I agree, and I usually go two seasons also on my outboards. This is my first sterndrive and so far I really like it. Since there is a bit more maintenance to do than an outboard my goal will be to streamline it and make things simpler. This seems like a great place to start. Thanks for the info!

You have plenty of room to work on yours. Mine is really close to the bulkhead, but they have a nifty little tool that slides in between the impeller blades and hooks to the back to pull the impellers right out. Nice on those hot days when you arse-up in the air changing an impeller at the lake! (don't ask me how I know! haha!)

i added closed coolant system several years ago...

added same pump...
works fine...


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bbe9a0c64d.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bc0b0ea2be.jpg

i found a range in prices...shop around got mine for 150 each but was 3-4 years ago..i also made made my brackets...for what they want for one ,,,i made two for half the cost..just some angle iron and welder...done

I made the same brackets.

i also had my machine cut a depression in lower pulley to help center pump.......

I think this right here is going to be the key to making this work 100%. The holes in the johnson pump are 1/2" and the bolts are 3/8. The real tricky part is that the bolt circle on the johnson pump is 82.5mm and its 3.2" (81.38mm) on the pulley. To use the 1/2" to 3/8" spacers, there must be enough tolerance in them so that the bolts line up but that wouldn't center it perfectly. I think skipping the spacers and having a machine shop put a slight depression in the crank spacer is the way to go.

I understand what you’re saying, but if you use the bushings that I provided, the bolt circle aligns properly. The spacer plate was only used to keep the pump body away from the pulley. Even with the long-shaft pump, the pump body ends up close enough to make hose fitment a challenge. The way I have it set up works really well and the slight wiggle I have witnessed is probably due to pump shaft tolerance more than anything. The way the angle bracket is bushed/dampened indicates that some movement is expected.

You're probably right. Sometimes my nerd brain gets in the way of just getting things done. Once I get it all apart I'll set it up with the bushings and see how it goes.

I am wanting to do this conversion on my boat as well. I have the Alpha one outdrive. Would I just remove the impeller from the outdrive and run the feed hose from where it comes through the transom to the new pump? Also, I saw these water pump bypass kits and was wondering if these would work with this setup so I don't have to worry about replacing those engine mounted pumps anymore?
http://www.hardin-marine.com/p-14412...ut-bypass.aspx

He swapped because his seawater pump was hard to get to.
IMO, There's nothing easier than an Alpha impeller job as far as impellers go.
I find it hard you'd be at any advantage to go through the trouble of adding a crank mounted pump.