Sea Water Pump Service - need advice
 

I have the seawater pump / mechanical fuel pump combo on my engines. Everything seems to be working fine, but I would like to proactively replace the implellers. It has been a few hundred hours and probably 5 years. These are the old style pump with the bronze housing.

Do most people just replace the impleller and use the paper Mercruiser gaskets? Or do you also replace the front and back wear plates?

I have not taken them apart yet. I just want to know what I should order before I pull them.

Thanks!

Steve

I replace my set with the new Merc plastic one piece design which combines the outlet plate and the center body as one.

Steve,
I did the same as BigBlock on our previous boat.

Rick

I switched to the new plastic body
pump too.
If your inlet/outlet point downward,
instead of straight back, you have
to do the paper gasket thing.

The plastic body impeller kit is
like $ 80 from BAM marine.

jt

Heres the part # for the
plastic body impeller kit:
807151A14

Thanks guys. I will get the new kits.

Steve

The water pump I have is from 89. I normally replace just the impellor ever other year. I have never replaced the front or back plate. Not sure what I pay for them but buy them thru overton's

I just bought 2 impellers for $20 each from a Merc dealer. One of my pumps was the old style one was the new plastic. Next time I'm chnaging the other to the new plastic. It's much easier to get the hoses of. Although, I'm betting the old style was the original impeller 11 years old. Only 180 hours but those hoses did not want to come off!!

I also just changed over to the newer style unit on my 86 Formula...it almost looks like a distributor cap on sideways, and its so much easier to change, and you can actually change it without disconnecting the brackets, belt, etc. BIG HINT FOR EVERYBODY.....just use a plastic "ziptie" on the impeller to orient your blades the proper way, they tighten it a bit to reduce the diameter of the impeller blades, and get the impeller in half way...then cut the ziptie and push it in the rest of the way. Its the easiest way I've found to install it....also some dishsoap in the unit lubricates it great for installation and lube during initial start....

formulaF302, great suggestion on the ziptie!! I keep a spare kit and dishsoap on the boat at all times. It has come in handy several times.