Impeller ding

[BDOne]

Just pulled the impellers the first time since we got the boat this summer. The starboard impeller has a ding on one of the leading edges. Can anyone weigh in on whether it is worth getting repaired or replaced?

 

[Scottintexas]

have you noticed any decrease in acceleration or other symptoms?

dings are like a magic bullet, it's hard to say what will or won't affect the performance of the boat,

if you've not noticed any issues I'd say leave it as is, maybe buy a new set of impellers just so you have some on hand to change incase there is an issue in the future then you can send the damaged one in for refurb. at your convenience



.

 

[Beachbummer]

Try a garage repair and see how you fare?? That bend looks like it could cause a little noise, but I would wait for worse before spending the $100 to fix.

 

[Seadeals]

Here is a ding I got and was able to work back and dress out using a wood block, mallet, hammer and file. It was on the trailing edge and smaller than yours. It worked out, though and eliminated the cavitation. A DIY job may induce more stress than professional refurb techniques and could require adding material to meet spec when you do refurb (an up-charge) so there could be consequences to an attempt.

 

[BDOne]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll wait and see for now. I may pick up a pair of new impellers to have as spares.

I don't have a performance baseline to tell if it has impacted acceleration or top end. We bought the boat in August this year, and I'm pretty certain that the impeller had the dent when we got it. I assume I would have noticed if I sucked up something hard enough to do that kind of damage. Am I correct? A piece of wood small enough to make it past the intake grate would not be capable of causing that kind of damage?

 

[tdonoughue]

Hard to tell. You can suck up a little rock in shallow water and do that kind of damage. In theory I guess you could get that with wood, but hard to imagine unless it is a really hard piece of wood... But there can be lots of other trash in a lake that can damage an impeller, too (shells, nails in wood, plastic, etc.). I can't ever remember 'feeling' my impeller getting hit, but mine was chewed up on the leading edge.

BTW, I am in the 'file it and bang it' camp, rather than a pro fix or replacement for that. I filed and used a pliers to clean up mine and it made a difference. I didn't have a ding as big as yours, but what do you have to lose? If it doesn't work you replace it anyway...

 

[Gym]

I agree this is an easy fix. Couple of taps with a hammer, block of wood and a beer. I have filed burrs off my impellers easily.

 

[BDOne]

Ok. As the record will clearly show, if it requires beer, I'll give it a try.

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.
-- Homer J. Simpson

 

[BDOne]

I just remembered that I finally got around to addressing the dinged impeller blade this spring. I used a pair of vise-grips and a file to straighten it out. It's nowhere close to perfect, but definitely better.

It does seem to have had an effect. Previously, at WOT one engine always ran 200-300 RPMs higher than the other. Now the RPMs are much closer. I guess the ding was causing enough cavitation to make a difference.

 

[Vw-traveller]

So a lot of people on this thread have mentioned things like easy fix, $100, just file it or bang it out with a hammer. It seems though that getting the impeller out is a major job. I have a 1982 Berkeley jet, where I would have to remove the entire assembly to get out the impeller. Has anyone ever tried smoothing out the leading edge through the clean out port?

 

[Bottom Bracket]

Replace,
Smooth the ding, carry in the truck as a spare.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I would send it out to be repaired and balanced. That is going to create cavitation 100%. It may not cause any loss of speed or grab but it could start eating the edge away. It's the off season so it is a perfect time to remove and send out. Check those cone bearings while you are in there.

 

[biffdotorg]

So a lot of people on this thread have mentioned things like easy fix, $100, just file it or bang it out with a hammer. It seems though that getting the impeller out is a major job. I have a 1982 Berkeley jet, where I would have to remove the entire assembly to get out the impeller. Has anyone ever tried smoothing out the leading edge through the clean out port?

Watch Capt Leon's video on pump work. He shows just how easy it is to pull the pumps apart. I can't speak to it, as I have been fortunate enough to not have to do it. But Leon makes it look easy. Getting it off the shaft is more work that actually removing the pump.

 

[Vw-traveller]

Watch Capt Leon's video on pump work. He shows just how easy it is to pull the pumps apart. I can't speak to it, as I have been fortunate enough to not have to do it. But Leon makes it look easy. Getting it off the shaft is more work that actually removing the pump.

Thx!

Yeah, I guess it's not so bad. I'm just wary of pulling off my transom jet housing.