Paper gasket enough for impeller cover?

py26129 · Jan 26, 2015

When I changed my impeller (3gmF) last year, I used only the paper gasket and did not have a leak after. You will want to make sure that both mating surfaces a clean and smooth.

Cheers

Matt

woodster · Jan 26, 2015

check the shaft seal on the pump and make sure its not leaking ...and make sure your cover plate is clean and flat ...you can do this by laying down so sand paper on a flat surface and laying the cover plate on it and swirling it around on the paper in effect surface sanding the plate...if you have voids in the plate after doing this you may need to turn it over and use the other side

seadaddler · Jan 26, 2015

Sealer

It can't hurt to use a auto gasket sealer of silicon on it and after
cleaning both surfaces real good try just paper and if it the cover is leaking
and not the shaft and how that works but if you think the cover is still leaking
a little auto sealer the tube type maybe it is blue color would be good for sealing
any gaps just like I did with auto parts needing sealer.
Just a little auto tube sealer where the gasket would go always did the trick years ago and did not worry if the paper gasket lined up good.
My pump uses a rubber o ring but check the shaft also for leaking and I did rebuild my pump because the shaft seal had a pretty good dripping and hope
yours just has a cover leak.
Nick

Alan Gomes · Jan 26, 2015

Starrfish said:
I have a yanmar 1gm and a chronic drip from around the impeller cover. A little I could live with but this is pretty steady. I took off cover off impeller housing and am set to replace the thin paper gasket. Do I also need to smear it with gasket compound to beef up the hold?

I also have a 1GM and get some water weeping from the cover when I use just the paper gasket. The fix is very simple: Just brush some Permatex gasket sealer on both side of the paper gasket before installation. If the leak is simply from the cover plate then that should solve your problem.

Tim R. · Jan 26, 2015

Use only a very thin coating of permatex. Really just enough to wet the gasket with a thin film. You do not want that oozing out and getting into your heat exchanger.

Or you could avoid this altogether by installing a speedseal cover which utilizes a re-usable O-ring and thumb screws.

Alan Gomes · Jan 26, 2015

Tim R. said:
Use only a very thin coating of permatex. Really just enough to wet the gasket with a thin film. You do not want that oozing out and getting into your heat exchanger.

Or you could avoid this altogether by installing a speedseal cover which utilizes a re-usable O-ring and thumb screws.

Yes, a thin coating is all I use and it works fine.

centerline · Jan 26, 2015

I have seen where the impeller cover was dropped and it caused a ding in the edge of the cover... this ding was enough to cause a raised area that prevented the cover from fitting absolutely flat against its mating surface, causing a drip that could only be prevented with sealer.... making sure the surfaces are perfectly flat with one another will insure the paper gasket is plenty without the use of any additional sealers.

I am not a proponent of gluing the surfaces together with sealers when the job can be accomplished perfectly without it.

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 27, 2015

I liked what Woodster suggested if it is the shaft seal leaking.

If so, is it a Sherwood pump?
If so, they're designed for failure.

Compare the parts list between this & Oberdorfer pumps. Sherwood has 21 parts,
just look at this to see why I feel this is an inferior pump. The Oberdorfer pump has
fewer parts & a better design.

I had the shaft seals fail in two new Sherwood pumps. They lasted less then two years each.
I changed to the matching Oberdorfer pump & have never a problem since.

I did change my impeller at sea once & used a waxed paper bag for a gasket, it's still there. As for using any caulking, for me, I wouldn't. Then you will need to clean this off when changing to a new impeller. It is not designed for caulking. Maybe a plastic bag could also work as a gasket. Maybe I'll try this for the next changeout.

CR

woodster · Jan 27, 2015

there is a slot on the shaft housing between the pulley and the pump body if it is leaking you will see water coming out of it