2018 242 pump impeller housing bad already?

[CoastalBoater]

Hello all,

I have been reading these forums for a while, but first post.

I was looking at buying a 2018 242SE offered by a second owner at a discount with some corrosion issues particularly on tower/bimini frame and also noticeable on the stern ladder. I had it sent to a dealer for inspection and the motors checked out OK with the ECUs reading 75 hours (the Connext says 58 and 35 hours so the dealer updated and fixed the software.) They also found that one pump had a problem and was making noise. I have not seen the full report yet but from what they described it is the impeller hitting the housing. They are correcting this for the owner and waiting on the parts. My concern is that it seems very early for this kind of issue with the impeller housing swelling from corrosion? I am now concerned that this boat was moored in salt water. The trailer was added by the second owner. Although the interior and upholstery look good as it was covered, I am concerned about more issues coming up and thinking I should pass on this one. Tough to swallow given the low supply but I guess it does not do me any good if it is potentially in the shop more than in use. Does this sound out of the ordinary?

Thanks in advance and also for all of your knowledge I was able to glean from previous posts.

 

[swatski]

Those towers and bimini frames are aluminum so excessive corrosion would be unusual in a 2018 boat.

With the pump, they can be loud and when run out of water there can be some contact between the impeller and wear ring giving out a metallic noise, there is no real neutral in these boat so the impeller is always spinning with engine on. If there is swelling of the SS wear ring liner, it would be unusual at that age, it would lead to shaved bumps/spots that should be easy to spot on wear ring inspection.

A far more serious issue would be noise coming out of the pump's main bearing. That could be bad bearing - could result from water intrusion. If the bearing was to fall apart, it could be catastrophic.

Wear ring noise would be metallic and annoying, sharp sound, whereas a bad bearing would be more of a rattling sound and vibration - albeit I admit I have never personally heard the latter, just what I gather from descriptions of others who experienced the condition.

--

 

[CoastalBoater]

Thanks for the advice. I will try to lock down exactly what they are replacing. Hopefully it is not the main bearing or at least it would be replaced if needed.

I watched the amusing and educational video posted by @Leojay. Looking at the wear ring housing with the stainless liner it does not seem like that should swell that early. I know it is unusual to have issues with the powder coated aluminum tower also.

All of this feels like mounting evidence against getting this boat.

 

[swatski]

Thanks for the advice. I will try to lock down exactly what they are replacing. Hopefully it is not the main bearing or at least it would be replaced if needed.

I watched the amusing and educational video posted by @Leojay. Looking at the wear ring housing with the stainless liner it does not seem like that should swell that early. I know it is unusual to have issues with the powder coated aluminum tower also.

All of this feels like mounting evidence against getting this boat.

The wear ring is tricky, it is a thin sliver of a SS lining aluminum alloy wear ring segment. It has a natural tendency to galling and can be "perforated" but it would be unusual, I think, to have it happen in a two/three year old pump.

I would want the cones pulled out at this point to inspect the pump bearings for water intrusion and possible damage, it is not a lot of work; I'm sure they are fine but it would be a costly item to fix if not; I would change the cone o-rings when the cones are pulled.

--

 

[CoastalBoater]

The wear ring is tricky, it is a thin sliver of a SS lining aluminum alloy wear ring segment. It has a natural tendency to galling and can be "perforated" but it would be unusual, I think, to have it happen in a two/three year old pump.

I would want the cones pulled out at this point to inspect the pump bearings for water intrusion and possible damage, it is not a lot of work; I'm sure they are fine but it would be a costly item to fix if not; I would change the cone o-rings when the cones are pulled.

--

Thanks again. I checked with the dealer and they are replacing the impeller, impeller housing, transom plate, o-rings, gaaskets, bolts, washers and sealant for one pump. They said they pulled both and the other pump was OK. Also said they checked the main bearings and were OK.

I wonder how soon it could go into the water after that? I guess 24hr if using something like 5200 sealant.

 

[mrcleanr6]

in a salt environment it doesnt take long for a painted or powder coated aluminum tower to fail if there are breaks in the finish. so anywhere there may be a snap screwed in or maybe a scratch from someone holding the pipe with their ring on their finger or whatever it may be from. if there is a break then 6 mos and youll start to see paint failure. i have repainted tower after tower from chapparel. i do alot of paintwork for the local dealer. every one of their towers fail within 6-12 mos. its not even funny. what you are seeing is normal and not a big deal really. the damaged areas can be taken care of by a professional painter. as for the pump, i wouldnt worry about that either. there is nothing wrong with keeping a yamaha in salt. its no different that say a mercruiser. its all just aluminum and stainless. as long as the owner maintains his zincs then its not a problem. the only difference with a jet is what has been mentioned...the wear ring. that part is the only thing that is prone to early failure. you may get 3-4 years out of it instead of 8. not a big deal really. the part is cheap and can be replaced in 10 min if your pump is regularly maintained. to me it sounds like on that one pump the guy let the zincs dissolve and didnt replace them. if the boat is in good shape i wouldnt shy away from it at all.

 

[CoastalBoater]

in a salt environment it doesnt take long for a painted or powder coated aluminum tower to fail if there are breaks in the finish. so anywhere there may be a snap screwed in or maybe a scratch from someone holding the pipe with their ring on their finger or whatever it may be from. if there is a break then 6 mos and youll start to see paint failure. i have repainted tower after tower from chapparel. i do alot of paintwork for the local dealer. every one of their towers fail within 6-12 mos. its not even funny. what you are seeing is normal and not a big deal really. the damaged areas can be taken care of by a professional painter. as for the pump, i wouldnt worry about that either. there is nothing wrong with keeping a yamaha in salt. its no different that say a mercruiser. its all just aluminum and stainless. as long as the owner maintains his zincs then its not a problem. the only difference with a jet is what has been mentioned...the wear ring. that part is the only thing that is prone to early failure. you may get 3-4 years out of it instead of 8. not a big deal really. the part is cheap and can be replaced in 10 min if your pump is regularly maintained. to me it sounds like on that one pump the guy let the zincs dissolve and didnt replace them. if the boat is in good shape i wouldnt shy away from it at all.

Thank you and @swatski. This is exactly the kind of input that make this forum so valuable. The rest of the boat is in good shape and I feel better that the pumps have been inspected and repaired as needed. My plan was to have the tower touch up for use this season and then perhaps take it off for a new powder coat next winter. I plan on storing it indoors once I have a metal building complete so less worried about continued issues.

I will post questions about test drive in another thread.

 

[Wozi Bailey]

Last year (2020), I bought secondhand 2018 212X. This boat has never been in salt water but was moored continuously for two years from May - Sept, each year, before I purchased it. The starboard pump [only] seemed a little bit noisy at first - and got [much] worst during the boating season. As this is my first jet boat, I was also concerned that something very sinister and expensive was wrong. But this winter, I removed the pump unit and discovered the starboard impeller had been contacting the pump housing (factory aluminum housing with SS liner), as many others have described in these threads.
I have replaced the pump housing with the WSM brand aftermarket version with the hard plastic liner, as it was both cheaper and I liked the idea of the impeller contacting the hard plastic liner instead of the steel ring, if something similar occurs in the future. My bearings seem to still be in perfect condition.
Personally, I would not let this [common] issue put you off overall on your boat purchase - as it also happened to my 2018 boat.
Cheers, W.

 

[CoastalBoater]

Last year (2020), I bought secondhand 2018 212X. This boat has never been in salt water but was moored continuously for two years from May - Sept, each year, before I purchased it. The starboard pump [only] seemed a little bit noisy at first - and got [much] worst during the boating season. As this is my first jet boat, I was also concerned that something very sinister and expensive was wrong. But this winter, I removed the pump unit and discovered the starboard impeller had been contacting the pump housing (factory aluminum housing with SS liner), as many others have described in these threads.
I have replaced the pump housing with the WSM brand aftermarket version with the hard plastic liner, as it was both cheaper and I liked the idea of the impeller contacting the hard plastic liner instead of the steel ring, if something similar occurs in the future. My bearings seem to still be in perfect condition.
Personally, I would not let this [common] issue put you off overall on your boat purchase - as it also happened to my 2018 boat.
Cheers, W.

Thanks for the input. I picked it up yesterday! Details in other post.

 

[jellyfishbone]

Last year (2020), I bought secondhand 2018 212X. This boat has never been in salt water but was moored continuously for two years from May - Sept, each year, before I purchased it. The starboard pump [only] seemed a little bit noisy at first - and got [much] worst during the boating season. As this is my first jet boat, I was also concerned that something very sinister and expensive was wrong. But this winter, I removed the pump unit and discovered the starboard impeller had been contacting the pump housing (factory aluminum housing with SS liner), as many others have described in these threads.
I have replaced the pump housing with the WSM brand aftermarket version with the hard plastic liner, as it was both cheaper and I liked the idea of the impeller contacting the hard plastic liner instead of the steel ring, if something similar occurs in the future. My bearings seem to still be in perfect condition.
Personally, I would not let this [common] issue put you off overall on your boat purchase - as it also happened to my 2018 boat.
Cheers, W.

I'm considering WSM as a replacement. How has your experience been so far with that manufacturer and the plastic liners?