How to Change Your Impeller (Mercury Engine)

[Matt Garcia]

I want to thank RZ Mike (http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=22) for writing the firt "tech" article for TigéOwners.com. Keep a look out for more articles in the future. If you have any suggestions or questions please post here.

Read the article here. (http://www.tigeowners.com/impeller.shtml)

Thanks,

Matt

[ssrgeoff]

Hurray.......... its done. Good job Matt!!

[hanzj]

Great Job!! That is an excellent article. Also, for those people replacing Impellers....you may want to check this out.
sales site - http://www.marisolmarine.com/parts/globeimpellors.html
mfg site - http://www.globerubberworks.com/

They are impellers that guarantee to run dry for 15min. I've used one for 3 years, and when I decided to replace it (for safe measure) it looked brand new when I pulled it out.

[Tequilasun]

excellent work

[Tip]

Nice article.

Tip

[Matt Garcia]

Another Tige Owner used this article for his 2003 20i and only had a one or two minor differences.

It was also his first impeller change and the article guided him with no problems.

[Hoots]

Matt,

The pictures aren't showing up in the article anymore...is there a way to include them again?

Thanks-
Tom

[gman]

Thanks Matt,
Does this info also hold true for a 2005 24v ?

[Matt Garcia]

Matt,

The pictures aren't showing up in the article anymore...is there a way to include them again?

Thanks-
Tom

Tom, are you sure? I can see the pictures fine?? Is anyone else having a problem viewing the pictures?

gman, you have a Marine Power dont you? I am not really sure if this is the same,maybe some one can comment on it. I havent changed the impeller on my MP so I am not sure.

[wakeboarder247]

I can see them fine too Matt.

[wakeboarder247]

Oh and AWESOME write-up btw!!!! :ro:

[yllw20]

I used the article. I was that other owner matt refered to. It is a good basis to go by. After you change it once, you will be able to do it w/o the artilce w/no problem.....it is a really good reference point.

[Hoots]

wow, I guess it's just me...I've got nothing. Maybe it's my browser settings; thanks for the reply.

[talltigeguy]

I had my dealer point out to me the impeller location on my MP engine and it was entirely different. I thought it was high on the front of the engine (the back of the boat). If I could edit the tech article, I would say that the only thing to do is state type of engine and year.

[zad0030]

I had my dealer point out to me the impeller location on my MP engine and it was entirely different. I thought it was high on the front of the engine (the back of the boat). If I could edit the tech article, I would say that the only thing to do is state type of engine and year.

Changing Your Impeller
The following article is how to change an impeller on a 2001 Tigé 2300 V with a MerCruiser 350 Mag engine. Other Tigé V-drive models may be similar. If you have a Direct Drive model you may pick up some useful tips, but the procedure for removing the pump will not apply.

[lesaew]

Thank you for the write-up. I just had my 2001 21VLimited overheat on me and it appears to be the impeller.

How often should this be changed? Is it a preventative maintenance I should have the dealer do annually or just carry a spare for when I get the high-temp warning?

Thanks!
>jason

[chpthril]

Thank you for the write-up. I just had my 2001 21VLimited overheat on me and it appears to be the impeller.

How often should this be changed? Is it a preventative maintenance I should have the dealer do annually or just carry a spare for when I get the high-temp warning?

Thanks!
>jason


Once a year is the best and change it at the begining of the season so it is fresh v's sitting all winter in storage.

[sooner25]

Thank you for the write-up. I just had my 2001 21VLimited overheat on me and it appears to be the impeller.

How often should this be changed? Is it a preventative maintenance I should have the dealer do annually or just carry a spare for when I get the high-temp warning?

Thanks!
>jason

have you changed yours yet? I have the exact same boat and am wondering what its going to take. also, do you know the part number of the impeller? my serial number has rubbed off, so i can't get an exact part number.

[dogbert]

How often should this be changed? Is it a preventative maintenance I should have the dealer do annually or just carry a spare for when I get the high-temp warning?


I know they recommend once a year, but down here we do it every 2 years whether it needs it or not.
I've never had an issue, except for the first time when I forgot to do it after 2 years :o

[lesaew]

I have not replaced it since I've owned it (2 years) and I doubt the original owner replaced it in the 23 hrs he put on the boat.

Following the excellent instructions, I removed the pump in about 20 minutes. I have not opened the pump but ordered the impeller from the Overton's link on the thread. It appears to be a fairly generic part fitting all Mercs.

I will post after I attempt the replacement this weekend.

[lesaew]

OK! Excellent tutorial! I pulled the pump apart and found a smooth round cylinder which look like it may have had approximately 10 spines on it at one point, although I could only find enough pieces in the housing for about 8.

Anyway, it took about 20 minutes to pull everything apart, inspect, replace the impeller and put the pump back together and another 20 mins or so to put the pump back on the motor.

It smoked a little until the pump filled with water, but my temp steadied out at about 170.

Thanks again for the tech write-up. You all saved me a boat-load of repair costs and down time.

>j

[R&T Babich]

Our boat sat unused for 2 years before we bought it last October with 41 hours on it. The first thing I did was change the impeller. It looked like it was the original impeller (6 years) that had never been changed as the bolts still had paint on them. All the blades looked brand new, except for two of them. Two of the blades had cracks halfway thru the bases and would not have lasted long. The pump when sitting will have two blades bent over sharply. I suspect that when our boats sit for long periods of time without turning over the engine the impeller blades get stressed being bent over so much.

[rob_and_trish]

Just an fyi - for my '03 22v - the mercruiser 350 MAG MPI motor, the impeller part number is MER47-862232A2 not the -0001 overtons part number thats in the how to guide.

Just wanted to help anyone out that ran into the same problem.

_Rob

[noworries]

I replaced the impeller on my '02 Merc 350 MPI last night. I just bought the boat and it was the first time it'd been replaced. (The boat only has 25 hours on it). The vanes were just starting to crack at the ends so it was definitely time.

1. My 20V V-drive configuration has the fuel filter housing jammed tight against the rear battery panel cover so I didn't bother removing the filter assy as suggested in the FAQ. The seawater pump and bracket could be fished up between the engine and the hull after removal from the block. My pump is a heavy all-brass beast that looks like it'll last a lifetime.
2. The bolt holding the pump bracket to the engine had bottomed in the block and bunged up the bolt threads at the end of the bolt, so I chased the bolt threads with a 3/8-16 die and added a couple of washers to space it out some. Maybe the hole wasn't tapped all the way in by chevy or Merc left off a needed washer.
3. The removal and reattachment of the pump assembly to the block is a completely blind operation and is probably not a job for people who've not done a fair bit of wrenching. The use of an air ratchet made the job so much easier. There just isn't much room to swing a ratchet wrench back there and the nylock nut holding the bracket to the stud has to be wrenched a long way off and on. The bunged up threads on the bolt would have required ratcheting it all the way out as well. Not a fun job, but I now feel much better about heading out to the lake for a long weekend.

[Weil Thing]

I've got a question for you guys (V drive owners) who have replaced their impeller before...did you find it easier to access the impeller by going over the top of the engine, or getting down into one of the side compartments to get at it? I removed the screws from the cover to drain it last week, and did that by going over the top, but I have the closed cooling system installed, and it severely limits one's ability to access from the top.

[chpthril]

I've got a question for you guys (V drive owners) who have replaced their impeller before...did you find it easier to access the impeller by going over the top of the engine, or getting down into one of the side compartments to get at it? I removed the screws from the cover to drain it last week, and did that by going over the top, but I have the closed cooling system installed, and it severely limits one's ability to access from the top.


I'ld say go through the starboard storage area to change (not 100% with out seeing the closed cooling on but 1 tige)


Again, with out seeing the MP closed cooling setup, Couldn't you just pull the raw water hose off the pump to drain........would this be esier to do then pulling the cover?

[Weil Thing]

Thanks chp. I probably could have just loosened one of the hoses, but I also wanted to see what I would be getting into if I tried to do the impeller myself. The heat exchanger is amidships, and on the top aft end of the engine, making it tough to get an arm (or anything else!) down that way. Is a puller of some sort necessary to get the impeller out?

[lesaew]

I accessed mine through the port side compartment but there was still no direct access. I lost a little knuckle juice but it wasn't too bad.

I did not need a puller for the impeller, but a boxed end ratchet wrench came in handy for pulling off the pump.

[dogbert]

It probably depends on the engine, I've got a Merc so it's closer to the port side like lesaew said.

[jmstige]

Kudos Matt for the site....Kudos to RZMike for the article...

I have a 2001 V2300 and this article was a great help. I have the old impellor out, but I have a quck question on the comment about checking for scoring in the housing...

The bottom of the housing is scored, but no scoring on the sides.

I'm missing 1 tine and one is ripped 50%, do I really need to replace the housing?

[jmstige]

Well, I think I've answered my last question...

The guy at Mercury Marine over at Pier 121 - he took one look at the impeller and housing, then came back with a housing kit.

He said that if you don't catch it before one of the blades come off, then the housing may not need replacement but if the impeller gets to the state it was in - then you need to replace the housing also.

He also said that the missing blade was most likely in the thermostat area and I should fish it out from there.

Charged me $100 for the replacement impeller/housing/bolts.

Anyone have any opinions on a) the price paid for the replacement kit or b) the comment about the missing blade up in the thermostat area (easy enough to check I guess).

[Jason B]

Well, I think I've answered my last question...

The guy at Mercury Marine over at Pier 121 - he took one look at the impeller and housing, then came back with a housing kit.

He said that if you don't catch it before one of the blades come off, then the housing may not need replacement but if the impeller gets to the state it was in - then you need to replace the housing also.

He also said that the missing blade was most likely in the thermostat area and I should fish it out from there.

Charged me $100 for the replacement impeller/housing/bolts.

Anyone have any opinions on a) the price paid for the replacement kit or b) the comment about the missing blade up in the thermostat area (easy enough to check I guess).


Sounds about right. Make sure you find that missing fin.

[TigeDuner]

I thought I had read that on the newer pumps on the MP engines, the pump could remain installed and only the cover of the pump was removed to replace the impeller. I need to change mine in the next couple of weeks and hope this is the case. Should be easier if I can get to it. We have a 6.0 and it seems like there is alot in the way to even see the pump.

[mtnsmith]

I replaced mine this summer, 2005 5.7 liter/340 hp...I think it has about the same room for working as the 6.0 liter. I only had to remove the cover and use one of those little hook tools that they make to remove the top of a paint can. It worked well to hook the inside edge of the impeller and work out.

[TigeDuner]

I found the pump on the front of the motor at the rear of the boat. The cover is held on with four small bolts. I assume that I do not need to remove the pump, hoses, or belts, just remove the cover and extract the impeller.
This will be tomorrows project.

[illiniboarder88]

FYI, I changed my impeller today, and I learned that while my boat is a 2000, apparently the engine is not. The dealer told me this is not uncommon, but the only reason I mention it is that I ordered the impeller in their book that was for a 2000, and it did not fit. The impeller that fit was for older models. On another note, this tutorial helped a lot. It made the job quite easy!

[samw]

I just took my pump out. It was pretty straight forward. I have a pm into Andrew I impeller didn't come with the O rings. So do I have to replace them??
Also I have some scouring in my housing so it looks like I need a new one. So where do I locate one of them beside going to a dealer.
Thanks

[Wakemaker]

Great write-up! Just completed it myself for the first time and the info and pics were great. A few thoughts: I also considered trying to replace without removing the unit, but can now say that removing the belt and the bracket is quick/easy and trying to remove just the back cover is an issue with figuring how to back the hoses off and not being able to "see" the inside. The three bracket bolts came off no problem and I was able to pull the unit off the hoses easily just loosening the hose clamps and moving it forward, so I could work on the impeller on my bench. Also, the step where they suggest making note of the bolt locations is really important. I did a quick pencil drawing to remind myself how the wear plate sat, how the bracket sat, and which holes got long bolts that go through to the bracket and which get the shorter ones, otherwise it could be tricky to re-assemble correctly. Another thought, I marked which was the bottom/out portal and which was the top/in portal which also helped on re-assembly. I used this website: www.mercruiserparts.com to run my engine serial number and get part numbers, but got lucky and found it local. They also sold the o-rings separately. About 29 for the impeller and 2.50 for the o-ring. Thanks again for taking the time to provide the instructional.

[flyboy]

The pictorial looks nothing like my 05:(

Can someone direct me to R&R the impeller on a MP 340 Vortec?

Ok..found mine, but it aint got no teeth left:D..how does one extract it from the housing though?

[chpthril]

The pictorial looks nothing like my 05:(

Can someone direct me to R&R the impeller on a MP 340 Vortec?

Ok..found mine, but it aint got no teeth left:D..how does one extract it from the housing though?

Yep, as the title indicates, this is for the Merc engine. The Marine Power is the 4th "sticky" down, 3rd below this one, and is titled "Change your Marine Power (Jabsco) Impeller"

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6303

[chpthril]

The pictorial looks nothing like my 05:(

Can someone direct me to R&R the impeller on a MP 340 Vortec?

Ok..found mine, but it aint got no teeth left:D..how does one extract it from the housing though?

Easy when the teeth are gone, grab it with a pair of pliers and pull it out.

[flyboy]

Easy when the teeth are gone, grab it with a pair of pliers and pull it out.

How important is it to find ALL the teeth? And where would one look for them? I feel a few behind the impeller and I removed the bottom hose, but I'll need to remove them once I remove the old damaged impeller.

TIA!

Edit: Sorry, I posted this in the wrong thread!

[pwhicks]

This worked great for my 03 22V. 7.5 teeth were in the housing. The last .5 was at the front (bow) of the engine inside a 6" cylinder.

It takes a couple seconds to loosen the serpentine belt to gain access to the mounting bolts. It is very easy to remove and replace the housing since the lower mount is a threaded shaft from the engine block versus a bolt like the top mount. That made the job easy on my work bench.

Thanks for the help! I now have the right spare with me if I need to do this away from home.

Paul

[Yessup]

I am so grateful for this thread. I changed my impeller today by myself :D. I am not very mechanically inclined, and the job went very smooth. I have done it before with my mechanic cousin looking over my shoulder, but today I was solo!!! Thanks again for the helpful tips!

[TigeDuner]

Just think of the money you saved. I paid almost $2oo bucks the first time I had it done near the lake after being towed in. Now I change it annually for $35.00. Good job.

[tip22v]

When pulling off the belt how do you make sure you get the correct tension when putting it back on?

Thanks,

Tip

[OldeBoy]

Thank you for writing up this article. This didn't take that long and saved me some $$$.

[550orm5]

I am would also like to know what proper tension is on the belts? Any rule of thumb?