No good deed goes unpunished

[madhatter1]

Getting ready for our trips I figured I’d change the generator pump out for a new one I bought a year or two ago so we start out fresh. Start up yesterday to test and all is good. Arrive at anchorage today and I noticed light steam from exhaust. And not enough water. I have the original pump ready to go back in with a fresh impeller and I’ll have to probably dig out blade pieces from the HX.

At least we are running on the spare generator that was just installed so I was able to do all this with AC on. Plan to swap pump later this afternoon when the generator is cooled off.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Fortunately you caught it before much more happened? You have my sympathy. I remember digging out the impeller pieces from the HX, and backflushing it with dock water to ensure I got it all. Good luck and good trip!

 

[madhatter1]

Local trip. Shake down for summer trip. We’re in that mode so no big deal. After 5 1/2 years with this boat I am very familiar and comfortable with all the systems as I have serviced all plus have a good spare parts supply.

 

[Pascal]

New stands for never ever worked.

Sometimes preventive maintenance comes back and bite you in the ….

 

[Captain Ralph]

What I have learned the hard way. Looks like you will understand the lesson now also;

Never store a raw water pump with an impeller installed.

The impeller takes a set and the rubber near melds to the case.
Near instant self-destruct.

 

[madhatter1]

What I have learned the hard way. Looks like you will understand the lesson now also;

Never store a raw water pump with an impeller installed.

The impeller takes a set and the rubber near melds to the case.
Near instant self-destruct.

I learn as I go. Now will carry the pump and impeller (new one on the way) separately and when the time comes put them together, install, and repeat. Up and running on main generator now.

 

[madhatter1]

Woke up in AM and was not pumping enough water. Switched to aux. So took apart new pump to see how many blades were missing. All were intact. Hmmm. today I opened up the HX that was replaced just last year. Inlet clogged with sand and crushed shell mixture. A lot. As in I don't see how any water was getting through. We have had no, shall we say, "unfortunate event's" over the last year. Not sure how all that got in there. Cleaned that out and all is finally good.

Good thing is we got all this out of the way before our trip and I'll have spare pump and impeller kit ready if needed. Also since I was home I cut a board to size and used a moving blanket to make a "bed" to go over the shaft area so I could lay there comfortably to do the work without struggling. The board will get a couple coats of poly and get stowed away for use on the run.

 

[Pascal]

What I have learned the hard way. Looks like you will understand the lesson now also;

Never store a raw water pump with an impeller installed.

The impeller takes a set and the rubber near melds to the case.
Near instant self-destruct.

Good advice… Last week I replaced an impeller on one of our Ohno 45s (Cummins 4BTs) and figured I’d look at our spares only to realize one of the rebuilt pumps had the impeller installed, at least 3 years old. Sure enough it was brand new but had a bad set.

 

[madhatter1]

The one that came in my pump was all wadded up and bent over but at least the blades stayed together. An now I know one more thing I can take to the grave.

 

[rwaldrop13]

I carried 2 spare impellers that my wife used a food-saver to vacuum seal.