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On the four bangers, how does one change the impellers? Is there a special tool? Magic? What?

It is extremely diffcult to get the impellers out, particularly the port side. The old two screw drivers trick was a fail. I could only work one side of the impeller. Grabbing it with channel locks or vice grips was a fail.

I ended up pulling the whole housing and putting it on a bench. Problem with that is the upper inside housing stud is buried and while I could touch the nut with the very tips of my fingers, getting it started was a B. Then, it was 1/32 of a turn each swing of the tool down about an inch of thread with an open ended wrench. Only dropping the wrench into the bilge about one in six swings.

All in all, it was six solid hours in the sun, chest to the engine, cursing and sweating, and systematically turning my left hand into ground beef. Of course, I had run the engine before I made these repairs docks side (at a strange dock 60 miles from home), so got a quarter size burn just south of my left nipple from where the pad slipped and my chest kissed the hot parts. Long day.

Many thanks in advance.

I put dishwashing soap inside and turn it over 1 or 2 times and then pull the impeller

Ernest: How much room do you have ahead of it? I got an impeller puller at one of the boat shows that is like a small gear puller. It has teeth on the inside of the legs and a tensioning screw so that you can clamp it to the impeller if you cannot get behind it. I cannot remember who I got it from. Jabsco makes one, but it is not the one we bought. Long handles 90 degree bent nose needle nose pliers also work pretty well in some applications.

I have found it is often easier to remove the whole pump from the engine and then work on the removal of the impeller and visual inspection of the cam. Also allows me to backflush the hose to remove any old impeller bits that got pushed out of the pump. The pump on my starboard side is easily accessible, but its the port one that isn't that taught me that complete removal was the only way to do it.

4 bolts pull the whole pump assembly out,
on a side note my friend that has 315 yanmars had all the bolts shear off due to electrolis only on the 1 engine, told him to check his grounds, part cost 500 and change

Ernesto,

They make a tool for pulling the impellers. You still have to remove stuff to get access and as you say the port side is a real beatch. The first time for me, I ended up dropping the alternator and pulling pumps on both engines to remove impellers. It only took me about 2 hours per engine once I figured the out the drill and this was on a Saturday before on of the UVIs....the pressure was on. For those with gensets outboard of the port engine, you are really going to have some fun...


Garry

Thanks guys.

You know my mechanic skills tend towards those of a drunk monkey. The conversion rate for my man hours relative to even say an adult male is 3 Ernesto hours to 1.

Thanks again.

3 Ernesto hours to 1

Thats legal ease for lawyer billable time.

I have a generator on the port side, and like Garry said, it was a biyotch to get out. I called the local Yanmar distributor and they suggested 2 needle nose vise grips. I watched a mechanic wrestle with with one of those pullers for an hour before getting it out. Also, he used a large zip tie wrapped around the new impeller to get the fins pointed in the right direction.

JR

Ernest: I bought a Jabsco puller and modified it to be much smaller. Cut off the T handle and welded on a nut. Removed the knob screws on each side and used machine bolts.

I also bought from a hardware store a large pair of 90 degree needle nose pliers that will get them out most of the time. You must lube it up first as mentioned with dish soap and spin it over one time. Port side a bitch and starboard side a breeze.

Eddy G.

Ernest,

I can't add much to what has already been covered, but I sure enjoyed the story of personal pain and suffering and the part about the drunk monkey.

The All-Purpose Impeller Puller
By Nigel Calder Posted November 19, 2008

Those are the ones Capt. Pat. Last time, the pliers worked on the Sbd side, but I had to use the puller to get the Port side started. They were the factory impellers, first time to be replaced.

Eddy G.

Thanks again. All great ideas. Part of the problem is the limited clearance.

And, just for Scott, the burn south of my left nipple has now started to ooze a bit.

I was in a big meeting on Monday morning with all these golf playing corp. types, and one of the guys mentioned - Hey, Ernesto, you know your hand is bleeding onto these documents, right? I told him not to worry cause I had not had unprotected sex with a Haitian male prostitute in months. The whole room just went silent. Good times.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are killing me Ernest!!

ASMP!!! (almost sh#t my pants)