Changing impeller every season????

I know it isn't any different on a V-Drive but DAMN!!!! Every season? Having to replace mine every season is gonna suck!!!! I have a Merc. in a v-drive and there is no room.
What's the longest you can go safely before having to change impellers. Mine is definitely not one to try and change on the water.

Personally I wouldn't do it. I keep an extra one with me along with a spare belt, but I go three years before replacment. I had an old 74 century that would shred one every four years.

John I agree, I took the pump off the motor and changed my impeller. May sound like extra work but unless someone can tell me an easier way to get the impeller out while still on the engine then Im taking the pump off and changing the pump on my work bench. less busted knuckles too!

mine let loose after 100 hrs. not pretty!! the fins go everywhere, took two trips to the lake to clean them out. ill change it every year whether it needs it or not.

my dealer suggested every 2 years, as prevenative matiance. the longest i have ever gone was about 3 years and 400hrs, it was so hammerd they were supprised it was still in tact

I have about 195 hours on it and it appears that the impeller has never been replaced. The bolts were still painted onto the pump housing. Man they make it so you get fed up and want to take it in to get serviced. Fuel filter was right next to the pump so access from the side sucked and access from the top was near impossible without pulling exhaust cannister off. You definitely have to take it out to replace it. Don't think I'll be trying to repair it on the water if it ever takes a poo on me.

Depends on a bunch of things like time between uses, winterization, and especially time run dry. Every other year I do a big service including fluids besides engine oil, fuel cell, and impeller. If I have a slow year in terms of hours (like 100) I may push it over to the next spring. As others suggest always carry a spare and the tools required to do it lakeside. Just like a prop, it's like carrying a spare tire in a car.

I'm building a small collection of tools for the boat. I've got one of those sears socket kits but now I'm fine tuning with tools specific to tasks like impeller replacement. Also throwin in elec. tape, zip ties, extra serp. belt, etc.
Gonna look through archived threads to see what others are carrying onboard. I do need a spare prop too....Man I need to work some more O.T.!!!!
B.O.A.T.....break out another thousand....sheez!

If you want your impeller to last make sure you NEVER start the boat or even turn over the engine without a hose hooked to it or the boat in the water. I know several people that will start the motor for a split second at the house to make sure everything is good before going to the lake. This will ruin an impeller in no time.

Also when power loading your boat make sure the water intake is staying submerged or you will be sucking air then too.

Changing an impeller should take about ten minutes start to end. That is with an indmar or PCM motor--haven't been around Merc motors since the 80's--kinda learn my lesson back then.

An impeller costs about $25--pretty cheap to change out ever 100 hours to ensure no problems. If you don't run a hours a season--then definately smart to change out in the spring.

(Message edited by whit on April 18, 2005)

John, I just changed the impeller on my Merc Black Scorpion (it was the 1st time I changed it) and took me about 3 hours, because I had no idea what I was doing. I have a direct drive and it was hard to get too also, you have to take the entire water pump off, then take it apart. Now that I know what I am doing, I can probably do this in about an hour. If you have any questions I will try and answer them.

The impeller on the Scorpion is a much bigger pain in the butt to replace then on an indmar. I have done both and don't miss the scorpion one bit. Indmar takes about 10 min max

I've had to replace impellers a few times, however one tip i heard for prolonging the life of your impeller is to remove it at the end of the season and cover it with grease and put it in a ziploc back. This way it isn't all dried up and super rigid for when you put it back in and has much less chance of the rubber tearing.

I'll second the pulling and greasing for the winter. Our dealer recommended every other year but after a long winter after the first summer season the old one had stuck to the housing walls or dried out too much and tore itself up in the spring. Idled home and now we keep a spare and treat it right for the winter.

Impeller is now out I'm just waiting on the right replacement. I was sold the wrong one. It's not that big a deal it's just that the fuel pump/filter is in the way. It's a pretty tight fit. I was laying down inside the trunk. Not a hard task to perform just awkward.
As far as changing it every season, I think i'm just going to keep an eye on the operating temps. and if it starts to fluxuate then I'll change it again. The boat doesn't even get winterized as I use it all year long.
Thanks for the offer for help Tony F. but it turned out being alot easier then originally anticipated. I still need to reinstall but I think I'm on the down hill slide.
I need to disconnect the coil wire to bump the ignition though because I dont remember which way the motor turns. Gotta make sure I put the fins in the right direction. Thanks for all the posts

Schneble wrote "Mine is definitely not one to try and change on the water"

You answered your own question! Changing an impeller is cheap insurance for not getting stranded out ont he water. It's not a question of "if" it's a question of "when".

Get an impeller puller and use lots of glycerin. Makes the job super easy, even on a v-drive with little room. I just changed mine in about 15 minutes.

GARY,
We are talking MERCRUISER here not Indmar !!! If you changed a Merc impeller in 15 min YOU ARE THE MAN.
Merc does not make it easy at all. The plastic housing, shims, paper gaskets, trying to hold the whole thing together...it sucks PERIOD. Normally in a Merc change you need to replace the housing because it cracks or breaks. Just another MERC deception. They DO NOT make it easy to work on there motors AT ALL... Sorry

TJK, you are absolutley correct about the MERC impeller....Also just a little hint, if you accidently drop the housing it WILL break. But thankfully I found a place online that had the housing and the impeller for $54. I think I could change the impeller in under an hour, but not on the water!!!!

I have an 04 X2 with the MCX and the impeller looks almost impossible to change. I'm up to about 315 hours right now so I know it's definitely time for the change. Anybody done an X2 with the MCX?

Joe it is easy. Just remove the pump housing cover and coat the old impeller with some spray silcone. Disconect your coil wire and crank the engine. The impeller will usually fly out. If it doesen't just grab it will a pair of needle nose vice grips (after a few revolutions) and it will slide right out. Just did one this past week. At 315hrs you are very lucky it hasn't gone yet..............

A 2000 Merc 350 MPI. Last July 4th, had a bunch of people at the Disco Bay house getting ready for a little cruise. Warming up the engine while still in the slip, all of a sudden a horrible screaching sound. Yep, the impeller.
Although I'd easily replaced one on my earlier Merc in a Bu direct drive, this job had ugly written all over it. I was told the book said allow 3 hours. I felt pretty good starting it back up at 2:50. Yes I was on the water but tools weren't an issue as I was at my house.
I knew it was the original (bought the boat new) and that the time was coming so I had a spare (actually 2 spares) but the original did last 810 hours at almost exactly 4 years.
Never ran the engine out of the water.

Chris, the actual impeller replacement is not what I'm worried about, it's GETTING to the pump that looks impossible!

Joe, replacement was the easiest part for me. It was the reinstall that sucked! I had to pull the fuel filter off cause it was right in the way. Otherwise I would have to do everything by "Braille" (spelling?). I also didn't remember which way to install the impeller so I had to have my wife bump the ignition so I could figure out pulley rotation.That said, it was an easy project to do myself only access is very limited....

I know that 10-15 minutes is NOT a true time frame for my Super Air. First the thing is at the very rear of the boat, and faces the front of the boat. So you have to work net to the wedge tank, between the engine and the pump, and there is no spae on the other side of the pump (away from the tank). Then after getting the plate off the pump, you then have to figure out how to get the impeller out (good luck).

In all to do this in place takes me at least an hour or two.

Where to find globe impellers for mercruiser 350 black scorpion? Anybody with part number?