Changing Impeller - Westerbeke 4.5 bcgb

[Water U Lookin' At]

All - reposting this thread here, because no one responded in the Sport Cruiser section...

I have some questions about how to change the impeller on my Westerbeke 4.5 bcgb generator:

Has anyone else performed this changeout?

How do you get to those little phillips head screws to open the impeller cover? I figured you have to take the hose going to the heat exchanger off, but even then it seems tricky.

Any advice or tips/tricks to this "simple" repair?

Thanks in advance!

Eddie

 

[sbw1]

I've got a 5kw WB with an impeller that is nearly impossible to reach. I pay a tech to change it out and he replaces the entire pump assembly because the part with the impeller inside it is cheaper than the labor to take things apart, find the screws that fall into the bilge, install the impeller and put everthing back together. Some of the designs are mindless. My mechainic is a little guy who is very short and he has trouble fitting into that part of the boat.

 

[CJ Martin]

I have the 4.5 Westerbeke and did the same thing sbw1 did - I paid someone else to do the impeller change. I was an avionics guy in my other life, not a mech.

"A man has got to know his limitations..."

-CJ

 

[keokie]

Wow, mine is really easy. I changed it in a matter of minutes during a vacation at Lake Powell recently. Running to the marina for the part was more time-consuming than the change.

 

[Alex D]

Our's is easy too. Unfortunately I have to remove a closed loop coolant hose and drain part of the coolant to get to the back of the pump and then refill and purge the closed cooling system too.

 

[Water U Lookin' At]

Thanks for the responses! I think I need to use the smallest ratchet that I have to get in there, and remove that cooling hose. Not a biggy, but very tight. Just wanted to see if there were any other tips. All the maintenance I do, is much easier the second time around, and I noticed that I saved over $2000 doing all my own winterization. It's just labor time. So, I figure the more items I take care of, the more gas $$ I'll have.

Cheers,
Eddie