Ran aground -- what should I get checked?

[Tonka Boater]

I posted details of my misadventure in a different thread.... http://clubsearay.com/showthread.ph...ning-to-others?p=837604&highlight=#post837604

I dodged a major bullet...the boat has been running great all week. Here's the short version of the story... ran aground on a sandbar late Sunday night, ingested a ton of sand and started to overheat, got towed back by a friend, was lucky enough to get the motor backflushed and a new water pump impeller installed the next day. Prop is jacked up badly but worn evenly and good enough to run without causing any damage. Luckily the sand was very fine and there isn't even a scratch on the gel.

I've been running the boat all week and it's running just fine -- no issues with the engine running hot but there's a very slight vibration because of the messed up prop. We're heading home Sunday and I want to get the boat in and have things checked out....I've never ran aground, what should I have them look at?

 

[fwebster]

If it were mine, I'd have the drive pulled off and serviced. Servicing the gear case will determine if the lower unit seals were compromised. That also gives you access to the coupler and u-joints for inspection and service and makes checking the alignment almost a freebee.

Mercruiser pumps don't like sand and dirt. If yours is one with a plastic housing, keep an eye on temperatures because a fresh impeller in a worn housing won't process as much water as a fresh, undamaged housing.


Around here we call this type of mid-season service "stupid tax" for not knowing where the bottom is......................and it looks like your "tax" bill is going to be limited to an outdrive service and a prop repair.

 

[Tonka Boater]

If it were mine, I'd have the drive pulled off and serviced. Servicing the gear case will determine if the lower unit seals were compromised. That also gives you access to the coupler and u-joints for inspection and service and makes checking the alignment almost a freebee.

Mercruiser pumps don't like sand and dirt. If yours is one with a plastic housing, keep an eye on temperatures because a fresh impeller in a worn housing won't process as much water as a fresh, undamaged housing.


Around here we call this type of mid-season service "stupid tax" for not knowing where the bottom is......................and it looks like your "tax" bill is going to be limited to an outdrive service and a prop repair.

Thanks for the advice, Frank. You are correct about the pump housing...I did get the entire housing replaced along with the impeller so I'm good there. He showed me the impeller and housing and you could see it had been hot was starting to melt a little. I've been running the boat for the past three days as I normally would and the temp is staying in the 170-175 range the way it always has and I feel confident that if something were to happen it would have happened by now. I've also been pulling my kids wake boarding and everything feels and runs fine so far. Regardless, I will have them do a full outdrive service and check the items that you mentioned just to be safe.

Yes, I am paying the stupid tax for sure. Regardless of the monetary charges and any physical damage to the boat -- it's my ego and the thought of what could have happened that hurts the most.