How hard to change low water pickups to regular?
09-08-2004 | 04:17 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Charter Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 256
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
How hard to change low water pickups to regular?
I want to see about welding the low water holes closed and drilling the standard pickups? How much would something like this cost? I'm tired of changing impellars.
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Baja History
2000 29 Outlaw 2x454 mags (sold)
2000 25 Outlaw 502 (moved up to 29 OL)
1998 232 Islander 7.4 (got the 25 OL)
Tow Rig
04 Excursion EB PSD 4x4 6" lift 35's
MY PICS: http://community.webshots.com/user/skygod73
Baja History
2000 29 Outlaw 2x454 mags (sold)
2000 25 Outlaw 502 (moved up to 29 OL)
1998 232 Islander 7.4 (got the 25 OL)
Tow Rig
04 Excursion EB PSD 4x4 6" lift 35's
MY PICS: http://community.webshots.com/user/skygod73
09-09-2004 | 03:57 AM
#2
Off the Radar
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 1
From: Cape Coral, FL or Colonial Beach, VA
Re: How hard to change low water pickups to regular?
Its not the easiest thing to do, but if you have patience and some crafting skills its not too hard.
First drain all oil out of the drive for a couple of days making sure its tilted to the rear plug. The more oil you get out now the less mess.
Split the drive in half. Make sure you catch all O Rings and remember where they go. I use a wood drive stand I built.
Next, There is a metal retainer on the shaft that goes to the upper gear set. It is a pressed fit when the drive is together. Use Duct Tape to keep it pinned down while you are working on the drive. Make sure you seal all oil cavity openings before going any further. They must be 100% sealed.
Look down into the water passage. You will see a main passage and a second passage where Merc drilled at about 20 degrees down to the low inlet. Just cover the inlet from the outside with duct tape and position the drive face down so if water was level it would only fill that 20 degree area. Get some good grade liquid aluminum and pour into that area to fill. Make sure it only goes into that 20 degree area. You may want to rough up that passage prior to pouring the metal in.
Next go study and measure the openings on a side water pickup drive. There are (5) 1/4" holes on each side of the drive. Position them in the center of the main cavity as you look down into your housing. I draw a vertical line on each side of the drive dead center of the cavity. Measure down the line to the top hole and the bottom hole and create center marks. Now space the three other holes evenly.
Double check all measurements then drill making sure you are in the water cavity. After all drilling is done you need to get an aluminum die bit to cut the slopes from the front of the drive to direct water into the holes drilled. This is the hardest to get looking good. Use patience because all you cut you will see. I also have used the drill bit to turn some radius into the drilled holes.
Paint & reassemble. This is a all weekend project.
Good Luck
First drain all oil out of the drive for a couple of days making sure its tilted to the rear plug. The more oil you get out now the less mess.
Split the drive in half. Make sure you catch all O Rings and remember where they go. I use a wood drive stand I built.
Next, There is a metal retainer on the shaft that goes to the upper gear set. It is a pressed fit when the drive is together. Use Duct Tape to keep it pinned down while you are working on the drive. Make sure you seal all oil cavity openings before going any further. They must be 100% sealed.
Look down into the water passage. You will see a main passage and a second passage where Merc drilled at about 20 degrees down to the low inlet. Just cover the inlet from the outside with duct tape and position the drive face down so if water was level it would only fill that 20 degree area. Get some good grade liquid aluminum and pour into that area to fill. Make sure it only goes into that 20 degree area. You may want to rough up that passage prior to pouring the metal in.
Next go study and measure the openings on a side water pickup drive. There are (5) 1/4" holes on each side of the drive. Position them in the center of the main cavity as you look down into your housing. I draw a vertical line on each side of the drive dead center of the cavity. Measure down the line to the top hole and the bottom hole and create center marks. Now space the three other holes evenly.
Double check all measurements then drill making sure you are in the water cavity. After all drilling is done you need to get an aluminum die bit to cut the slopes from the front of the drive to direct water into the holes drilled. This is the hardest to get looking good. Use patience because all you cut you will see. I also have used the drill bit to turn some radius into the drilled holes.
Paint & reassemble. This is a all weekend project.
Good Luck
09-09-2004 | 09:21 PM
#3
Gold Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 902
Likes: 63
From: Ft.Lauderdale, Fl.
Re: How hard to change low water pickups to regular?
Don't waste your time & money. Install a transom mounted water pick-up for twins. If you install one that has a built in screen, you won't need sea-strainers. You can plumb them into your 1 1/4" water line coming from your inner transom plate in conjunction with your exsisting low water pick-up drives...or you can delete your drives water source by blocking the water necks with block-off plates. Ed
