Water pump on onan 6.5 gas genny

[labrador]

Okay guys you're not going to believe this(or maybe you will). I took off the pump Fri night and it had a blue hard rubber impeller with a hard plastic center pressed into it that slides onto the shaft and keyway. With the hard rubber, the vanes on the impeller must be facing the correct way as they are too stiff to self right themselves when turning the wrong way. You got it,the (mechanic) installed 6, yes I said 6, impellers into the pump backwards! When power was applied the plastic housing on the keyway cracked allowing the shaft to freewheel. Sat. morning I went and got a soft rubber impeller from an onan dist. with a brass insert that slids over the keyway, installed it, fired it up and would you believe it, IT WORKS FINE. First time every time. No check valve for prime. No problems at all. The yard is closed today however I'm taking the old impeller over there tomorrow to show the owner of the yard the old impeller and discuss the fact that a dummy like me can fix what his "certified mechanic" took at least 4 hours and 6 impellers to not only not fix but tell me there has to be something wrong with the pump and suggest corrective action which was not warranted. Guess from now on I'll just stock up on the band aids and try to do everything myself. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Skip

[MikeP]

Another addition to an unfortunately huge body of evidence which verifes that if you want something done right - do it yourself. If you really can't do it yourself, read the service manual and stand over whoever IS doing it!

[Nonchalant1]

Welcome to the Skinned Knuckles Club!
You already have the right type of thinking to do it yourself. Now you have the intention to do it too. Your boat will benefit from it.

Doug

[Maynard Rupp]

See, I told you that it has to work. I have been an aircraft mechanic all my life and all you have to do to succeed is be logical. There is NO MAGIC. Anyone can do any of this stuff. You may need to swear and use bandaids, but you can do it.

[labrador]

Well you got the swearing and band aids right! My gripe is that these mechanics get paid good money, and if they can't fix simple problems what do they do when something complicated comes along. I agree that from now on the manual comes out and I try to fix it with a little help from my friends, Y'all know who you are now don't ya. Thanks again for the help.
Skip

[MikeP]

It's important to understand and accept the fact that most of these guys are, to put it bluntly, incompetent. Additionally, some are maliciously so and will intentionally lie and otherwise distort the situation to work in their favor. I have heard some unbelievable cr@p come out of the mouths of marina mechanics.

Last year the marina mechanic convinced the guy in the slip next to me that he needed a new $7000 genny. Turned out what he needed was a new $5 fuel filter.

So do it yourself!

As Maynard said, none of this is magic.