I recently bought a Catalina 27 with an Atomic 4 (my first boat with an inboard engine). I have read and heard that the raw water cooling pump impeller should be changed annually, but I have heard much longer intervals as well and the manual doesn't list a recommended interval under the maintenance section. I would like to know what other people use as their standard practice and why (i.e., I have a book that recommends, dealer, experience with failure, etc.) I don't want to replace something that may have years of service left, but don't want to risk having the imeller fail either. Thanks!
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LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina
Here's a thought
If you're at all concerned about failure, replace the old with new but keep the old as a spare if it's still in good condition. This would of course be a temporary spare but spares are a good thing. Also, I'm pretty sure (although I'm an admitted engine idiot) they should last considerably longer than one year. If you want to leave it in to see how long it'll last, be sure to keep spares on board just in case! LaDonna
If you're at all concerned about failure, replace the old with new but keep the old as a spare if it's still in good condition. This would of course be a temporary spare but spares are a good thing. Also, I'm pretty sure (although I'm an admitted engine idiot) they should last considerably longer than one year. If you want to leave it in to see how long it'll last, be sure to keep spares on board just in case! LaDonna
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Robert Fischer
annual change
I sail in the New York area where the boat is laid up for 6 months out of the year. During the winter lay up a perfectly good impeller can develop a set.I replace it every spring after launching. If you sail year round changing the impeller every 150 hours is probably a good practice.
I sail in the New York area where the boat is laid up for 6 months out of the year. During the winter lay up a perfectly good impeller can develop a set.I replace it every spring after launching. If you sail year round changing the impeller every 150 hours is probably a good practice.
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Ray keenan
Spares
This is just my thought on spares, but if I have a spare I want it to be "new". If I thought I could use it as a spare... I would not replace it... I just bought a Hunter and the owner replaced what he thought was a "new" impeller. Unfortunately I found out he put in a good "spare" because it looked like new and a blade came off about 1/2 way across the Rappahannock River.A little harder to replace in 2' sea's than at the dock... Just my thought...
This is just my thought on spares, but if I have a spare I want it to be "new". If I thought I could use it as a spare... I would not replace it... I just bought a Hunter and the owner replaced what he thought was a "new" impeller. Unfortunately I found out he put in a good "spare" because it looked like new and a blade came off about 1/2 way across the Rappahannock River.A little harder to replace in 2' sea's than at the dock... Just my thought...
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Ray keenan
Atomic 4 Impeller
Is your impeller Rubber or metalic.. I believe some later models are rubber. Also there is a fitting (grease cup) for putting in water pump grease. If it doesn't have one.. put a strainer on the raw water inlet side.
Is your impeller Rubber or metalic.. I believe some later models are rubber. Also there is a fitting (grease cup) for putting in water pump grease. If it doesn't have one.. put a strainer on the raw water inlet side.
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Peter Clancy
Impeller Longevity Record?
I believe if an engine is regularly used (and not laid up for a long period of time)the impeller can last much longer than a year! I bought a new 31' French (Kelt) sailboat in 1983 with a Yanmar 2GM raw-water cooled diesel engine. Never checked or replaced the impeller until 1998 when I had to replace the original water and exhaust hoses. The 15-year+ old impeller was intact and pliable except for a cracked, but not broken, vane.
I believe if an engine is regularly used (and not laid up for a long period of time)the impeller can last much longer than a year! I bought a new 31' French (Kelt) sailboat in 1983 with a Yanmar 2GM raw-water cooled diesel engine. Never checked or replaced the impeller until 1998 when I had to replace the original water and exhaust hoses. The 15-year+ old impeller was intact and pliable except for a cracked, but not broken, vane.
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Eric Lorgus
I agree with Ray about used "spares"
Rick: Rubber impellers have a wide variance of service lives. Excessive heat and/or running dry shorten their life expectancy. The advice about one year is a conservative approach that will likely avoid unexpected failures, which as was Ray's experience, tend to occur at inconvenient times. My mechanic recommends replacing them every 2-3 years for my Yanmar 2GM20F. If, however, your engine overheats because of a clogged water inlet (or because you forgot to open its seacock), you may want to replace the impeller as a precaution. It may seem like an unnecessary expense at the time, but I've found that $30 (the cost of a Yanmar kit that includes a new impeller among other things) spent on preventative maintenance is cheaper in the long run than a breakdown. As for Ray's comment about holding onto used impellers as spares, I absolutely agree with him about NOT doing this. Your first spare impeller (and you should ALWAYS have a spare on board, along with tools) should be NEW. If you want to keep some used ones as backup spares, okay. But remember used impellers are just that. If you use them again, they may last anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 years. It's the 5 minutes you have to worry about.
Rick: Rubber impellers have a wide variance of service lives. Excessive heat and/or running dry shorten their life expectancy. The advice about one year is a conservative approach that will likely avoid unexpected failures, which as was Ray's experience, tend to occur at inconvenient times. My mechanic recommends replacing them every 2-3 years for my Yanmar 2GM20F. If, however, your engine overheats because of a clogged water inlet (or because you forgot to open its seacock), you may want to replace the impeller as a precaution. It may seem like an unnecessary expense at the time, but I've found that $30 (the cost of a Yanmar kit that includes a new impeller among other things) spent on preventative maintenance is cheaper in the long run than a breakdown. As for Ray's comment about holding onto used impellers as spares, I absolutely agree with him about NOT doing this. Your first spare impeller (and you should ALWAYS have a spare on board, along with tools) should be NEW. If you want to keep some used ones as backup spares, okay. But remember used impellers are just that. If you use them again, they may last anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 years. It's the 5 minutes you have to worry about.
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