Accessing the raw water pump?

Jul 9, 2015
20
Catalina 34 Mk II Toronto
I'm working on a friend's 1971 C&C 35 Mk 1. The boat has an atomic 4 engine. The water pump is on the back of the engine with no decent access. It looks like you can access the back of the engine via the starboard cockpit locker - but it appears one of the PO's may have installed a DYI plywood bulkhead there. My question is does anyone know if the original design of the C&C 35 Mk I had access to the back of the engine via the SB cockpit locker? I am thinking about installing an inspection port on this bulkhead to provide access to the water pump. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
You do indeed need decent access to the water pump because an impeller replacement is pretty common, both for maintenance and in anger. A suitably sized inspection port sounds like a good idea to me. (I know nothing about the C&C 35 tho)

Moyer (all things A4) makes a thumbscrew attached back plate for the A4 which makes impeller changes easier.
MMI back plate kit – moyermarine

In the ~8 years I had an A4 powered boat I never lost a vane off of an impeller. The center of the impeller spinning out was always my failure mode. Always changed in anger.
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
The C&C 30 haa removable plywood panels on either side of the engine inside the lockers. They slide vertically into a slot between 2 strips of wood.

I would think that C&C would have done similar on the 35 ?
Post photos maybe ?

FWIW i saw a 30 where a previous owner had effectively glued them in place by painting them without removing them. Hard to tell that they were meant to be removable