Hmmm, let me see if I understand this.

You burned through 2 impellers in 1 season and Ilmor calls you and ask you what size pulley is on your stock ilmor 625?Sohouldn't they know?

(Id guess filling a larges sea strainer from empty may cause the impeller to run dry for a bit of time, but 2 in one season? sounds like a lot to me)

Yeah Jeff explained the stock impeller is a merc unit, and what they do is use the mercury pump housing and modify the bracket and voila- no more issue.

Your -o- ring air leaking issue is gone and so is the issue of anew housing should it bubble/burn to severely to be reused as you just use a merc part now.

Frankly - Id prefer a merc part for parts availablity.

Uncle Dave

Laveycraft 2750 Ilmor 710
Laveycraft 20.8 Sebring 406 SB
Fleetwod nitrous toy hauler
Yamaha raptor 700/Kawi KFX 450
Nissan Titan

Uncle Dave,

Call Scott Mount @ Ilmor 734-456-3600. Scott is the Marine Engine Build Team Leader. I met him in person 2 weeks ago. He can give you the skinny on anything & everything you want to know about your engine & what evolution of pump it's coming equipped with. Keep in mind Ilmor doesn't manufacture the pump & relies on the quality & workmanship of a vendor's product. Retro fitting Mercs pump w/ one thats the proven best in the business isn't an option, no different than Ford buying their engines from Chevrolet. Short from designing their own I think they have done a good job of troubleshooting the few sea pump issues they've had thru input from the field. Remember not every boater is mechanically inclined & may rely on their local mechanic. People like me, yourself & from the sounds of it MarginMn are detail guys, analytical & seem to work thru problems by process of elimination as opposed to wholesale changes. Many just want their problem corrected, corrected now & don't really care to understand what happened or how it was rectified. Myself & 2 other Ilmor powered boat owners have provided Ilmor w/ many hours of boating feedback about their product. Good, bad & or indifferent. They are very receptive & very appreciative of the free feedback.

I encourage you to have faith that the engine you receive will be built w/ the latest technology so that you may enjoy trouble free boating.

Thanks Nascat, (and Marginmn) I'm going to give him a ring.

This bad boys less than 3 weeks from being delivered and Im climbing the walls with anticipation.

Im more interested in the right fix, than the quickest most expeditious one. Thanks for the kudos, Im fairly certain Ill like the engine, its all the little details I like to know.

Uncle Dave

Laveycraft 2750 Ilmor 710
Laveycraft 20.8 Sebring 406 SB
Fleetwod nitrous toy hauler
Yamaha raptor 700/Kawi KFX 450
Nissan Titan

The KPM replacement raw water pumps are still available, though admittedly only in the UK at the mo.
There have been further advancements in the design of all KPM pumps and I believe that they are the only pumps in the world that exceed SOLAS specifications. And if they don't work they will replace. 5year warranty on pump and 2year on impeller.
Check out www.kpm-marine.co.uk for contact details. I think they are happy to send out to whoever wants them.

Thanks Avon, Ill take a look.

NASCAT- Scott Mount was GREAT polite, knowledgeable, and quick to return my call- I'm impressed.

He said yes, that some setups had some problems based on length of plumbing, drive pickup area, strainers- etc.

Ilmor started shipping a replacement pump that significantly outperformed the older one about 2 months ago. He stated it uses a merc sized impeller, but that it isnt a mercury piece per se, but one would fit if I got into a bind.

Here are the very first picts of the boat out of the mold today.

Uncle Dave

Laveycraft 2750 Ilmor 710
Laveycraft 20.8 Sebring 406 SB
Fleetwod nitrous toy hauler
Yamaha raptor 700/Kawi KFX 450
Nissan Titan

UD,

I'm glad Scott / Ilmor lived up to the expectations I built them up to be, nothing short of first class.

I wish more boaters took a proactive approach as you have to get their questions / issues / concerns resolved by contacting the source or sources representative directly as oppossed to *****, moaning & complaining about it when they haven't actually given the source a chance to rectify it.

As I've stated before you won't regret your investment in the Ilmor product & now you have a direct connection to the bloodline of your powerplant for future reference.

Boat looks sharp!

I had my problems back in early June. It's nice to know that there is another option now if the problems continue.

I wonder who's impeller they are using.

All KPM pumps run with standard impellers - Johnsons, Jabscos, Sierra - it doesn't matter. The pump is the important part of the equation. It holds all the design improvements to withstand run dry. Failure rates of the pumps are negligable. With the new TIBS system they now have a more agressive cam for prime and flow with an even greater run dry capability than before.
They even do the sea strainers, all sexy looking pieces of kit.

The current pumps are fitted with the blue impellers and are impressive pieces.

[I]Avon-
I've spec'd a Livorsi sea strainer, Livorsis own document says it is a KPM strainer. Youre right, its a nice part.

As for the sea pump- Im going to stick with what the manufacturer of this ridiculously expensive package came with, so as not to violate my 2 years of warranty. I may explore a KPM pump for my Sebring though.


Marginmn- I have a feeling they got it right, and have faith now after speaking with Scott. Still Id wait till its time before I change out working components. Im going to order a spare and Ill post picts of what they ship.

They also recommend an oil Id never think of Mobil1 0-W40.
I think Ill avoid my usual urge to switch to my pet brands and stick with Ilmor says works. Good enough for them, good enough for me. Well see how long the top and bottom end live.

NASCAT- I can never figure out if the whiners on web boards really own anything or if its just mouth/keyboard music?
I cant fathom spending this kind of dough and not doing any homework.
Thanks for the compliment- Im really excited.



Uncle Dave

Laveycraft 2750 Ilmor 710
Laveycraft 20.8 Sebring 406 SB
Fleetwod nitrous toy hauler
Yamaha raptor 700/Kawi KFX 450
Nissan Titan