Jesse, Do you have any more advice/pictures of the Oberdorfer pump modification/installation?
I'm assuming the newly drilled hole will need to be close but not "perfect". As in the pump seems to have a rim/ridge that centers the tang.
Did you have to cut the other portions of the base off?
Did you have to buy different bolts to mount it?
When installing it, did you keep it loose and start the motor to center it? Like the manual said to do with the Sherwood pump?
I noticed on your web site you used a few elbows to get the hoses to line up. Do you think you could have done it with fewer if others were available?
Again any other advice would be much appreciated. I just went to change my impeller yesterday and found the housing of the Sherwood leaking...
Thanks, MM
Here is the thread on when I made the switch.
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=139566&highlight=sherwood
To answer some of your questions, I used tracing paper and a pencil to make a template of the mounting and bolt hole locations. I then cut the base with an angle grinder to match and made the bolt hole (used one of the existing bolt holes).
I did buy some new bolts to use. I wanted them to be a little longer than the ones on the Sherwood pump. I got SS bolts from the bolt depo (local store that sells good quality bolts).
I had the cover off while I was installing the pump and found it was easy to give the impeller a little spin to get the pump and motor aligned.
The way to cut down on the elbows/fittings is to use the N203M-16 pump. That will have larger openings (3/4" I think?, same as the Sherwood pump). I discovered after I already started to alter my pump that I had the N203M-15 and that has smaller openings.
Hope that helped. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Good luck and fair winds.
Jesse