raw water impeller ?

[surferbum21]

Is it necessary to replace every year? my friend does on his malibu but he also puts 200 hours on his and I only put 70 on mine a year

[h2ohangtime]

70 hours per season is still a good amount. For $40 a year, isn't it worth the peace of mind? If it were me, I'd change it every spring.

[surferbum21]

yea i'm just being kinda lazy i guess. i just figured it was something that could be done every 2 seasons. I'll do it this weekend. It only took 30 min last year.

[TRDon]

I never really had a problem with mine for multiple years. I had my 85 2001 for 7 seasons and I never changed the impeller. I went 400 hours in that boat and never had a problem. My last boat I had to change it but it was because I was an idiot. my current boat I just did a new water pump because of the recall. I dont really have a need to do it every year but I will always keep it handy. Perhaps from now on I will inspect it every year, but probably not replace it.

[jmo]

I believe the manual says every 100 hours, so you could probably get away with going 2 seasons provided you pull it out when winterizing so the fins don't set. The down side to waiting too long is if it goes, your boat overheats in the middle of the lake and you spend the rest of the day fishing broken fins out of the cooling system.

I hold onto the old one after changing it out for a new so I have a back up in the boat.

HTH's,

jmo

[waterskifanaticGAJ]

Impeller

I have a 1994 Ski Nautique with 1450 hours on it. I always take my impeller out when I winterize it. Reassemble the pump and put it back on the engine. You don't want the threads to corrode while in storage. Check the vanes for any cracks or tears. If you see the beginnings of one, be on the safe side and replace it. Failure of a $26 part can cost you a lot more. I change mine on average every two years. Two ways to store it, dry it off and vacuum seal it in a ziplock bag, or put it in a jar filled with antifreeze(pink RV biodegradeable). Also if the vanes don't straighten out when you take it out of the pump it is time for a new one.

[mf01]

I agree that it could be overkill doing it every year, but I do mine every spring. It's $32 shipped, that's about half a tank of gas (depends on your tank). It's peace of mind for me.

[jmo]

Two ways to store it, dry it off and vacuum seal it in a ziplock bag, or put it in a jar filled with antifreeze(pink RV biodegradeable)

My understanding is that leaving the impeller exposed to marine AF for an extended period of time isn't a good idea since the alcohol in the AF will cause the impeller to swell given its made of rubber.

JMO