New Hardin Marine Water Pump

[OllieC]

Just installed my new Hardin Marine water pump.

I just wanted to vent and say, "I absolutely hate changing out my impeller & changing out the water pump" . What PIA. What a poor design when you need annual access to your 2005 Bravo 3/ 5.0 mpi Mercruiser..

....runs great tho.....

 

[JimG]

Agreed... what a poor design!

Try it on twin V-drives!

 

[OllieC]

Agreed... what a poor design!

Try it on twin V-drives!

I would change them out, and call it a day...........my frustration level would muck up any project after that.

 

[scoflaw]

Sure as hell don't have to change them annually.

 

[mnm99]

Just installed my new Hardin Marine water pump.

I just wanted to vent and say, "I absolutely hate changing out my impeller & changing out the water pump" . What PIA. What a poor design when you need annual access to your 2005 Bravo 3/ 5.0 mpi Mercruiser..

....runs great tho.....

Got no sympathy here...As said in the other post. Try 8.1, Port motor V-drives....LOL . On another note..How do you like the pumps? How was it to change the impeller itself?

 

[OllieC]

Got no sympathy here...As said in the other post. Try 8.1, Port motor V-drives....LOL . On another note..How do you like the pumps? How was it to change the impeller itself?

I like the pump and it looks good (when out). It's also lighter. As far as changing the impeller, it's the same. The cool factor is if the wear plate wheres out, you can replace it.

 

[mnm99]

I like the pump and it looks good (when out). It's also lighter. As far as changing the impeller, it's the same. The cool factor is if the wear plate wheres out, you can replace it.

I have 2 of them too. I'm on my second season. I'm going to wait until the end of the 3rd to replace the impellers . So far they are doing well.

 

[OllieC]

They are pretty!
I only have one.......

 

[mobocracy]

Just installed my new Hardin Marine water pump.

I just wanted to vent and say, "I absolutely hate changing out my impeller & changing out the water pump" . What PIA. What a poor design when you need annual access to your 2005 Bravo 3/ 5.0 mpi Mercruiser..

....runs great tho.....

I agree that it's a poor design, but I'm curious what the engineering solution to it is.

• Is it merely some way of mounting the pump higher on the block so the existing pump is more accessible, or does that lead to problems because the pump has to contend with more head to draw water?
• Just a better pump physical design, that makes impeller access easier?
• Taking the pump motive power from the crankshaft instead of the V-belt? This would be an improvement for stern drives, but for V-drives is it practical -- and I'm sure Mercury wants a universal pumping solution that doesn't require significant mechanical changes for V-drives vs. Stern drives.
• How about an electrically driven pump to remove it from belt/crank mounting requirements. Probably more complicated and may require a bigger alternator to provide drive current, along with failure modes that would allow the engine to run but the pump to fail.
• How about a different type of pumping/impeller system? An impeller that doesn't wear so quickly? I think part of the reason that the "disposable" rubber impellers are used is that they create suction pretty easily, so some kind of bronze impeller may have priming limits.

I keep thinking that there's a better way to do this, but they have been discarded by Mercury as too complicated or too vessel-dependent since the existing system "works" and the complications and limitations on the existing design can just be dumped onto the end user. It's not made easier by the in-house capture provided by there being basically zero competition for most Brunswick boat brands, they have no choice but to use whatever Mercury puts forward, resulting Mercury having little incentive to design anything better when their major OEMs have to use their products.

What do you get for water pumping when you spend the big bucks on one of their top-end boats? The same kind of setup, just whatever variation Cummins uses?

 

[mnm99]

How about Volvo's pump. Its mounted right to the crank pulley. It's easy to get to and works. I was going to convert mine at one point, but would be too much work.

 

[mobocracy]

How about Volvo's pump. Its mounted right to the crank pulley. It's easy to get to and works. I was going to convert mine at one point, but would be too much work.

Would that work in a V-drive setup? I always assumed those engines were rotated 180 degrees so the pulleys are stern facing, it might not have enough clearance to fit, and I'd wager that the bean counters want the engines pretty much usable for either stern or v-drive use with as little modification as possible, hence mounting it like an alternator allows the same engine to work in either application.

 

[rondds]

Crusader figured out how to do it a better way too. Helped a friend replace his on his Carver. EZPZ.

 

[mnm99]

Would that work in a V-drive setup? I always assumed those engines were rotated 180 degrees so the pulleys are stern facing, it might not have enough clearance to fit, and I'd wager that the bean counters want the engines pretty much usable for either stern or v-drive use with as little modification as possible, hence mounting it like an alternator allows the same engine to work in either application.

Plenty of room.