Thanks! Not a lot of room down there so I imagine a few scraped nuckles!

Oh Yea!!!
(fricken hoses!! Thanks to DesertMirage here on the boards for coming by to help )

If you guys are going to have to replace the impellors or pump on the 496's check into using the stainless end plate kits and impellor kits from R&R guys in Lake Havasu, they definitly got a great little kit to save those expensive pump replacements. Also I know the builders hate to up the price of that boat with a strainer, but for gods sake if you boat in a debris water (regular strainer)area or around sandy bottoms (sand strainer), get one !!!!!
don't fight it, STRAIN IT!!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar

Ray,

I do run a sea strainer and I've been pretty good about staying out of the sand, etc. Is it a good idea to order the replacement backing plates before I dig in from R&R? I am assuming that I only need to do the impeller. (2 seasons at 100 hours). Perhaps I should hedge my bet and just do it all at once regardless of the original pump condition?

Wish I'd known about those last week!!

By the way, I was living on borrowed time at 280 hrs on the originals (housing looked great though)

Thanks for the info Ray...

Dave

When I was tearing mine down every winter,500efi's 50 hours and iam real careful on the shallow water and sand bars,you wouldn't believe the sand in the bottom of the water jackets

I never get anything in the sea stariners, I bet a sand strainer would catch alot!!