New To Me Force 125 was Run w/o Water Pump Gasket. Am I OK?

777funk

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I was about to reassemble the water pump after changing the impeller and noticed there was no gasket between the housing and the plate below it (part #14 in the picture). It was pumping water from the exhaust snout and spitting the two weep holes but this does concern me a little. Am I likely to be ok? Seems like the engine runs ok but I've not had it on a lake yet.
 

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Justinde

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I honestly don't know for certain, but I can say this. No matter how old the technology, engines are designed with both performance and cost in consideration. Where a company can save a few bucks per engine by not running a gasket, or by shaving a few millimetres off each bolt, hat translates to saving money, and they'd do it every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. If you didn't need it, it wouldn't' be there, so, I'd be getting one and putting it in ;-)
 

jerryjerry05

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OH NO!!!! Looks like your gonna need to buy a whole new boat!!!
Naw it won't hurt anything to run a short time.
It's there to make sure the pump doesn't suck air. like Justin said it needs to be there.
If it wasn't there it could possibly allow air in and it might stop pumping as well as it should.
 

777funk

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Yep... Oh no! I might as well scrap it. lol:)

I'd bet the PO or whoever he used to service this forgot to order a gasket last time the impeller was changed (looks to be few hours on the impeller he had on there). But I'd also guess the boat had it'd been taken out as it was. It seems to be pumping. But will be adding a gasket shortly.

thanks for the help guys.
 
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gm280

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Personally I would install every part in the diagram if I were servicing this engine. With that stated, if you were getting enough water pumped through the engine I don't see any issue. But then I'm not an engine expert or stayed in any Holliday Inn last night either. Put I would simply replace the gasket impellor and any other worn parts and button her up and move on. I'm reasonable sure these water pumps do leak some around their housings on even the best design pump system a little. The fact that we can't see them in actual operations is the only way to prove or disprove that... But as long as there is a good quantity of water flowing through the engine, who cares! JMHO!
 

Frank Acampora

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OK! Even without the gasket I will give you 50 bucks for the engine! LOL. Looking at the schematic I can see that this engine does not have a Mercury pump or a mercury lower unit.

NO--there is no gasket between the water pump housing and the stainless plate.

There is however an important gasket underneath the stainless plate between it and the lower housing. This gasket keeps water from diverting from the output to the inlet, assuring that all water pumped is delivered to the engine.
 

777funk

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Thanks Frank. I've watched a few of your videos. Thanks for your insight! Great job. As far as I can see there's a gasket between the pump housing and the plate. I see a gasket (at least in the picture I posted). It shows one above and below the plate. Am I missing (or should I say adding) something?
 

Frank Acampora

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If the lower unit has the short drive shaft with a coupler, it has a Mercury type pump. These pumps also have a stainless "cup" inside a plastic pump body. The impeller is a little taller than the older style cast aluminum pump body and the cup sticks out of the plastic body a tiny bit. The gasket IS necessary on these style pumps as a spacer, however, no harm will come to the engine by running without the gasket.. I stand by my original offer: If it has been run without the gasket I will give you 50 bucks for the whole engine. LOL.
 

777funk

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Love the picture of the Chrysler in it's beauty in your avatar picture. You come to appreciate the older Chryslers once you own one.
 

Frank Acampora

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those "refrigerator" Chrysler hoods make a perfect canvas for my mermaid decals. I had a whole bunch of photos of three or four covers posted before the change in format and now I am just too lazy to repost through photobucket.

Matter of fact, I was once stopped by the law (on the water) and he had a mermaid tat . when he saw the cover he went all lenient.
 
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