(How to correctly change your raw water impeller)
Life is filled with little joys. The joy of waking up to a bright, sunny morning. The joy of receiving that part/gadget/tool/toy you ordered arriving a few days early, and lets not forget, the joy of setting you boat on a specific heading and laying back on the high side with a rum in one have and a fishing line trolling off the stern. Yes, life is filled with may little thing to be happy and wonder about. Unfortunately, for me, I did not have any of those things this past weekend. My last two days were filled with skin sheering sharp edges, hallucinogenic fumes, and feats of acrobatic contortions that would impress and concern a Cirque du Soleil performer.
In other words, I was changing Soul’s fluids and filters. Now I don’t consider myself a noob with engines and vehicles. I have done most repairs and fluid changes on my previous cars and motorcycles. I was completely confident in my abilities to tackle a small diesel engine. I read all the material I could find online and watched every related video. On the way to the boat, I told myself, “Piece of cake; I got this.” I did get it (sort of), only, someone should have left the cake in the oven for a little while longer before I was took a bite.
I had three jobs to complete in order to start the engine. I had to replace the raw water impeller; change the oil; and replace the oil and fuel filters. Furthermore, I wanted to complete those jobs in an efficient and neat manner which would allow me to pat myself on the back and gloat about my superior mechanical aptitude to my friends, family and you, my online reader. Instead, I left Soul on Sunday sore, bewildered and humbled. On the up side, my sailor’s vocabulary has increased dramatically. I’d share an example of the same, were it not for my concern that merely typing some of the words may cause our respective computer screens to explode.
The first job I tackled was the raw water impeller. The procedure to replace it is relatively simple and benign. You just remove a few screws, pry off the retaining plate, check the impeller for a retaining clip, if one is present, remove it, and then remove the impeller being careful not to remove the shaft. Afterward, you reinstall it in the reverse order. As you can see the impeller was due for replacement.
Now did you pay notice to the last part of the disassembly procedure? The part about being careful not to remove the shaft? A few website make reference this same warning, but do not go on to explain, why there should be a need for caution. Worry not, for I will tell you my you should avoid removing the shaft based upon my first hand experience of unintentionally removing the same.
You may have observed that the impeller had a keyed section where it fits on to the shaft. The new impeller can be difficult to replace as the fit is extremely tight and, in my case, impossible to view from any helpful angle. Some people will cover the new impeller in petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to make if fit easier. I chose not to since the petroleum jelly is not water-soluble and will slowly eat away at the silicon. Well, if you do not take care to properly align the keyed portion of the impeller with the shaft, the impeller may become stuck upon said shaft. You will then be required to remove and re-align the impeller. At that point, the impeller will pull the shaft out with it, and engine oil will begin pouring down into your bilge.
At this point you’re probably wondering, “What ever shall I do? My bilge is filling with oil and I’m staring at the shaft I inadvertently pulled out realizing that I should not have done so.” Here’s what you do. These required steps in managing this particular situation. You are allowed 2 seconds of confusion and blind panic as you come to the evident conclusion that you have just made a mess of things.
Step 1. You must locate the harshest, most colorful expletive floating in your mind (I prefer ones that begin with son-of-a-) and utter it toward the nearest available target. (This is important, as it shifts the blame away from you and toward the shaft, engine designer, the duck floating by outside).
Step 2. Stick the shaft back in to stop the oil leak.
Step 3. Wrestle a small bucket, bowl or large cup to keep any remaining oil from falling into your bilge.
Intermission - Now with the oil leaking stopped take a moment to review what just transpired and to wash any cuts you received in steps 2 & 3. It’s now very important to look down into your bilge and assess how much oil fell you of the engine. Feel free to further flex your sailing vocabulary to compliment the twisting and flexing you body will have to do to see into your bilge.
Step 4. Run out to your marine supply store and buy a few oil absorbent pads. Realize as they’re being rung up that they only costs about .75 cents, and that you still need to change you oil and filters. Ask the cashier to wait while you run to the back of the store to pick up double.
Step 5. Back on your boat, throw half a bucket of water into your bilge, to get the oil to float on top and start put in enough pads to line your entire bilge.
Step 6. Slowly, carefully, align the impeller onto the shaft. Bend down the spines and push the impeller into its housing. Attach a new gasket to the cover plate and re-attach it using the screws you should not have lost.
Finally, Stand back and congratulate yourself on a job done competently and professionally. Be certain to unequivocally deny and reject the existence of steps 1 through 5, and tell everyone the replacement went off without a hitch.
No comments:
Post a Comment