water impeller change

F
FishTastic
0
Hi there,

It is time to change the water pump impeller in my '83 Suzuki DT30 outboard. I have never done this and I have no idea what I am in for or what to expect.

can you please describe the process and add details where you feel a intermediat mechanic might have questions or problems.

Here is my take on the whole thing. Motor used in saltwater, motor not used for long time but kept inside. I was told to put a new impeller in for good measure as the old one may be brittle and ready to fail?
1.) loosen and remove all lower unit bolts that connect the propeller body to the main unit, does this include the shift rod? Looks like a threaded rod with a rod coupling for adjustment, should this be disconnected in order to seperate the lower section and gain access to the impeller? Will the lower section be full of surprises? like loose pieces that are held in place when the two sections are torqued together?

as you can tell, I am quite worried to tackle this project without knowing how involved or technical it will get, please rate difficulty on a 1-10 scale for a back yard mechanic.

Thanks for your help.

FishTastic.
 
Always good to change the impeller. I change mine every other couple of years, just to be on the safe side. But then I use my boat all year around to. Pretty straight forward R&R. From what I am reading you have a good grasp on what is going on. My suggestion to you would be to buy a after market repair manual. Schematics are worth a thousand words. No real surprises, just some have little rubber washers that really need to go in the right place. If your any thing like me I forget those little very important things. So I always have gone out and bought a aftermarket book just so I am not having to take a picture and go to a repair shop. :lol:

Good Luck!!!
 
thanks Chromatose. I will give it a whirl tonight when I get home. I will probably get more gutsy after a few beers. lol. have a good one and thanks again.
 
No problem, glad to be of some help. Just remember where every thing goes. Not to many parts to keep a eye on. You might want to have a extra pair of hands though when putting the lower end back up. Gets a bit tricky alone...;)

While at it remember to change the lower end oil to!
 
yeah I bought a pint of OMC gear case oil/lube. I was looking for that Hypoid 90 stuff and was unable so I really hope what I bought is OK.

I have the boat and motor at my friends house and he will be able to help. I hope there is not a lot of parts to remember! That is where I fall to pieces. lol. Should go fine after some beers.

Do you think I should put anti seeze on the stainless bolts? and will I need permatex when I put it all back together?
 
If all else fails, have your buddy take pictures of each step as you take it apart. Is what I did when I replaced the clutch in my car and it worked well. That way you can hopefully see how everything went together and where any washers or gaskets were :).

I break all things like this down into steps. I will then take all the parts from that step and put it in a container.. ziptop bag.. whatever.. and label it with that step #.

Taking the pictures along with going slow and being organized with your parts helps a lot.
 
FishTastic said:
yeah I bought a pint of OMC gear case oil/lube. I was looking for that Hypoid 90 stuff and was unable so I really hope what I bought is OK.



Do you think I should put anti seeze on the stainless bolts? and will I need permatex when I put it all back together?
Click to expand...

Just remember to get some hypoid at some point in time. You will be good to go with what you have on hand. Keep a eye on the color of your oil when you drain it. A little off color is ok, but if it is white or grayish then you know there is water getting in and need to keep a diligent eye on your lower end oil. Older motors will usually have some water leak in the lower end. But if a eye is kept on it all is good.




Use the Blue, it is a medium grade. Make sure all the ( If any ) old Permatex is completely off the bolt. Half a dozen parts should not be a bother for you. But putting the lower end back up in is a bit cumbersome. Put a small amount of oil on the impeller as so you can get it in the key way easy. You will see what I talking about. Have a good night!


Kfallscody, You sound just like some one I know. His tool box comes complete with rubber bands, zip ties and baggies............:D
 
Last edited:
hey all, impeller change went much much much easier than I thought it would be. came apart easy as pie and went back the same. I did put a light oil film in the impeller case. The gear case oil came out blue and clean, I decided not to use that OMC stuff I bought as it was not even close to what came out. I will go this week and get the Hypoid 90 at St.John's or Fisherman's if they sell it. Only thing left to do now is put new oil in and test fire the motor in the water bucket. I need to buy and install a nice marine battery (have my eye on a big ol' marine battery) I need a bilge pump and all the required boating things the coast guard requires, life vest, throwable, horn, paddle....did I leave anything out? Hoping to take the boat out Thursday or Friday evening for a test run at the lake.
 
How big of of boat? You may need flares and or signalling device.
 
it's a 16 foot boat. I know that I need to get some items, just not sure what yet. I have a copy of the Oregon Boaters Manual and I will be sure and read it and know what equipment I need aboard the boat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom