Cummins engine mounts

[jim rosenthal]

With my new engines now several years old, and with the seawater pumps not getting any newer, I decided to replace them with improved ones from Seaboard Marine.

It turns out that unless you build your own engine mounting system which provides enough room for this procedure, you have to remove the port forward engine mount to change out the seawater pumps on Cummins B engines. Astonishing. One of my friends supervised this work and actually did most of it with me assisting. Before he drove over to my winter storage marina, he asked me if I thought he should bring his A-frame over in case we needed to lift the engines. I said not to bother; I didn't think we'd need it.

Boy, was I wrong. It took eight hours to do this (including an hour break to get some new water intake hose and some dinner) and I still have to go back and sort through all the tools and get ready for the next little project, which is new fuel filtration for the generator set. (which we won't have to lift up, I hope)

These are great engines and the boat performs very well with them. And they are still built in the Cummins recon program. But if you are looking at them, when you get your repower quote, ask about the engine mounts and leaving enough room to change the seawater pump on each engine. This was hard enough on land; at sea it would have been a real nightmare.

 

[Mike36c]

Jim, I trashed the OEM mounts when I repowered and fabricated some nice powder coated ones which allow easy pump removal. I have found its way easier to replace impellors by removing the pump vs. fighting that fuel manifold behind the pump. As for the pumps themselves I upgraded to Tony's version last year and love them. I've been fighting the Sherwood OEM junk since day one having bought a half dozen new pumps (plus rebuilt another half dozen) some new pumps not lasting even a season (~200hrs) and I was fed up but Tony's are as advertised, so far perfect. I also removed the fuel return coolers with the pump retrofit. If you would like mount pictures I'd be happy to send. I also put together a simple fresh water flush which uses a port on the raw water pump if you're interested, keeps the aftercoolers happy.

 

[dsharp]

I just saw an article tonight that says you can add a 1/2" spacer between the mount and the block to give clearance for removing the pump. It was Tony's site if I recall.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Mike, I would like to see photos of the new setup that you have. I think with the SeaMax pumps in there I will just have to do regular impeller replacements like normal folks. (I forgot to mention that Tony's pumps not only come with a spare impeller each, but with a nifty little tool for removing the old one- and the new pumps have a splined shaft so there is no key to work its way backward and carve through the back wall of the pump chamber....)

The spacer is a good idea. I am going to ask Tony if he has a drawing for it. I could get them made up and then jack the engine up again and change out both mounts, adding the spacers.

This time, we definitely WILL use the A-frame.

Mike, did you notice any problem from removing the fuel coolers? More growth in the tanks, anything like that? Seems like the water flow would be better with them not in the seawater circuit.

 

[34Hatt]

You don't need a A frame your making a small job BIG!
You just shove a block of wood under the corner of the pan remove the mount then the pump. Put the new pump in bolt the mount back up Done.

As for the 1/2 spacer you just copy the pattern of the backside of the mount! Remember if it go out 1/2" you need a 1/2" worth of adjustment in the stringers bolt may not be so easy.

But If you put Tony's new pump in you don't need the spacer that was one of his many changes!

Also new Impellers are much easier to go in I pull mine every winter because its easy and I like to check them it seems two years is all we are getting from them. They start getting small cracks in the veins that you can only see after pulling them out.