dump question about impellers

[rocket1968]

I am more of a car mechanic and am working to get a boat ready for this year in Chicago. Do all mercuiser I/O have impellers? I dont recall ever replacing this (the boat has been in the family for 20 years). If so, I am assuming I need to change this? How is this done in a 165 i6 from the 1970's.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: dump question about impellers

While not all I/Os have impellers, yours certainly does. After 20 years.... Yep, due for a replacement.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: dump question about impellers

I am more of a car mechanic and am working to get a boat ready for this year in Chicago. Do all mercuiser I/O have impellers? I dont recall ever replacing this (the boat has been in the family for 20 years). If so, I am assuming I need to change this? How is this done in a 165 i6 from the 1970's.

While this is not the manual for your exact drive, it should be good enough to get you through the procedure.....
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6covr3.pdf

 

[rocket1968]

Re: dump question about impellers

Looked at teh manual, cannot find the impeller repalcement?

 

[ziggy]

Re: dump question about impellers

click on the big words sterndrive, then table of contents to 3c i think, and click on that....

 

[rocket1968]

Re: dump question about impellers

Good info. and it shows a breakdown of the parts and instructions. If there is a post of how to do the impeller for an alpha unit and parts needed that would take the guesswork out of it. Could an impeller last 30 years? That is the age of this engine and we have had it for 20 and dont recall an impeller repalcement. It has been at least 6-7 years since any work outside of plugs and belts and hydrolic lines have been done. You hear all the nightmares of boat ownership and constant repairs, but this thing is bulletproof. Every year I expect it to die but it wont. I have a small leak in the back and have an auto bilge that takes care of that and a backup battery.

 

[ziggy]

Re: dump question about impellers

but this thing is bulletproof

yer on borrowed time man. impellers in alpha1s should be replaced every couple of years. myself, i think i'm gonna do mine yearly... overheats are real bad on engines and other rubber parts. speaking of rubber parts. ya need to be lookin at them too. like especially the bellows. they're good for maybe 4 or 5 years... if they leak yer really in for problems.... maybe not problems, but extra dollars for sure as the water that gets in ruins ujoints, gimble brgs, front seal and yoke of the drive. etc. got any water in yer drive? if yer leaking at the bellows. water can intrude into the drive from there too.
ya also probably don't have a alpha 1. like me, i'd guess a 1 drive. if ya post up the serial number it can be id'd. it can also be id'd from inside after ya seperate the upper from the lower. ya need the proper service maual too. the link is good. but it most likely is not for yer drive. get a mercruiser service manual too. not the aftermarket ones. they don't tell the whole story for your drive. in the link. if ya read the words, the intructions are there to be had as for how to R&R the impeller. step by step. as for parts. just go on down to yer local merc dealer and tell'em ya need a impeller kit... they'll have it on hand. the kit will fit 1 drives and alpha1s....
here's a link to some more info on id... http://www.mercstuff.com/ click on "how do i...."
and some more info too....http://forums.iboats.com/showpost.php?p=1564776&postcount=13

 

[rocket1968]

Re: dump question about impellers

It is an MC-1 (1974 165 i6) Does this still mean I need to replace the impeller?

 

[rocket1968]

Re: dump question about impellers

Ziggy, I just read your profile, we are running the same engine and figure you might be able to give me some advice. I am leaking....dont know from where, but it is a trickle. My transom is prety much gone and the floor is soft in a few spots. have you ever replaced the bellows? This will be the last year for this boat since almost all of it is worn. I have rebuilt most of the wood over the last few years but it is an old trihull that has seen better days. What I want to do is pull the engine and drive, what do I need to replace when I do a swap? Is it worth even keeping this engine and repower something else? I am looking for a 1990's wellcraft with a 470...your thoughts?

How easy is the impeller repalcement in this engine? WHat tools needed? I am a great backyard mechanic, and am ok on that part of the boat stuff, the drive is the part that gets me, but with enough reading I should be able to handle most stuff.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: dump question about impellers

No offence, but this post almost sounds like a prank. 30 years without an impeller replacement? Transom rotten? "Small" leak? If this is true, then you need to completely rebuild the transom, etc before you worry about the other stuff. But, yes, the other stuff needs to be done as well.

In addition to the manual, this may help:
http://www.mercstuff.com/howdoi.htm

 

[rocket1968]

Re: dump question about impellers

No prank, just not sure how long it has been since the impeller has been replaced. The boat sat in my back yard after my dad had it and I am planning on checking the maintanence records on this. I am sure it was done in the past, just not sure when, but not recently (6-7 years) that I know if. The transom is shot, the stringers are shot, I almost sunk the boat last year and put in an auto bilge since to handle the leak. I am looking to pull the engine and repower something else. Most of the wood is rotted, I have been replacing seats each year. We call it the 70's boat! I have flooded it above the starter but below the crankcase. (hence replaced a few starters) The engine was rebuilt in the early 1990's.

By moving the drive you can see the back of the boat glass flex. The boat is made by BMC (Bononza Motor Corp) and is a 1974-1976 (not sure what year) on a non braked caulkins trailer. I am hoping to ue it one more year, but want to keep the 165 since it has been great.

An FYI question, what should I expect for topend on this 165 on a non trihull 19 ft boat? Right now I am speedo at 40-41 but feel the trihull is not the best for hull for speed. It used to get 43+ mph. I will be testing it with a GPS this year.

 

[bomar76]

Re: dump question about impellers

Not to be an azz, but what you have really pushes the very definition of "boat":

1. It's 38 (or so, who knows) years old
2. It has rotten stringers
3. It has a rotten transom
4. It leaks like a sieve
5. It has flooded high enough to get water back in bellows several times
6. "Most of the wood is rotted"
7. The engine "rebuild" is 18 or so years old
8. Been at least 6-7 years since any maintanence was done to drive.



And you are concered about top end????

 

[ziggy]

Re: dump question about impellers

yer boat sounds like it may be unsafe. i've got a 72 trihull in my back yard. it's got rotted stringers and probably transom. towards the end of it's time. i was worried about it being safe to operate for fear of it sinking.... yers sounds similar.

like fishermark said. ya need to approach the boat first, then the engine and drive.

as for bellows replacement. i've done one. so not to much experience. it was mostly straight forward though. to do it, ya really gotta have an oem service manual. like most things on a boat though. one thing leads to another. in replaceing my bellows last fall i ended up doing bellows, shift cable and shift cable bellows, (old style shift cable to new), water hose, ujoints, gimble brg., gear end yoke, ft. seal in drive, drive gear brgs. it cost me round abouts 7-800 dollars. that included oem parts and a few tools. but not all the tools needed, as i had to borrow a few(oem mercruiser tools) to get the deed done.

yer speed sounds about like my trisonic trihull speeds. used to be around 43, and got less towards the end of it's days. upper 30's. possibly from water weight and my engine was gettin tired too.

as for the wellcraft with a 470 version engine. avoid it... do a search on 470 engines here on the iboats... a few things good to be said about them, but mostly not... yer 165 L6 is much better engine wise.

the impeller replacement is pretty much regular hand tools and a service manual to do the deed. ya will need a low value in. lb torque wrench though. the back bolt on the water pump cover is about 15 in. lbs. ya don't want to over torque the bolts on it. and there's three different values for 5 bolts on it.

basicly, it sounds like you have what i have. a 70's tri hull which needs a full restore..... and that won't be cheap. and it will be labor intensive.......

 

[Bondo]

Re: dump question about impellers

I am hoping to ue it one more year,

Ayuh,.......

I Hope there's Only Survivors,+ No Casualties..........

 

[Silvertip]

Re: dump question about impellers

This sounds exactly like an incident about to happen like the one I came upon some years ago on the Mississippi River below the lock & dam at Hastings, Minnesota. Rounded the bend headed for the lock and in the middle of the river is a boat that the operator is trying to get on plane. Each time he tries the stern settles a little deeper. Finally I see three people go overboard and the boat goes down. I got to the scene, got the people to shore and went back to find the bow line floating. Tied it off and picked up coolers, seats, and other debris. A cruiser came by and tugged the sunken runabout as close to shore as they could. A pickup was then enlisted to drag it up on shore. The problem was a split transom. The operators were 3 Iranians and the boat was on a sea trial that obviously failed. I have no idea what they told the owner or what the owner told them or who sued who. Boats with bad stringers, bad transoms and boats that leak should never be launched.

 

[ziggy]

Re: dump question about impellers

thats a pretty scary story st........ i got the message...... good thing ya was there to help out...... bet ya felt like ya'd done yer good deed for the day after that....... good job...

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: dump question about impellers

Good info there Ziggy, I think we L6 ole stovebolt 165 owners should have our own section huh? lol We should start an L-6 club haha! Just a thought, I'm a proud 165 owner lol. It would be neet if we could do it here on iboats huh? Seems to be alot of us keeping the vintage kicking. When your looking for your #s on the outdrive strip the paint and look close they are Small. most likely a MC-1 1.65:1 ratio drive.