RW Pump impeller. To pull or not to pull?

[bawlmer]

Fellow Sailors. I have a Westerbeke W20B. I have heard many comments about removing the impeller from the raw water pump after you pump the raw water system full of anti freeze. Has anyone done this? Do you lose your antifreeze if you open the pump? Also is it easier to remove the cover of the pump while it is attached to the engine or remove the pump from the engine entirely to pull the impeller. Is this even worth doing? All wisdom is greatly appreciated. Thanks...Steve

 

[LakeOntario270]

News to me that should be done. To get at the raw water impeller you have to remove the oil filter, now that's a mess.

 

[Maine Sail]

Fellow Sailors. I have a Westerbeke W20B. I have heard many comments about removing the impeller from the raw water pump after you pump the raw water system full of anti freeze. Has anyone done this? Do you lose your antifreeze if you open the pump? Also is it easier to remove the cover of the pump while it is attached to the engine or remove the pump from the engine entirely to pull the impeller. Is this even worth doing? All wisdom is greatly appreciated. Thanks...Steve

Yes I pull my impeller and replace it each spring. Last years impeller becomes a spare. Takes less than 10 minutes round trip and costs less than $20.00... Just pull the 5 screws on the cover plate off and pull the impeller. Cheap insurance... I order gaskets 6 at a tome and they are dirt cheap and good to have on hand. Never a bad idea to have a spare cover plate on-hand too. Some AF will drain out but no worries as there is not any freezable water left in the system once you've run AF through it.... There is nothing to rust on the RW side of the system..

 

[bawlmer]

Thanks very much for your response. I will put that on my list of things to do. Probably today or tomorrow as things are beginning to get cold here on the Chesapeake.

 

[Meriachee]

Besides that, if you pull the impeller while the block is full of the rv antifreeze, the stuff leaks all over the place. Much better to do the pump in the spring. You are far better off to do the oil before you put it away, as leaving the old oil in the pan over the winter offers a great opportunity for the solids in the oil to settle and solidify in the pan.

 

[Meriachee]

....and yeah, the oil filter is smack dab in the way of getting the pump cover off!

 

[bawlmer]

Funny you mentioned oil. The more I read up on this the more I hear about how important it is to change your oil BEFORE you put it up for the winter. I ordered an oil filter today. Should be here Tuesday. I am adding that to my winterizing list.

 

[dilligaf]

Replacing the impellor is a pain at the dock but I find it much more disagreeable at sea just before entering the Marina.
Bill

 

[Meriachee]

The little knurled heads on the speed seal bolts are an interesting alternative to the goofy little cap screws from the factory, but given the clearances involved, there's value to that solution, even if it's only access..

 

[Meriachee]

Fram makes a direct replacement, and there's 2 versions. One of them is a "high mileage" one, that costs about 12 bucks, and has a much finer filter element. This is perfect for our purposes, not that these engines have high mileage, but they are operating in a very nasty environment - they sit still for long periods of time then go like hell for a short period of time. A higher quality filter is always a good thing.