Raw water pump leak...

The solid gold pump was ordered yesterday. Now if I can figure out how to get the old one out.
Ran the boat yesterday at the dock for about 1/2 hour. No drip drip. Not taking a chance though.
 
That's funny. I've got one of the SS pumps sitting on my desk right now. I'll be installing it today. Was the pulley swap difficult? I've had pulleys get bad attitudes on me and refuse to budge. Sometimes, they're a piece of cake.

One question: Hardin states that this pump uses a "standard common Mercury water impeller". Does anyone know the Merc p/n for that?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Skibum
I ordered the one with the SS pulley so I wont be diddling with the pulley until the rebuild.
I spoke to the guy at Hardin. It's not the same impeller that the Merc OEM pump used in the pump I'm replacing. Hardin sells the "standard" one that works in their pump...
HARDIN

I don't know the Merc equivalent part number on this one.
 
Follow up to the pump story...
I installed the pump on Saturday (May 25). It was an absolute bear, not due to the pump but due to access. Here's how it went...

First thing to do, after premedicating with 400mg Ibuprofen, and at the recommendation of Rick (mistercomputerman), was to remove the exhaust hose from that side to gain access. Would be impossible, I believe, if I didn't do this. Pretty simple. Next was removing the 10mm fasteners (3 of them) that hold the pump to the bracket. That was MUCH easier with the new ratchet-box wrench. Everyone should have a set of these. I took the hose from the seacock off at the pump, and pulled the hose that leaves the pump off at the first stop, which is the T that branches off to the Cool Fuel module. Pump came out without too much cussing. Easier this time around but much more contortion on the stbd motor.

EXHAUST OFF...
100_3967_zps2324f6a3.jpg


Got the pump opened up by removing 4 more 10mm bolts that hold the two halves together and put the new SS pump/pulley on the OEM back of the pump (the end with the water IN and OUT nozzles). This pump comes with a SS backing plate and a paper gasket that must be sandwiched btwn the halves, in addition to the o-ring (supplied). The impeller was already installed in the SS housing so no fussing with extraction and re-placement. REMEMBER TO GREASE THE O-RING prior to assembly. IMPORTANT for preventing leaks later on. Here's the assembled pump. The instructions show where to place the plate and the gasket. If your pump is badly scored, it doesn't matter, b/c the impeller now rides on the SS plate, not the bronze housing. Take note of those two air hose fittings. They'll come in to play later on.

100_3966_zpsbba03975.jpg



Soaped up the hoses and climbed back down to the bowels of the bilge. Got the pump on fairly easily - even got the bolts tightened up and hoses on - PROBLEM was I got both air hose fittings pointed the wrong way. I was able to spin one around but the other was bumping into that vertical part of the pump housing. So I loosen everything up and try to get it to swing around. No can do. Now I'm getting tired (about 3 hours into the job at this point) and very cranky. I decide to leave the one air hose disconnected b/c I never blow out the raw water anyway and when I winterize everything gets pink antifreeze.

NOW to get things tightened again. For some reason, one of the 10mm bolts just would NOT line up with the threads properly. I guess the pump was a bit canted. I don't know. But it took another 1 1/2 hours to get this thing screwed in the second time. I think I was just running out of steam and in both mental and physical pain.

Here's a pic of the pump in place and re- connected. Note the rust/water stain on the bilge floor from the old pump leak (wondrous to me how the surveyor missed this). Open the seacock and start the motor and we have flow! Go back and check for leaks and I have some weeping at the lowest point bolts. Tighten them up with my trusty 10mm ratchet-box wrench and I'm good to go.

100_3970_zpsf8549a1e.jpg



Here's the thing in action...
[video=youtube;4QdpzyKylDk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QdpzyKylDk&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Some of you may notice a bit of "wobble" to the pulley. I sure did. That's why I took the video. I ran the motor to temp and checked for leaks again, packed it in and went home. I was cold, dreary, rainy...I was exhausted and bruised up and in a pretty foul mood at this point. When I got home I composed an email and sent it to a few friends who know a thing or two about boats. One of them, Frank Webster, called me up and told me he doesn't think it'd be a problem, as did the others. I decided that I would need to run the boat, under load, to see how things held up, as long as running the boat would do no harm. Frank Webster had told me to "Go boating," so I did. On Monday, I ran the boat about 10 miles, at mostly cruising speed. The temp on that motor was the same as the other the whole time. When I got back to the dock, I immediately opened the hatch to find no leakage and no belt "dust."

The day of the install, I had also send an email to the manufacturer expressing my concern. I included photos and 3 videos. On Monday morning, they too got back to me, both via email and telephone. Scott Price at Hardin Marine told me that he sees the wobble but expects zero problem going forward. I explained to him that my concern was for health of the belt as well as the bearings and lip seals of the pump. He wrote, "The polished pulley has caused issue because its reflective nature presents an appearance of concern that cannot be seen with the OEM black pulley. In reality we may need to go to black just to alleviate these concerns. I can assure you that what you are witnessing represents zero concern from longevity or quality. This pumps will provide you years of service. Your ultimate satisfaction is our #1 concern. If you so choose not to feel comfortable with this I welcome you to return the pumps for full credit. Your satisfaction is our peak concern. I can tell you I have thousands of these pumps in the field and your pumps are operating correctly."

I'm satisfied but will continue to monitor the belt and check for leaks. Very good customer service from Hardin Marine.


 
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Look at the black spots on the floor of the bilge from about :05 - :08. While the pulley looks to be moving to the eye, the edge of the pulley in comparison to the marks on the floor indicate to me otherwise.

And, oh yeah, Chicken Little says THE SKY IS FALLING!
 
You just HAD to get a dig in about the dirty bilge floor, didn't'cha? And after I credit you in the piece.

So, you're saying all's well (?) I'm curious to see what the software says about water pressure in the raw water system.

What, no complaints about the lack of image stabilization, poor lighting, lousy direction, no musical score?? ;-)
 
I was using the black spots as a reference point to say that it looks OK to me, but, now that YOU point it out, that sure is one nasty looking bilge. Can't you buy some paint or something? Maybe that masterbaiter dude, Dale, can give you some tips on getting it cleaned up when he helps you with your old Mercruiser pump. His bilge sure doesn't look like that.
 
Rick,

You misspelled Masterfabricator. But it's ok, I know you have trouble spelling, so it's obviously an honest mistake. Ron, the sound is not very good, and you should have used a tripod or some other mechanical stabilization. The lighting should be better too.

My bilge paint is a moisture cured urethane polymer from Wasser. It's about $130.00 a gallon, as think as can be (one coat does it), and is so toxic you can't even open the can without a tight fitting activated charcoal respirator. But, once cured, it won't chip, is resistant to just about anything, and cleans up super easy. It's available from McMaster Carr - if anyone is interested, I'll try to find their part number.

Dale
 
Dale
Thanks just the same but I'll use some FSR on the rust stain and some Simple Green on the black spots! This is about 1000 steps up from my last bilge, which was very clean but highly STAINED.
 
That's the platform for the water lift muffler. This boat was repowered 2008 - from 7.4s with log mufflers to 8.1s with water lift. I'm guessing they used some salvaged SR grey painted plywood to make the platform and didn't cut all the way through, got lazy and broke the rest off. I need to get down there with a jigsaw and clean it up and paint it. It's on the list...WAYYYYY down at the bottom.
 
It's interesting that the port plywood platform on my boat is broken off in exactly that same way and place.
 
Cue the "Twilight Zone" music...
 
What's all those wood splinters about?
That's the platform for the water lift muffler. This boat was repowered 2008 - from 7.4s with log mufflers to 8.1s with water lift. I'm guessing they used some salvaged SR grey painted plywood to make the platform and didn't cut all the way through, got lazy and broke the rest off. I need to get down there with a jigsaw and clean it up and paint it. It's on the list...WAYYYYY down at the bottom.
I was wondering the same... thought maybe you had to do that to get the pump out. I've been watching this thread because I have the same job coming up in another hundred hours or so.
 
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If I can confirm that the water is indeed coming from the pump bearing I'm likely going to replace with one of THESE. The boat was repowered in 2008 so if this is an original pump, it's going to be about 5 years old. Looks like a much improved design over Merc's. I have a friend who had them installed in his 320DA and he's very happy with them. I'll leave the stbd (it's fine) for now. Probably pull it and replace the impeller on that one while I'm at it.

I know this is a very old thread.... but just wanted to say THANK YOU for posting the link to the SS Hardin pump.
I have a 2006 Amberjack 290 and the starboard pump is slinging a stain into my bilge. Time to replace the pump!
 
Funny you bring this up today. Saturday I noticed my port Hardin (the one I installed in 2013) is leaking at the bearing. Going to have to get Hardin's repair kit and press in a new bearing. 6 seasons and probably 240 hours. Not sure if that's good or bad but it is what it is.
 
Called Hardin after above post. I'd need the "Deluxe" rebuild kit @ $96. BUT if I mail the pump down to them they'll rebuild it for an additional $30 of labor. That's a bargain and that's what I'm going to do. Now I just have to break my arse getting the thing OFF the engine.

They promise a one day turn-around. Doesn't matter to me though as the boat is on land and out of commission until April/May.
 
Called Hardin after above post. I'd need the "Deluxe" rebuild kit @ $96. BUT if I mail the pump down to them they'll rebuild it for an additional $30 of labor. That's a bargain and that's what I'm going to do. Now I just have to break my arse getting the thing OFF the engine.

They promise a one day turn-around. Doesn't matter to me though as the boat is on land and out of commission until April/May.
 
Interestingly enough I replaced my original port raw pump (8.1L) with a Hardin. Pumped looked nice and the design looked to be identical to the original. The pressure was much lower and the engine ran about 10-15 degrees hotter then the strb. I swapped pumps thinking it was some other issue. The strb. engine ran with lower pressure and hotter temps as well. Went back to a rebuilt original and all worked well?

Hardin was real good about it and gave a full refund. Sounds like you already been running with one for awhile with no issues but it didn’t there pump didn’t work to well for me.
 

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