Drock78

iTrader: (2)

What's everyone's thoughts on sea strainers? Worth the money?

1 MAIDEN AMERICA

Depends where you boat. I've never had them until now and have never had a problem. I've never had to clean the strainers I have now either.
I boat in fresh and salt with lots of seaweed.
How many boats out there DON'T have them? Most.
They are extra insurance and if you air out a lot may help the impellers from running dry.
If you install some, mount them below the waterline with shut offs before the strainer.

Randy Nielsen

iTrader: (4)

I had a problem with one of my engines getting hot a few years ago, took the boat in for warranty & they replaced a sea pump & said it was fixed. It immediatly got hot under a load so I took it back. They could not find anything wrong so I reverse flushed the cooling system. Problem solved until I picked up some junk in the same engine again. I boat on the Missouri river & it is pretty dirty, I installed sea strainers two years ago & never had any problems since. Another advantage is that you can visually see the water flowing through the strainers. Randy

Drock78

iTrader: (2)

I'm kinda torn...I boat in lake Michigan 90% of the time and its quite clean. I am running a stainless sea pump housing and the "run dry" impeller..

POWERPLAY J

I won't own another boat without them...

Revd Up

When running in deeper water you rarely pick up anything. When running rivers or shallow water around docks and canals I have picked up plenty in my strainer. Before installing the strainer, if I picked up debris, the temp would climb and I would have to shut off and clean out the jam at the oil cooler. Now it just gets caught earlier and is easier to clean out. Just depends what type of water you run in, on how benificial they will be. I like the fact I am stopping most of the sand and debris before it gets in the water jackets.

Pwraddr

I look at it like this......for the amount of money for the strainers and installation I can replace the impellers many times before it financially makes sense.

POWERPLAY J

But it's a real ***** trying to change an impellor in the middle of the lake or during a pokerrun. With a strainer ya pop the lid clean out the basket and away ya go...

Rookie

iTrader: (4)

I also do 95% boating in Lake Mi and I'm a little torn on this also. I have not had sea strainers for the last 6 years and have been thinking about adding them. But I was thinking of adding them after the sea pump to catch the impeller debris so it stops clogging my tranny coolers.

Also, my friend Chicken lost both engines up a Hot Boat a few years ago, clogging his coolers up with sea weed. He had mid hull pickups no strainers and that is bad when you beach up there. I have screens over my pickups to help eliminate that.

Drinkin fountian

Im seriously thinking about buying one this winter for my boat, but I can't understand why they are soo expensive!? Doesn't seem to me like a big elaborate piece of equipment!! Thats just boating I guess. I usually boat on the Il river and I get an idea of how much silt I pick up every winter when I drain the water out of the block. I always think "and thats just a fraction of the sand that went through the water pump". Im rebuilding the motor and having block boiled out, so I guess now is as good of time as any to buy one. Just to keep the block clean of debre.

I,ve been looking at one made buy Hardin marine but am waiting till after Desert storm to buy one. Want to see if there is any strainers there on display/on sale there.