Kohler 5E impeller replacement

Bottom Line

Bottom Line

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2006
1,809
Table Rock Lake(Branson MO)
Boat Info
2003 360 DA
2002 Sea Doo GTI (sold)
2002 300 DA (sold)
Engines
Twin Mercruiser 8.1L
Westerbeke Generator
This is similar to another recent post about impeller spin direction, but I opted to start another thread, as not to hi-jack...

I have searched and readed several posts (and stuff I recall from SRO) on replacing the impeller. Mine genset is a Kohler 5E. Over the weekend I started it up and it discharged very little water, and also sounded louder, I guess due to the fact of not discharding any water. I verified the seacock was open. I guess is it is time to replace the impeller. I have read to put dish soap on the new impeller. My question is do I put the new impeller in and then squirt dish soap in on it? Or coat the impeller in soap and then place back in (seems like this way may be a little slimy and hard to hold onto).

Here are the plans...close the seacock, remove 4 bolts and the cover, remove the old impeller, if all vanes not present, install hose to both ends of the heat exchanger to try to flush out small pieces (thanks to Bon Dia's pics), coat new impeller in soap, reinstall cover and 4 bolts, open seacock and fire up...


Any other advice for a 1st timer? :huh: :huh:
 
first tip make sure you remember which way impeller spins :smt001

The way I found out I needed to replace the impeller, the marina
drained heat exchanger using the zinc plug to winterize, on the bottom,
port side of heat exchanger two pieces of the impeller came out.
you could try this first If you have missing pieces.
hope this helps
 
What gyrospiro says. In order to get the new impeller in you will need to flex the tip of the blades a little and you want to do this in the same direction that the old one was.

In addition, at least on my 4E, there is a new O-ring in the the kit for the housing cover.
 
Check your sea strainer for blockage before you start her up. Sounds like you're not getting any water flow. I'd hate for you to have to do the job twice.
 
I got the impeller changed this weekend. I backflushed the heat exchanger and found most(if not all of the vanes). The hardest part was getting all of the vanes bent in the same direction...surely there is a tool to make this easier.
 
Bottom Line said:
The hardest part was getting all of the vanes bent in the same direction...surely there is a tool to make this easier.
Click to expand...
Once you have the vanes rolled over, could you wrap rubber band around them down to hold them in place while the rotor is inserted on the shaft? Then snag the rubber band with an o-ring pick to remove it...never done it, but know I will need to one day.
 
Bottom Line... I just changed mine after finding the nearly broken vane in the picture of vane direction.... I found it a little easier to just pull the impeller housing off the generator shaft (you'll have to disconnect both hoses) and then install the impeller. I dunked the impeller in water then coated with dish soap and used a small set of piers with soft grip type covers on the plier ends to grab the center of the impeller and rotate into the correct direction. The soft grip ends prevent any damaging to the center of the impeller.... with the impeller housing off and the new impeller in place... you can spin the entire housing to find where the flat spot in the shaft meets the flat spot in the center of the impeller... then you can easily rotate the housing (being mindful to go the right direction and not change the direction of the vanes) until your 4 bolts line up.

The entire process was really very easy.... about 10-15 min start to finish. So far the maint on the 5E... (oil changes, anode checks, and impeller changes are quite easy. :smt001
 
Use a hose clamp to fold the blades & compress the impeller to a diameter slightly less than the housing. When the shaft & impeller are properly aligned, push the impeller out of the hose clamp & into the housing.
 
Bottom Line said:
This is similar to another recent post about impeller spin direction, but I opted to start another thread, as not to hi-jack...

I have searched and readed several posts (and stuff I recall from SRO) on replacing the impeller. Mine genset is a Kohler 5E. Over the weekend I started it up and it discharged very little water, and also sounded louder, I guess due to the fact of not discharding any water. I verified the seacock was open. I guess is it is time to replace the impeller. I have read to put dish soap on the new impeller. My question is do I put the new impeller in and then squirt dish soap in on it? Or coat the impeller in soap and then place back in (seems like this way may be a little slimy and hard to hold onto).

Here are the plans...close the seacock, remove 4 bolts and the cover, remove the old impeller, if all vanes not present, install hose to both ends of the heat exchanger to try to flush out small pieces (thanks to Bon Dia's pics), coat new impeller in soap, reinstall cover and 4 bolts, open seacock and fire up...


Any other advice for a 1st timer? :huh: :huh:
Click to expand...
did you use 359978 kohler 5e impeller thats what i'm wondering to see if i have the right one
 
A zip tie works great for holding impeller vanes. Once you get impeller started in housing you just cut zip tie off.
 
caseycody said:
did you use 359978 kohler 5e impeller thats what i'm wondering to see if i have the right one
Click to expand...

While you are responding to a 10+ year old post the information is still applicable so I will respond.
My Kohler 5e used a Sherwood pump and I replaced the impeller with Sherwood part 08000K-SHW.

-Kevin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,112
Messages
1,426,288
Members
61,026
Latest member
NeilS
Back
Top