up then added water.  Do you think that would have anything to do with it?
I tend to agreed with Nalreau... it is a much smaller hose and about 15' long....DRAT

[rebecca14]

In my own view, good plumbing and routing design within the house can make a huge difference to the supply flow. This is the probably the first problem source that you want to rule out.

[Plugger]

Bet your motor has a thermostat and that could possibly cause no pressure until it opens up if you connected to the pee hose.  Just a comment, I'm no mechanic.

Plugger