MustHuntAndFish
04-28-2014, 03:18 PM
About 10 months ago my outboard water pump gave out, the motor heated up and shut down. My boat had sat idle since then because I didn't know how to fix it and didn't have the money for expensive repairs.
A couple months ago a "motor head" buddy of mine offered to help me fix it but between his busy schedule and mine, we never got to it. Well... while I was looking up the parts for my motor I came across a bunch of YouTube vids that showed how to change the water pump. I thought... what the hell? It looks easy enough and maybe the water pump is all that needs to be done.
I decided I would try and start the motor and if it started up and sounded ok... I would change the pump myself. Here's how things went.
I hooked up the battery and gas and to my surprise the motor started right up and sounded good! I shut it right off though because it wasn't pumping any water, which was no surprise.
So... It was back to the YouTube videos to get another look at the process of changing the water pump. Again... It looked pretty easy. Hell... the hardest part of the process was understanding the "Rednecks" in the videos giving the instructions. At one point my 9 yr old asked "Dad... what are you watching on the iPad? That guy sounds like those famous fishermen from Bakersfield... You know... the ones that I took a picture with at StriperFest?"
After that talk with my son I remembered the few hours I spent with Cutbait, Devore Flyer, and Hawgzwild on a boat slaying dink stripers. I figured... If I was able to make out what those guys were talking about that day then I should be able to understand the guys in these videos. Its almost the same language... I think.
So.. after replaying those conversations in my head, I was able to decode the language in the Youtube vids and I was ready to change that water pump!
The first thing to do was to detach the lower unit and gain access to the water pump. I took off the lower unit and ran in to a problem. A piece of the motor (about a quarter size) broke off. Right where a bolt that holds the upper and lower unit together is located.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1474_zps5eb00ac5.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1474_zps5eb00ac5.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1467_zps41bfe148.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1467_zps41bfe148.jpg.html)
This is where JB Weld becomes part of the story. Used JB Marine Weld to put the piece back in place and then used some special sprays sent to me by my dad to detect any leaks in the newly re-bonded peices. 24 hrs later I confirmed that there was no leakage and I was back to working on the water pump.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1485_zps98c43ff6.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1485_zps98c43ff6.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1487_zpsde4c7287.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1487_zpsde4c7287.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1473_zpsrrimcgzj.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1473_zpsrrimcgzj.jpg.html)
I had all the essential tools...
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1490_zpsbweo8nvu.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1490_zpsbweo8nvu.jpg.html)
The impeller wasn't in too bad of shape but I found the culprit. The bottom piece of the pump housing was worn.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1495_zps5a53e96e.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1495_zps5a53e96e.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1508_zpsbb56a704.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1508_zpsbb56a704.jpg.html)
I cleaned all of the gunk and little pieces of plastic out of the housing, bearings, and surrounding areas and then reassembled with the new impeller, housing, and gaskets.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1503_zpsa6252e11.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1503_zpsa6252e11.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1510_zpszmwebusq.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1510_zpszmwebusq.jpg.html)
On Saturday morning I re-attached the lower unit. Then changed the gear oil which was recommended by Cutbait. When I started the motor up it ran great and the new impeller had the motor pissing like a race horse! SUCCESS!!!!!
Sunday morning I went to the Mid for testing where I did hit a snag :EyePop: :Embarrassed:... But you'll have to read my Mid fishing report (I'll write that later) to find out what that snag was. :LOL:
For those of you who are like me and are a little intimidated by tearing your outboard apart and putting it back together... I say don't be. My motor is running again thanks to Youtube and me just going for it. I'm not an expert all of a sudden. I will have to go to professionals to work on other parts of my outboard but I'll never pay to change my impellar or my lower unit oil again.
Thanks for reading... I know it was a long report.
And a special thanks to Hawgz, Dev, and CB! You guys are like a the Rosetta Stone of the Redneck lingo. I couldn't have done it without Y'all... did I say that right?
A couple months ago a "motor head" buddy of mine offered to help me fix it but between his busy schedule and mine, we never got to it. Well... while I was looking up the parts for my motor I came across a bunch of YouTube vids that showed how to change the water pump. I thought... what the hell? It looks easy enough and maybe the water pump is all that needs to be done.
I decided I would try and start the motor and if it started up and sounded ok... I would change the pump myself. Here's how things went.
I hooked up the battery and gas and to my surprise the motor started right up and sounded good! I shut it right off though because it wasn't pumping any water, which was no surprise.
So... It was back to the YouTube videos to get another look at the process of changing the water pump. Again... It looked pretty easy. Hell... the hardest part of the process was understanding the "Rednecks" in the videos giving the instructions. At one point my 9 yr old asked "Dad... what are you watching on the iPad? That guy sounds like those famous fishermen from Bakersfield... You know... the ones that I took a picture with at StriperFest?"
After that talk with my son I remembered the few hours I spent with Cutbait, Devore Flyer, and Hawgzwild on a boat slaying dink stripers. I figured... If I was able to make out what those guys were talking about that day then I should be able to understand the guys in these videos. Its almost the same language... I think.
So.. after replaying those conversations in my head, I was able to decode the language in the Youtube vids and I was ready to change that water pump!
The first thing to do was to detach the lower unit and gain access to the water pump. I took off the lower unit and ran in to a problem. A piece of the motor (about a quarter size) broke off. Right where a bolt that holds the upper and lower unit together is located.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1474_zps5eb00ac5.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1474_zps5eb00ac5.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1467_zps41bfe148.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1467_zps41bfe148.jpg.html)
This is where JB Weld becomes part of the story. Used JB Marine Weld to put the piece back in place and then used some special sprays sent to me by my dad to detect any leaks in the newly re-bonded peices. 24 hrs later I confirmed that there was no leakage and I was back to working on the water pump.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1485_zps98c43ff6.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1485_zps98c43ff6.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1487_zpsde4c7287.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1487_zpsde4c7287.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1473_zpsrrimcgzj.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1473_zpsrrimcgzj.jpg.html)
I had all the essential tools...
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1490_zpsbweo8nvu.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1490_zpsbweo8nvu.jpg.html)
The impeller wasn't in too bad of shape but I found the culprit. The bottom piece of the pump housing was worn.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1495_zps5a53e96e.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1495_zps5a53e96e.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1508_zpsbb56a704.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1508_zpsbb56a704.jpg.html)
I cleaned all of the gunk and little pieces of plastic out of the housing, bearings, and surrounding areas and then reassembled with the new impeller, housing, and gaskets.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1503_zpsa6252e11.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1503_zpsa6252e11.jpg.html)
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/g4deleon/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1510_zpszmwebusq.jpg (http://s774.photobucket.com/user/g4deleon/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG1510_zpszmwebusq.jpg.html)
On Saturday morning I re-attached the lower unit. Then changed the gear oil which was recommended by Cutbait. When I started the motor up it ran great and the new impeller had the motor pissing like a race horse! SUCCESS!!!!!
Sunday morning I went to the Mid for testing where I did hit a snag :EyePop: :Embarrassed:... But you'll have to read my Mid fishing report (I'll write that later) to find out what that snag was. :LOL:
For those of you who are like me and are a little intimidated by tearing your outboard apart and putting it back together... I say don't be. My motor is running again thanks to Youtube and me just going for it. I'm not an expert all of a sudden. I will have to go to professionals to work on other parts of my outboard but I'll never pay to change my impellar or my lower unit oil again.
Thanks for reading... I know it was a long report.
And a special thanks to Hawgz, Dev, and CB! You guys are like a the Rosetta Stone of the Redneck lingo. I couldn't have done it without Y'all... did I say that right?