Eye watering impeller cost - any help?

[doug748]

As an aside.
The original impellers on my Johnson pump were abysmal and often fell apart inside one season. The Jabsco alternatives last 3+ seasons.
Johnson may have improved their product in the last few years but I will never know because I would never buy them again given any other alternative.

 

[neil_s]

I find the impeller lasts for two seasons in my Bukh. It's not that the impeller falls apart in the third year, but sometimes the pump won't prime itself. Sorry doug748, it's a Johnson pump and I use Johnson impellers!

 

[simonfraser]

‘It seemed a lot for a bit of rubber’

Recon most of us wish we would have spent a bit more on rubber in our youth ....

 

[sutton sailor]

Did I read it correctly you replace this impeller every year? I am a great believer in the adage if it's not broke don't fixit. I always carry a spare, and regularly check mine for condition, it is fine, and 17 years old, that means I could have spent £510 replacing this perfectly good impeller 16 times.

 

[rotrax]

Did I read it correctly you replace this impeller every year? I am a great believer in the adage if it's not broke don't fixit. I always carry a spare, and regularly check mine for condition, it is fine, and 17 years old, that means I could have spent £510 replacing this perfectly good impeller 16 times.

See post #15-Tony saved even more!

 

[No Regrets]

Trouble is, when they break up, bits go all over the cooling system and block things up!



This happened before I owned my boat, but blocked the starboard oil cooler, caused an overheat at speed, and eventually caused a water leak due to the back pressure.

The idiot that owned the boat before me clearly had a few failed impellers, because this was a fair sized container of bits!! :ambivalence:

 

[ghostlymoron]

This looks like a half milk bottle full of soil to me. Are you saying it's bits of impellers?

Trouble is, when they break up, bits go all over the cooling system and block things up!

View attachment 68887

This happened before I owned my boat, but blocked the starboard oil cooler, caused an overheat at speed, and eventually caused a water leak due to the back pressure.

The idiot that owned the boat before me clearly had a few failed impellers, because this was a fair sized container of bits!! :ambivalence:

 

[No Regrets]

Yup, 'fraid so!! :ambivalence:

The engine has had a six year history of overheating at speed, not an issue on the upper Thames, but more so when going tidal. It was improved hugely by Rydlyme to the point I thought it was cured, but now suspect the temp gauge will read a lot less when we next go beyond teddington!

The engine also sounds different, as it's clearly filling with water so the slightly hollow exhaust note now matches the burbling Port engine.

There were around two modest handfuls of shrapnel in the bottom of that milk carton. The engineer kindly left it for me to have a laugh about!

 

[tudorsailor]

Now I'll make a suggestion that I have never tried myself (just hear-say that it can work), but I am seriously considering to give it a shot with all "consumable" parts: a 3D printer and a one off payment to someone who can design an exact copy in the printer's software... and you'll have a life time supply of spare parts.
According to some 3D printing guys, you can choose from a wide variety of plastics, hardness, etc... (in case you're into fashionable items, you can even choose the color )

I have a 3D printer. I am thinking of printing with the latest rubbery material that resists oil etc. ALthough, I would be happy to make a gasket or O ring, I am not so sure about an impeller. I doubt it would survive very long and one would only know that it had failed when the the pump stopped working. I think I would try making an impeller for the bilge pump first before making one for the engine.

TudorSailor

 

[tross]

I found these very compeditive if you order 2 to cover the shipping charge

https://www.marineersatzteile.com
Tross