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I have noticed that the tell tale stream on my Merc 9.9 (early 1980s) does not flow at low idle- even under load. As the RPMs increase it goes from nothing , to sputtering, to flowing strong. By low idle, I mean the mid-range area on the throttle below the START indicator (shift zone) on down.
Should I be concerned? The impeller was replaced 2 seasons ago.
You might have a restriction someplace.
A water pump impeller should not go bad in a couple of years unless you picked up something that wore it out.
I would first check to see that the hose coming out of the fitting in the engine block is clear.
That should be easy to take off.
Run the engine on muffs or in the water with that little hose off. See if water comes out the fitting properly. Could also be a small rock in the fitting. Take the fitting off if necessary.
If everything seems clear, then maybe have the impeller checked and/or replaced.
Maybe the entire water pump housing has worn out too....
I keep a piece, around 18" or so, of weed trimer line on both my Whalers. Every once in awhile the hose will get some sort of blockage, dirt dobbers are common around here, so I just poke the line into the tube while the engine is running to clear things up.
At any rate, the above is a quick and easy way to start.
