Stuck or obstructed Thermostat from salts to junk gunk and sand. If tell-tale is weak and lots of water is going out the exhaust then.
It should happen if in the water or on muffs.
Should water come out of exhaust on outboard. It should happen if in the water or on muffs. If your tell-tale was weak impeller worn and weak then you would have less water going through the by-pass to the exhaust. If tell-tale is weak and lots of water is going out the exhaust then.
All outboards have water injection in the exhaust manifold in the head they then expel the cooling water through the exhaust pipe otherwise the heat can damage the lower crank seal the water pump cover if plastic this exits under water the exhaust holes in the leg are because at idle there isnt enough exhaust pressure to shove the seawater down the leg allowing the exhaust. Water is injected into the exhaust above the relief ports so there should always be some spray coming out of them. Maybe you just didnt notice before.
Where did the water exit. 1 thru-prop exhaust - you should see water coming out with the exhaust through the prop 2 thru-prop exhaust with bad exhaust bellow - water comes out of the transom assembly where the drive hinges up when trimmed or tilted 3 thru-hull exhaust - water comes out with exhaust or through water dumps. Yes water should come out of the prop hub with the exhaust.
I would take it back to the shop that worked on it last they goofed something up or your water pump has gone bad. Water coming out of the exhaust port above the water telltale. It is not steam.
Tilt motor up and it disappears tilt motor all the way down and water sputters out. I did change the muffler filter during the service installed with a new rubber gasket wondered if I should have used a sealant of the gasket. The water pumps really well no issue there.
If you look at an automobile exhaust that has been idling for a while you will see water dripping out. When hydrocarbons burn they produce water as steam. At high revs the water disappears because the the hotter higher flowing exhaust prevents the steam condensing to water.
It does not mean that your engine is properly being cooled and water is circulating around and through the water jackets. Things that can cause an powerhead to over heat even though you have a good stream of water coming out of the exhaust relief hole or water indicator. Stuck or obstructed Thermostat from salts to junk gunk and sand.
That heat will produce condensation in your exhaust system so you will see water droplets coming out of your tailpipe. This has the potential to be dangerous but all you need to do is let the engine run for a few minutes before you start driving. Hi The water always comes out through the exhaust whether it be through the exhaust holes at the back of the motor or the prop.
The cooling comes out through the exhaust as an exit point and for cooling the exhaust. Should water come out of exhaust on outboard. Its normal for cooling water to also exit through the exhaust.
Its part of the cooling system in addition to the pee stream. When motor is sitting in the water the lower exhaust channels fill up some with water and that port gives some back pressure relief It is common for a little spray to come out of it while idling. But my C40 does not do it and I have been running this motor for years.