? for boat owners..actually a few ?'s

[6pack]

Is there a message board such as this one to get tech help on boats? Also anyone ever done the "fitting out" of their own boat and what all was done. I know the basics, but still confused on some things. I have been told the impeller needs to be changed every year. My problem with that is...our boat stayed in the shop the whole summer last year and only accrued maybe 2 hours on the clock after the fitting out was done. Now the guy I usually take it to wants to charge me $125 to get it ready for the water, but I think I can do that myself. HELP!

 

[REEDOG]

Although this is a sportfishing board it has a technical boat forum that's been helpful for me.

http://www.sport-fish-info.com/dcforum/cgibin/dcboard.cgi

 

[tjthorson]

Guess I will jump in. Sounds like you have the 4 cylinder Mercruiser, which has an Alpha 1 outdrive.

You should probably change the impeller every other year or more, depending on usage. Even if it is not used much, the impeller fins can "take a set" and not pump effectively or become brittle so the first little pebble might break one off.

You will have some friends tell you they have the run the same impeller for years with no problems. IMHO, they are living on borrowed time. A $20-$50 impeller even each year is much cheaper then if you overheat the engine. Its like my buddies that like to downshift a manual trans coming to a stop in their cars. They say they are saving the brakes. To me, a $25 set of brake pads is cheaper then a clutch and tranny rebuild, but I digress.

Here are my usual boating forums, in order of how I like them.


http://www.goboating.com/main/
http://www.boatus.com
http://www.boattest.com/main.asp
http://www.boatered.com/forum/
http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi
http://www.usboating.com/

My Alpha 1 is still new, but I believe the impeller changes like my old outboard did. You need to put the drive selector in forward, and drop the lower unit. The impeller should be on top under a little cover.

BTW, $125 to do that, if it includes parts, is really cheap. Most marinas are around $250 for an impeller change.

 

[Buick From Hell]

Here's the two boating boards I frequent:

Go Boating America
Boating ABC.com

The younger crowd seems to favor the ABC board, but both boards are great!

 

[Buick From Hell]

somehow I KNEW I'd be racing Todd to hit the submit button first!

Todd, I notice you DON'T have ABC in your list, check 'em out!

 

[Drew L]

Alpha 1 outdrives-water pump impeller

You can do it on the boat but you will have to split the upper from the lower unit . Plugging off the passage hole that connects the two (golf tee) halves will have to be plugged so ass not to loose the gear oil. On an Alpha 1 the impeller is not at the top, it is in between the upper and lower halves of the outdrive. You were either sold a bag of goods or told incorrectly if this is what you what you paid for or told. You can buy the Mercruiser impeller at any aftermarket marine store for $20 and it SHOULD take less than an hour to do. I've done a million of them this way . Well, not a million but cetainly more than I care to recall. Alpha II maybe? Now if it is at the top then that couldd be an OMC. Very very easy to change. Volvo also made some stuff for OMC but their impellers are in the boat driven by the belt a what they call a "seawater" pump.

 

[tjthorson]

I apologize for my misleading post. I meant its on top of the lower half after you separate the halves....

That better?