Anyone ever have to do any work on one, and if so how did you get to it?

Easy!

1) Take wife out for dinner at very nice resturant.
2) Next day, find sturdy tree and a good rope.
3) Park boat under sturdy branch of tree, throw rope over branch.
4) Tie rope to ankles, give opposite end to wife. ( tip: a gesture of affection would be in order. )
5) Have wife lower you into bilge with rope. ( tip: make sure you do not put tools in pockets, take band-aids, just in case. )
6) Change pump. ( tip: use higher quality pump so this does not need to be repeated again.)
7) Now ask wife to extricate you from bilge. ( tip: ask politely, mind tone of voice. ie. "Honey could you please ... " ) ( tip: collect all tools first trip out, repeated in and outs often upsets wife. )
8) Done! If you chose to go with a cheap pump remember to say "Thank you!" to wife, you will be repeating this again and will need her assistance. ( tip: Dinner out again will solidify wife's willingness to assist in future projects. )

New bilge pump ..... Good!
Knowing you saved a few bucks doing it yourself ..... Great!
A happy wife that did not let go of the rope ..... Priceless!!!!!!!!!

I just put a new pump in mine this winter. It was a pain in the a$$. You have to turn into Gumbie man and try to get under the engine. the hardest thing is getting the screws out and new ones in. My elbow now bends about and inch farther backward. I used at shortie screwdriver to get them out ,and a 3/8 right angel drill to drive the new screws in . I filled in the old holes with 4200. I think I could have pulled the engine faster than what it took to try and get under the engine. Good luck my friend.

Old Indian trick, tie a loop in small piece of rope, lasso the pump. Throw the rope over the hatch and tie it on the prop with 3 foot of slack. Start engine ingauge drive. When you see the pump flying out of the bilge kill engine.

I thought my method was slightly less destructive! But yours does sound quicker!

I did it once on my 32 Velocity. Remember your work space? Now put twins in there and the center stringer and those Merc offshore race mounts. Where do you think those instructions came from, especially the band-aid tip!

I definately would have to use your instructions with twins

Well now that you got Cheryl and I with tears in our eyes from laughing, I think it took us a good five minutes just to get thru your post. Thanks for the good old boy advice, what would we do with out it.

VV I would hate to ruin a good piece of rope, any other thoughts

I take it you don't have trim tabs or you pulled the pump and battery on one side just to get access. either that or you're about 10 foot tall and have an arm thats about 2 inches in diameter, how else would you get under the engine with 3 inches of clearance?