02-19-2024, 05:15 AM
Scott,
I had a part-time job in Alaska for one whole summer maintaining rental 25 & 40 hp outboards. The most repairs were on water pumps and forward/reverse gears. We never replaced anything in the pumps except the impellers. In fact, the impeller blades had raised bumps on both sides of the blades, and we ALWAYS turned the impellers over to use up the bumps on both sides before replacing them. We never lost an engine from lack of water flow and overheating. I did the same thing on my own 40 hp jet drive water pump for about 6 years. I asked a marine repair shop to do the same thing one year and they refused saying it would burn up the engine from lack of water flow. My own experience with doing it several dozens of times said otherwise. But you can decide for yourself if you're comfortable with flipping the impeller over.
Unless there is significant wear on the inside of the cast aluminum water pump housing, there isn't any need to do anything other than turn over the impeller to wear down the second side of the blades or replace the impeller if you already turned it over once or aren't comfortable with turning the impeller over.
I had a part-time job in Alaska for one whole summer maintaining rental 25 & 40 hp outboards. The most repairs were on water pumps and forward/reverse gears. We never replaced anything in the pumps except the impellers. In fact, the impeller blades had raised bumps on both sides of the blades, and we ALWAYS turned the impellers over to use up the bumps on both sides before replacing them. We never lost an engine from lack of water flow and overheating. I did the same thing on my own 40 hp jet drive water pump for about 6 years. I asked a marine repair shop to do the same thing one year and they refused saying it would burn up the engine from lack of water flow. My own experience with doing it several dozens of times said otherwise. But you can decide for yourself if you're comfortable with flipping the impeller over.
Unless there is significant wear on the inside of the cast aluminum water pump housing, there isn't any need to do anything other than turn over the impeller to wear down the second side of the blades or replace the impeller if you already turned it over once or aren't comfortable with turning the impeller over.
Bob Hicks, from Utah
I'm 82 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
I'm 82 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."