Gacket material found?

[Jack the crownie]

I recently had a problem with overheating and assumed it was the water pump. I dropped the lower unit (SE 116) and found what looks like a rubber gasket (the parts of) about 2"x3"x1/8" thick. Most of the pieces were jammed up in the upper unit. This probably is the reason for the overheating but I am not sure where it came from. I checked the breakdowns of the upper and lower units but can't find anything that resembles the piece I found. Any ideas?

[Technical Support]

Sir,

It sounds like the blades came off of the pump and got lodged in the upper. Have you inspected the water pump yet? Usually it is from age or running it without water.

Thanks,

Tech Support