Water impeller

Most engine producers suggest altering impellers every two years — sooner if run in sandy or silty water. “If your motor operates warm at idle or sluggish rate, after which it works cooler at higher rate, that’s a sign your impeller should be changed, ” claims Jeff Fay, owner of Fay’s Boat Yard on brand new Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. Kyle Cosselman, a technician at Fay’s, reveals us just how on a MerCruiser Alpha drive. While not identical to servicing other drives, these tips provide a beneficial picture of what the task involves.

1. Strain the gear lube. Various shavings in the magnetized plugs tend to be normal, but milkiness, which shows liquid when you look at the gear lube, isn’t. Get rid of the rear anode to access the aft-most bolt. Eliminate two more bolts just in front of the anode. Eliminate the nut through the front-most stud, then use the peanuts on continuing to be two men, plus mild persuasion with a pry bar, to split up the drive halves.

2. Remove the copper water tube as well as its white plastic guide, as well as the drive-shaft O-ring, doughnut-shaped “slinger, ” and impeller housing. Very carefully pry the impeller from housing. Don’t drop one of the keys. Check out the housing for temperature warping and wear from sand. In addition remove the pump-housing gaskets and metal use dish. In the event that you eliminate the reduced pump housing, change the O-ring beneath.

3. Cleanse all parts, after that install the newest gaskets, wear plate and the round, orange oil-passage seal. A dab of oil holds the important thing while setting up the impeller, and some fluid soap on the impeller lubricates it whenever starting the motor. Rotate the splined shift shaft clockwise into forward equipment.

4. Reinstall the impeller housing, drive-shaft slinger seal and drive-shaft O-ring. Insert the copper water-passage pipe in to the upper drive one half and its own white guide pipe into the impeller housing.

“You’re doing plenty simultaneously to obtain the two halves straight back collectively, ” Cosselman warns. “Look through exhaust hole to start to see the water-tube starting the white guide sleeve. Twist the drive shaft to align the splines because goes into top of the equipment set. And from the following, make sure the splined [lower] shift shaft aligns because of the [upper] move fork, which will be pointed toward the bow.”

5. Separate the top of and reduced drive halves a bit to obtain the two forward peanuts onto their men. Reinstall the rest of the front nut and three rear bolts. Reinstall the strain and vent plugs. While pressure-testing, rotate the drive shaft to test seals: It should hold 15 psi for 20 moments. In that case, fill with fresh equipment lube from the base and install fresh anodes.

Quick Idea: The rear-most bolt concealed by the anode frequently corrodes, so an Allen secret won't turn it. In that case, either drill it out or slide a hacksaw blade involving the top and reduced halves of drive to cut it.