Well, I'm a couple months late beginning my winter project, but I'm healing up from a broken wrist, so not much else I could have done. So, I have to replace the impeller in an 05 23 OL with 496 mag. I've had several guys tell me that it's way easier to pull the motor to replace it than to stand on your head for hours. I know impeller replacement is supposed to be an easy job, but with the hull shape, its in a bad spot on this boat with no room to work. So... Any tips and tricks? And most of all, who's a good vendor to get parts from? I don't know what all I will need, but I hope to be able to buy everything I might need before starting this project so I can get it done in one weekend. Seals, gaskets, gimbal bearing? What all would you replace, or at least have on hand if you were in my shoes? Thanks!

I would pay a qualified person to do it, who has done it before and knows the tips and tricks, before pulling the motor. No way in the world would I have a motor pulled for an impeller change alone.

That said, on my 30 OL, had the port motor pulled to replace the starter since it was in the back, bottom, and no way to do the work. Got it done and could not tell it had been touched.....

The only "qualified" person I talked to said definitely pull the motor and he suggested I do it myself. I have the outdrive alignment tools and all that good stuff at my disposal, I'm not a backyard mechanic either, just looking for tips before diving in. I really want to do this job start to finish in one weekend and not have to spend any time waiting on parts.

I would pull the back seat before I pulled the motor. It would be a lot simpler. Having said that I stand on my head and change mine on my24 outlaw not much room either.

That's the problem, I can't pull the backseat. The back rest is part of the sundeck and the butt rest just sits on the part that's fiberglassed in. Everyone wants to say, "just pull the seat" until they see the boat, then they say, "that sucks". So the motor is coming out, period. This boat is 99% stock too, so nothing out of the ordinary has been done.

New to you boat? I'm sure the impeller has been changed in the last 10 years.

This is the 5th or 6th year with it, so the impeller was changed 5-6 years ago. But the boat needs it. Every year when I winterize it, it is slower and slower to pick up the pink. Do I think it could go another year? Sure, but I want to change it.

There absolutely has to be a way to change the impeller without pulling the engine.

Post up some pictures of it and maybe we can help you figure out a way.

Pull the fuel pump out and there's plenty of room from the side. They're 3 10mm bolts on the fuel pump, disconnect the fuel line and move it. Then pop the serp belt, and there's only 3, 10 mm bolts on the sea pump, 2 in the back and one in the front top by the pulley, take the hoses off and your done.