I am never never ever going to do this again!!

[docofthebay]

I recently posted about hints on changing impellers on my diesel engines. Got lots of good info. However nobody offered what a complete cluster it was trying to change the port impeller. To start with on both engines the oil cooler is about exactly two inches behind the plate. So to get the impeller remover ( I ended up with the kind that needed the remover, not the 3/4 inch bolt) on the impeller, the pump had to be removed off the engine. Not bad ( not fun either ) on the starboard engine, but the port engine has the pump right up next to the tank and cannot be reached from the side or above. So I had to remove it by reaching wayyyyyy around the front of the engine and pulling towards the but it will only go halfway, so I spend HOURS extending both arms as far as they will go thru little cracks and crevices to take off the backplate, remover the impeller and inserting the me impeller. I'm really about 5 hours into this port side and still don't even have the pump remounted. My arms are bruised, bleeding, my fingers are contracting involuntarily into the closed position and my arm muscles fell like jelly.
So from now on, I don't care if it costs a million dollars, I'm paying someone else replace my impellers.
And Frank, no matter much I treasure your advice and respect your knowledge, if you get on here now and mention some secret technique that turns this job into a 15 minute breeze, I'll get in my car and drive the two hours to PC , and with what little ability I have left to move my arms, do some doctor things to you( just kidding). And it doesn't matter anyway because I'm never, never, never, never doing this again!

 

[beachcombersc]

There's an app for that!

 

[islandhopper00]

You know there is a trick, a special tool, a sequence of removal and assembly. I've watched my Mercruiser Tech/Friend do some maintenance on my boat. Lets just say as he was removing something, and I was wondering what the heck he was doing and then realizing why he did what he did. It dawned on me how much easier it made the job.

Kinda like replacing spark plugs on Chevy S-10s. I found out it makes the job way easier to remove the wheel/tire, wheel well cover, and do the plugs thru the wheel well opening.

Talk to a mechanic and get some pointers. Most of the time they will help you with info.

 

[Pyrojodge]

There's an app for that!

:smt043

 

[HUMPH]

There's an app for that!

There are drugs for that...

 

[fwebster]

Along with gray hair and a little age, some of us learn when to keep our mouth shut. This would be one of those times. If I knew a 15 minute short cut, I wouldn't tell you about it now.............I'd wait until about next November.

About the only observation I have is that sometimes we learn that some boat jobs are better left to others, given the time and effort they require. You only gain that knowledge by doing whatever it is one time. Waxing a 450DA hull was one of those things for me..its not brain surgery, but it took me 4 days if working over my head with a buffer. I have better and more fun things to do during my beach time, so the local detail guy gets $550 every time my boat is out of the water. I'm with you 100% on the "dial 1-800-Fix My Cat" next time.

 

[penguin]

Of course, you will figure the optimal way to do this once you are done. I recently upgraded speakers in my car. The first speaker took me 1.5hrs to swap. Constant trips for more tools, finding hidden screws, trying to figure out how to mount the new speaker and modifying the adapter ring, etc. The second speaker took less than an hour, the third speaker took 30min and the last speaker took 10min.

I could do the next one in about 10min if there was another to do.

 

[docofthebay]

Thanks Frank! You know I would never do doctor things to you, you're my boat idol!

 

[Pack66Dad]

I recently posted about hints on changing impellers on my diesel engines. Got lots of good info. However nobody offered what a complete cluster it was trying to change the port impeller. To start with on both engines the oil cooler is about exactly two inches behind the plate. So to get the impeller remover ( I ended up with the kind that needed the remover, not the 3/4 inch bolt) on the impeller, the pump had to be removed off the engine. Not bad ( not fun either ) on the starboard engine, but the port engine has the pump right up next to the tank and cannot be reached from the side or above. So I had to remove it by reaching wayyyyyy around the front of the engine and pulling towards the but it will only go halfway, so I spend HOURS extending both arms as far as they will go thru little cracks and crevices to take off the backplate, remover the impeller and inserting the me impeller. I'm really about 5 hours into this port side and still don't even have the pump remounted. My arms are bruised, bleeding, my fingers are contracting involuntarily into the closed position and my arm muscles fell like jelly.
So from now on, I don't care if it costs a million dollars, I'm paying someone else replace my impellers.
And Frank, no matter much I treasure your advice and respect your knowledge, if you get on here now and mention some secret technique that turns this job into a 15 minute breeze, I'll get in my car and drive the two hours to PC , and with what little ability I have left to move my arms, do some doctor things to you( just kidding). And it doesn't matter anyway because I'm never, never, never, never doing this again!

:smt043 Sorry for your trouble & injuries but thanks for making my day..... great story!

"doctor things" :smt043

 

[searay40dad]

When I'd call to make arrangements to have my 400db winterized/summarized the owner would always say "the usual... mains, gen, ac, water systems and the starboard impeller". I'd say "yep" and he'd say "bast_rd". The 480s cats are the opposite so he does the port side now. A lot more room but still easier on his 30 yr old, 160lb frame than my 47 yr old, 235lb one. Money well spent I think.

 

[MasterFab]

I chose to put the 8.1s in my boat last year, instead of the 6.2s that were in it originally. I started removing the water pumps today, in order to get the jump on the impeller changes. For the first time, I wish I had gone with the smaller engines! I did a lot of work last year to make this job easier, but even so, the placement and design of the pump is such that you can ALMOST, with just the right amount of contorting, cramping, bruising, and swearing, not reach everything.

I think there is a group of Mercruiser engineers who sit around the coffee maker each day and laugh at us....

Dale

 

[fwebster]

No, they never see an engine in a boat. Their vision is crystal clear because their inventing is done on a prototype mounted on an engine stand.

Among all the boats I have had the fun of being on, I think Mercruiser is particularly bad since they expect owners to do more than 1/2 the prototype testing, after we pay for the boat.

 

[MasterFab]

It's very true - the engine package is sold to a variety of boat manufacturers, each with their own installation design. But, I did have my engines on a stand before I ever lowered them into the engine room, and I remember sitting on a stool, staring at the water pumps, thinking to myself how hard they were going to be to remove and service, even with the engine sitting right in front of me. The pumps are buried behind the idler bracket in front, and the fuel cooler module to the side. After looking at them for a while, I almost removed the pumps to see if I could re-machine them to accept housing bolts that enter from the front, instead of from the rear, as they are designed. It was getting late in the season at the time, so I decided to let that one go. I'm not done with them yet, and they are going to get a fresh look once they're in my shop.

Dale

 

[Alex F]

I recently posted about hints on changing impellers on my diesel engines. Got lots of good info. However nobody offered what a complete cluster it was trying to change the port impeller. To start with on both engines the oil cooler is about exactly two inches behind the plate. So to get the impeller remover ( I ended up with the kind that needed the remover, not the 3/4 inch bolt) on the impeller, the pump had to be removed off the engine. Not bad ( not fun either ) on the starboard engine, but the port engine has the pump right up next to the tank and cannot be reached from the side or above. So I had to remove it by reaching wayyyyyy around the front of the engine and pulling towards the but it will only go halfway, so I spend HOURS extending both arms as far as they will go thru little cracks and crevices to take off the backplate, remover the impeller and inserting the me impeller. I'm really about 5 hours into this port side and still don't even have the pump remounted. My arms are bruised, bleeding, my fingers are contracting involuntarily into the closed position and my arm muscles fell like jelly.
So from now on, I don't care if it costs a million dollars, I'm paying someone else replace my impellers.
And Frank, no matter much I treasure your advice and respect your knowledge, if you get on here now and mention some secret technique that turns this job into a 15 minute breeze, I'll get in my car and drive the two hours to PC , and with what little ability I have left to move my arms, do some doctor things to you( just kidding). And it doesn't matter anyway because I'm never, never, never, never doing this again!

Now you know how I felt when I had to do it for the first time ever on the diesel boat. I knew what I was against on the port side, so I did the stbd side to have some practice. It was piece of cake as the pump was right there in front of me. When I was assessing the approach for the port side I poked in all kinds of directions and figured that I had only one way to do it, which is laying on my right side in front of the engine and reaching far only with one hand. I did the job mostly with the right hand and used left for handing tools and holding the telescopic mirror. I knew I'll be down there for a while, so I placed soft floater pad to lay on. I didn't take off the whole water pump and just replaced the impeller (like I did on the stbd side). The whole job took about 1.5-2hrs. After doing all the maintenance on my 320DA I thought that most jobs on 420DB will be like a walk in the park. Stbd impeller proved me otherwise.

Unlike your, my experience wasn't as bad, so I'm planning to do it myself again next time.

When I'd call to make arrangements to have my 400db winterized/summarized the owner would always say "the usual... mains, gen, ac, water systems and the starboard impeller". I'd say "yep" and he'd say "bast_rd". The 480s cats are the opposite so he does the port side now. A lot more room but still easier on his 30 yr old, 160lb frame than my 47 yr old, 235lb one. Money well spent I think.

A friend of mine with 400DB with CATs said that one of the mechanics backed out of the job after arriving to the boat and seeing what was involved with port side impeller change.