2003 420 Sundancer Water Pumps

[HV Boater]

We have a 2003 420 Sundancer w/ twin 450 Cummins Diesels. We got the boat in October of 2014. It had only 600 hrs on it and in excellent condition. In October 2015, after overheating the port engine, our mechanic discovered that the shaft in the water pump had sheared off. A marine mechanic for 30+ years, he said that he had never seen it happen before. Guess what. It happened to the starboard engine last week.
Is it possible that it was a manufacturers defect? I wonder if anyone else has experienced this issue.

 

[Joel_MD]

The Sherwood 1700-Series seawater pump definitely has known defects. If you're unfamiliar with Tony at sbmar.com or boatdiesel.com, he is something of a guru for marine applications of Cummins diesels. He helped design this pump as a replacement for the Sherwood: http://www.sbmar.com/product/smx-1730-seawater-pump/