Water Pump Impellor

S

Sdiring

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May 4, 2018
11
Hunter Legend 40.5 Milwaukee Yacht Club
Bought a 1993 Hunter Legend 40.5 two seasons ago. I was wondering about the frequency for checking/replacing the water pump impellor. The previous owner had two spares on board. Is this something that can be done in the water?

Thanks for any advice.
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,358
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
It can definitely be done in the water. Close the seacock first for good measure. I think it’s good practice to check at least yearly. Looks like you’re in a northern climate, so I’d recommend checking it when you winterize. Depending on engine hours every couple years I’d pull it out after winterizing and put a fresh one in at springtime. You can keep a couple old ones as spares. I’ve had impellers last 5+ seasons and also fail after less than 2.
 
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Rick D

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,172
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Sdiring said:
Bought a 1993 Hunter Legend 40.5 two seasons ago. I was wondering about the frequency for checking/replacing the water pump impellor. The previous owner had two spares on board. Is this something that can be done in the water?

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand
Check the manual. I recall 400 hours. I replace mine about every three years which is usually less.
 
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Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,049
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I change my engine raw water impeller every 250 hours, but have never had an impeller failure where vanes were broken. OTOH, my generator has had many impeller failures so I change it every 175 hours or so. I do check the water output flow and if it seems low, I check the impeller.
 
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S

Sdiring

.
May 4, 2018
11
Hunter Legend 40.5 Milwaukee Yacht Club
Davidasailor26 said:
It can definitely be done in the water. Close the seacock first for good measure. I think it’s good practice to check at least yearly. Looks like you’re in a northern climate, so I’d recommend checking it when you winterize. Depending on engine hours every couple years I’d pull it out after winterizing and put a fresh one in at springtime. You can keep a couple old ones as spares. I’ve had impellers last 5+ seasons and also fail after less than 2.
Click to expand
I don't see a seacock for the engine water flow on the drawings or on the boat.
 
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S

Sdiring

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May 4, 2018
11
Hunter Legend 40.5 Milwaukee Yacht Club
Rick D said:
Check the manual. I recall 400 hours. I replace mine about every three years which is usually less.
Click to expand
Not sure when it was last changed. Only about 1100 hours on the engine.
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

.
May 17, 2004
5,358
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Sdiring said:
I don't see a seacock for the engine water flow on the drawings or on the boat.
Click to expand
It’d be pretty unusual (and dangerous) to not have a seacock on a water intake like that. Trace the hose backwards from the pump and I bet it goes to a strainer and onward to a through hull with a valve. In the unlikely case that there’s no seacock you can still probably check the impeller in the water. If needed just pull the intake hose off the pump and tie the end of it up above the waterline, which it might even already be. But if there is not seacock be careful with the hose, as its failure below the waterline will let in water without any way of stopping it. Maybe have a tapered wooden bung nearby if you’re particularly paranoid.

It’s best practice (though maybe not universal) to close all below waterline seacocks when leaving the boat unattended. Failed hoses are one of the more common ways boats sink in their slip.
 
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Scott B

Scott B

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Sep 20, 2006
2,939
Hunter 33 Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Sdiring said:
I don't see a seacock for the engine water flow on the drawings or on the boat.
Click to expand
I would highly reccomend you locate it and all the thru-hulls on the boat. You never know when a hose may fail that you'll need to close the thru-hull. You should also clean your intake screen at least yearly on winterization and know where to locate in case of a clog and reduces water flow.

I would also suggest replacing or at least inpsecting the impeller. Age is also a factor for the rubber to dry out and become brittle. Cost of a new one is much less than consequences of it failing.
 
K

keswift1

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May 19, 2013
5
hunter 34 Pasadena, MD
The thru hull, shut off and filter are in the center locker under the mattress in the aft cabin. The shut off should be closed every time you leave the boat for a period if time. This is also where my fuel filter is. (Legend 40.5 1995). When I bought my boat the impeller was shredded and melted into the water pump requiring a thorough clearing of all cooling lines including the oil cooler. I did this by using a shop vac and sucking out all scraps of rubber after disconnecting all points I could. The melted impeller I had to cut out with a knife in small chunks being careful to avoid damaging the pump body. My initial thought was to remove the pump but that appeared to involve lifting the engine off its mounts with questionable results when trying to line things back up. Eric
 
A

artboas

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Jun 1, 2009
1,788
Hunter 49 toronto
Suggestion….,
Whenever you close your engine intake through hull, take your engine key, and tape it to the through hull handle.
 
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