If you’ve got water squirting out the side of your Mercury Verado near the flush port, you’re not dealing with some deep internal problem. It’s almost always the flushing tee fitting, and it’s a fix you can knock out in a few minutes with basic hand tools. I walked through this exact repair on the channel, and I’m breaking it down here so you can handle it yourself instead of scheduling a dealer visit over a $20 part.
Why It Matters
That flushing tee is part of your cooling system’s freshwater flush setup, and on saltwater boats especially, any cracked or degraded fitting there is a problem that only gets worse. A weak connection at that tee means water finding a path out instead of circulating where it needs to. Catch it early, swap the fitting, and you’re back on the water without it turning into a bigger cooling system headache down the line.
Products
- Mercury Verado flushing tee fitting – the replacement part that stops the leak
- Oetiker clamps (x2) – secure the two hoses on top of the fitting
- Push clamp – secures the bottom hose connection
- Crimping pliers – used to crimp the new Oetiker clamps into place
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Remove the Old Clamps
Grab a pair of pliers and pinch the top of the Oetiker clamp. Twist it and it’ll pop right off. Do this for both clamps on the top hoses.
2. Remove the Bottom Push Clamp
Pull the push clamp off the bottom of the old flushing tee.
3. Pull the Hoses Off
With the clamps out of the way, pull the two hoses off the top of the old flushing tee.
4. Transfer the Bottom Clamp Carefully
This is the step you can’t skip: leave the old tee attached to the bottom hose while you carefully work it off, then transfer that same clamp onto the new fitting. If that old tee falls down behind the charge air cooler, you’ve turned a 10-minute job into a much bigger one.
5. Install the New Flushing Tee
Set the new tee in place and reconnect both top hoses.
6. Install New Clamps
Put new Oetiker clamps on both top hoses and the transferred clamp on the bottom.
7. Crimp Everything Down
Use your crimping pliers to crimp all the clamps down snug.
That’s it. Leak’s fixed, and you’re ready to get back out on the water.
Pro Tips
- Don’t let that old tee drop. The charge air cooler is right behind it, and fishing a dropped fitting out from back there is way more work than the actual repair.
- Pinch and twist, don’t yank. Oetiker clamps come off clean when you pinch the top and twist — trying to force them off any other way just mangles them.
- Always crimp, never guess. A clamp that looks “close enough” without crimping is exactly how you end up back here in six months.
Final Verdict
This is a straightforward DIY fix. You need pliers and a crimper, no special tools, and the whole job takes minutes once you know the trick with the bottom clamp. If your Verado is squirting water out that flush port, there’s no reason to pay dealer labor rates for this one — just don’t lose that old tee behind the charge air cooler.
FAQ
Why is water leaking out of my Mercury Verado’s flush port?
It’s typically the flushing tee fitting itself — the clamps or the fitting degrade over time and let water escape instead of staying in the flush line.
What tools do I need to replace a Verado flushing tee?
A pair of pliers to remove the old Oetiker clamps and a set of crimpers to install the new ones. That’s it.
Can I damage my engine if I drop the old fitting during this repair?
Not damage exactly, but if the old tee falls behind the charge air cooler while you’re transferring the bottom clamp, retrieving it becomes a much bigger job than the original fix — that’s why you leave it attached to the hose until you’ve moved the clamp.
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