Impeller- yikes!

[Kaiguy702 8]

Hey guys just swapped impeller today. Had 1 season/45 hrs on it. It's been sitting in an a/c rv garage for 5 mos since last day in the lake. Is this normal looking???

[Kaiguy702 8]

Well that didn't work... it won't let me post the picture!

[Cdifranco 463]

Well that didn't work... it won't let me post the picture!

use tapatalk. easier to post photos that way

[Lak3surf3r 714]

use tapatalk. easier to post photos that way

I actually think theres an issue with the site. I havent been able to upload pics from my phone nor the computer to a post or even in a PM in a few days. I PM'd the crew admim to check.

[Kaiguy702 8]

 

Downloaded tapatalk...

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited April 3, 2017 by Kaiguy702

[Lak3surf3r 714]

Downloaded tapatalk... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Woof, thats not getting much water in to anything lol. Glad you got it swapped before it happened on the water! I still cant upload pics lol glad you got tapatalk to work. Only 324kb but mine just says:

Resized_20170324_181609.jpg

This upload failed

[Cwazy1 89]

Thats pretty bent up.

 

Another reason the impeller is recommended to be pulled out during winterization.

 

My old boat had the impeller explode during the first outing of the new season. After that, I told myself I'll definitely be pulling the impeller pre-winter to inspect and keep lubricated.

[CO Surfer 289]

I'd be throwing that sucker in the trash.

[Kaiguy702 8]

I'd be throwing that sucker in the trash.

Lol of course we did! Put new one in and have another new one we keep in the boat as a spare.

[Hein 63]

annual maintenance item.

[stoked 1,039]

Lol of course we did! Put new one in and have another new one we keep in the boat as a spare.

 

As to why it looks like that with only 45 hours, did you run it dry at all? Fire it up while on the trailer with no water hook up? Maybe forgot to open the water valve? That's not normal for 45 hours. I had something similar at 50 hours and that was because I left a piece out of my flush hit and I had trouble pulling antifreeze through the system which caused it to run semi-dry for extended periods.

[jester 111]

Short answer not normal. I think Stoked has the right questions. If all of them are no then I would pull the new one at 30 hours and see if it is looking the same. You can get a $30 fiber optic camera from amazon that connects to your cell phone and do your own inspection. What boat do you have and how old is it? you might need a good flush on your hoses.

[Shaka 146]

I think an impeller every year is overkill. I've been getting about three years out of them and I'm at the lake at least once a week. When I get around to pulling them I'm hard pressed to find any wear.

[InfinitySurf 302]

I have had similar experience with my impellers...never had one go out on me in 15+ years of servicing my own boats. I think the point tho is too check them out each year since its not that hard to do and a $40 part going out from wear can cost you a $10k repair if you are not careful. A lot of newer boats have alarms and all that crap (including mine)....but even tho I have never had an issue, I still would not take a chance.

 

Stoked...I had something similar happen to me when re-winterizing a few weeks ago cause we got a cold snap after I had already splashed my boat and didnt want to take a chance. I could not get my anti-freeze to suck in for a little while (even tho I had inserted the plastic piece you mentioned to push down the ball). I ran boat for about 45 seconds...2-3 times and then shut it down when it would not suck it thru. Finally on 4th try, it worked and pulled in the anti-freeze.

I stressed the fact that I may have hurt the brand new stinking impeller and have been thinking I should check it since that happened. I actually ordered a new one which will arrive this week and plan to pull it and check. If good, I will leave it alone since I like to keep a spare anyway. But...on Sunday I took the boat out for around 4hrs and had zero issues, so think I got lucky and did not hurt it.

Always wondered how long you gotta run it dry before it hurts it. This is first time something like that has happened to me and made me re-think my "bucket ape" compared to a machine that will force the anti-freeze thru. Anway, I will pull it next week and check it out to be sure.

[stoked 1,039]

I have had similar experience with my impellers...never had one go out on me in 15+ years of servicing my own boats. I think the point tho is too check them out each year since its not that hard to do and a $40 part going out from wear can cost you a $10k repair if you are not careful. A lot of newer boats have alarms and all that crap (including mine)....but even tho I have never had an issue, I still would not take a chance.

 

Stoked...I had something similar happen to me when re-winterizing a few weeks ago cause we got a cold snap after I had already splashed my boat and didnt want to take a chance. I could not get my anti-freeze to suck in for a little while (even tho I had inserted the plastic piece you mentioned to push down the ball). I ran boat for about 45 seconds...2-3 times and then shut it down when it would not suck it thru. Finally on 4th try, it worked and pulled in the anti-freeze.

I stressed the fact that I may have hurt the brand new stinking impeller and have been thinking I should check it since that happened. I actually ordered a new one which will arrive this week and plan to pull it and check. If good, I will leave it alone since I like to keep a spare anyway. But...on Sunday I took the boat out for around 4hrs and had zero issues, so think I got lucky and did not hurt it.

Always wondered how long you gotta run it dry before it hurts it. This is first time something like that has happened to me and made me re-think my "bucket ape" compared to a machine that will force the anti-freeze thru. Anway, I will pull it next week and check it out to be sure.

 

 

The year I had the problem I bought that pump off of amazon. It pushed 5 gallons of antifreeze through in about 45 seconds. You have to take the impeller out, drain everything, then push. But you're most likely doing all of that anyway.

 

I will say, however, putting in that piece solved my issue. In fact, I just leave it in all the time now since I always screw the lid on the flush at the transom. Which is what got me into trouble in the first place, looking back through photos my previous boat, that I bought used, it always had it in, which is why I didn't know about it. So now I'm back on the bucket ape and it worked like a champ.

 

I'm also leaving it in all the time now because end of season last year I tried to unscrew the top to put that little piece in for winterizing and ended up cracking the white part. So after ordering and installing another flush kit last month, it just always stays in now.

Edited April 5, 2017 by stoked

[Kaiguy702 8]

 

Lol of course we did! Put new one in and have another new one we keep in the boat as a spare.

 

 

 

As to why it looks like that with only 45 hours, did you run it dry at all? Fire it up while on the trailer with no water hook up? Maybe forgot to open the water valve? That's not normal for 45 hours. I had something similar at 50 hours and that was because I left a piece out of my flush hit and I had trouble pulling antifreeze through the system which caused it to run semi-dry for extended periods.

 

Never ran dry- except for bumping it when we get it on the trailer for 1/2 a second to get all the water out.

I'm going to pull this new one out at around 10 hours and see what it looks like.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kaiguy702 8]

Short answer not normal. I think Stoked has the right questions. If all of them are no then I would pull the new one at 30 hours and see if it is looking the same. You can get a $30 fiber optic camera from amazon that connects to your cell phone and do your own inspection. What boat do you have and how old is it? you might need a good flush on your hoses.

 

It's a 14 fx44. 60 hrs... the impeller had around 50 I think

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[South Shore Marina NJ 99]

Never ran dry- except for bumping it when we get it on the trailer for 1/2 a second to get all the water out. I'm going to pull this new one out at around 10 hours and see what it looks like. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

What do you mean "bumping it to get all the water out" ? If you're starting it on the trailer with no water, that could very well be your problem. As soon as these things run dry the neoprene has no lubrication and builds heat and will chew them up in a hurry. It doesn't take much.

[Kaiguy702 8]

 

What do you mean "bumping it to get all the water out" ? If you're starting it on the trailer with no water, that could very well be your problem. As soon as these things run dry the neoprene has no lubrication and builds heat and will chew them up in a hurry. It doesn't take much.

By "bump" I mean I start/turn the motor over until it fires- once it fires up I shut it off. So .5 a second maybe. Gets water out... is this unnecessary? lol

I know it def didn't cause my impeller to be flat like it is... I personally think the dealer I bought it from never changed the impeller and it sat for two years like that. Tracker boats bass pro shop in Houston.

[CO Surfer 289]

I would stop doing what you're doing by starting it on the trailer but I would be surprised if that was the issue. I remember now that you bought that boat from Tracker where it had been sitting on the lot for a while.

Who knows what they might have done while it was on the lot. I see zero reason to try to get the water out by starting it out of the water though.