Ever since I cleaned my strainer ...

[Scott T-Bird]

Well, I lost the rubber gasket at the top of the stainer, stupid me. Could this allow enough air infiltration to interfere with the water flow? I had no problems with water flow, but I was looking around at all of the sea grass floating everywhere so I decided to check the strainer. Sure enough, it was full of sea grass. In the process of emptying the contents, well, you guessed it.
Ever since, the water flow has been weak. It was like a switch was turned off. The issue is weak flow and frequent expulsion of hissing air thru the exhaust. I won't run at any speed greater than about 2000 rpm under this condition.
I changed my impeller, because it was over due and I figured that was the problem. Nope, didn't help. All the usual places have clear, full stream of water and I didn't find any clogs anywhere upstream or downstream from the strainer. The hose is in good shape and reinforced so it isn't collapsing. The strainer is Groco WSB 1000.
If it's not that dang gasket (impatiently waiting for replacement parts), I guess I have to check the mixing elbow and thereabouts, not that I'm looking forward to it. I can't imagine that the mixing elbow could be a problem after just 135 engine hours or thereabouts. Any thoughts?

 

[Rich Stidger]

I'm pretty sure the missing gasket is to blame. Don't frustrate yourself doing other unnecessary work until you get the gasket.

 

[jon hansen]

Scott T-Bird, up here on the lakes we too have weed issues. i have had to disconnect my hose at the stainer and the insert the nossel of my dinghy foot pump and reverse blow, blowing air out the seacock.. have had to clear weeds ten times over the years and once a small fish. this info may or may not apply to your needs

 

[jon hansen]

when the hose was disconnected, and of course this is all below the water line , it was obvious the the inflow was less then expected to me.

 

[jon hansen]

one time i had to go overboard and pick the seacock from the outside with a wire probe while reverse purging. all weeds

 

[Scott T-Bird]

one time i had to go overboard and pick the seacock from the outside with a wire probe while reverse purging. all weeds

I had to do that last year. The thru hull has an annoying 90 degree bend so it is very difficult to find a way to clear it from the topside sometimes. So far this year, I've not had a clog in the thru hull.

 

[Ted]

While you're waiting for your new gasket to arrive, check the missing gasket theory by disconnecting the outflow hose from your strainer and place it in a bucket of water. Run the engine an see if there is an improvement in flow. I bet it will be better.

 

[Mark Maulden]

What Rich said...

 

[Gunni]

Those gaskets are easy to lose when you tap out the contents of the strainer cup. Zip tie an extra gasket onto the strainer bracket.

 

[jibes138]

Scott, you can buy gasket material at an ACE hardware store and make your own as a jury rig until you get the real deal. Just cut it out with scissors and it should keep you going. They sell a kit with a variety of thicknesses, just flat sheets of material. If it is round use a compass to trace it out to the right diameter.

 

[capta]

I believe those use cork gaskets. As Dave said above, buy the material at an auto parts store and cut your own.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Thanks for the assurances!
It looks like WM has the correct rubber gaskets for this model of strainer so I ordered spares. This model has all plastic components ... I think the cork gaskets are for models that are bronze and glass. One of the weird things I noticed is that once the gasket disappeared and I continued to use the strainer cup without it, the plastic cup now appears to have crazed completely ... not something that I noticed before. I also saw that they recommend a plastic strainer for salt water, rather than the ss mesh strainer, which is what I have now (without any sign of degradation). I figured I may as well order an entire new strainer assembly, since the cup alone is almost the same price. The sum of the components separately is about $30 more than a complete assembly.
Another thing I notice is the god-awful smell of the contents inside that strainer when there is sea grass in there. It is far worse than the contents of the holding tank!

 

[Gunni]

Nah, the crazed strainer cup is likely from the PG antifreeze you used last winter. Thinwater the Chemistry Guru recommends EG for the engine loop.

 

[Ron20324]

...Another thing I notice is the god-awful smell of the contents inside that strainer when there is sea grass in there. It is far worse than the contents of the holding tank!

And THAT is what Peggy wants us to keep out of the rim of our toilet bowls!!!

 

[Jake N Eggs]

I did the same thing in the middle of the lake when the temp alarm went off. I found a bigger o-ring on board and cut it to size, glued the ends and it worked. I have spare gaskets and a spare strainer complete now so I will probably never have another issue.

The strainer is on the suction side of the pump and the pump will draw air more easily than drawing the water. With air being drawn in the efficiency is lowered and this results in low water flow. New gasket will resolve the issue.

 

[capta]

I don't think anything stinks as bad as dead sea creatures. Even if you can't see them, they are in there stinking things up, if they die.
Ask anyone who has sucked a small fish into their head intake. Nothing will get you thinking more about fresh water for flushing your head, quicker than that one.

 

[MitchM]

carry some form A Gasket from the auto parts store. it will get you home.. it's also useful if you take apart your heat exchanger and tear up the little $20 weird yan mar gasket and don't want' to wait 3 weeks in the channel for the next shipment from japan.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Yesterday I bought a couple of O-rings to try. Both were just slightly larger than the cup circumference so I had to trim them. The first had a round profile that was too large for the groove. I tried it and it made matters worse (water leaking everywhere and still too much air infiltration. The second had a square profile and fit within the groove pretty well. This one worked so we went out sailing for a few hours until the greenheads and the fierce thermals kicked-in. Sailing downwind was nice, except for the greenheads. Upwind cleared away the flies as they don't withstand the 25 knot apparent. But we were blown away by the wind and heat. This appears to be the Barnegat Bay new normal.

 

[sailnoproblem]

Greenheads in the bay are normal, especially in the Barnegat twp. area and south. It's to bad cause the bay is a great sailing area. I just carry a good supply of OFF DEEP WOODS.
To tell you the truth sometimes OFF doesn't work either. I have tried a ton of home made concoctions, but nothing seems to work all the time. Those little bastards can ruin a great sail.

 

[jibes138]

I was sailing south about 150 miles east of New Jersey once and the flies were horrible. What are they doing in the middle of the ocean? My son started ranting about spontaneous generation.