Glue bottom of Bilge Pump

HPLou

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
196
Good Day,
I will be installing a second bilge pump. The location were it will be install does not allow me to screw it. Access is very hard.
My plan is to glue the bottom of the bidge pump. Before the gluing process, I will connect the drain hose & electrical wires to the pump.
I would like to use 5 min epoxy to glue the bottom to accelerate the install.
Is that a good idea using epoxy ?
Thany you
 

Augoose

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
1,220
Loctite marine epoxy from any home improvement store will work fine. It has been holding a transducer on the transom of my boat for several years now. Clean the site and rough it up a bit with a little sandpaper first.
 

Woops

Cadet
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
11
Just don't do what I did.
Fiberglassed the pump bracket to the floor of the boat. It's still there after 38 years and they don't manufacture the bilge pump any more.
Cheers.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
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Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,306
Ive used 3M 5200 to glue stuff in place
 

Powerstroke in a Prius

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 8, 2017
Messages
43
Is it possible to make a "flag pole" for the pump? You can use something like SS large hose clamp, zip ties, whatever - and mount the flag pole to the boat at a higher and more accessible point. This makes the pump entirely serviceable/replaceable.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
Can you epoxy a piece of pressure treated wood to the hull and then screw the pump to that? That makes it removable for repair/replace.

Actually, I would use an epoxy putty like Marine-Tex, rather than liquid epoxy.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
Always think of how you can mount things to be serviceable. And that means mount something to allow you to easily remove it if necessary. You can bet that in the not too distance future, they will change their designs of bilge pumps AGAIN. and that means you will need some way to remove the old one and install a new type. That is the only thing you can rely on....change! JMHO
 

alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
40,582
As others have mentioned, sooner or later the pump will fail, and if it's glued, well your stuck :D Either the pump will go out or the float switch.

Not knowing where it will be located, but in most cases its under the motor/transmission. If you fasten it to a piece of wood and then glue that to the hull, at least some day you can replace the pump. If you get a piece of flat stock aluminum or other, fasten pump to it then bend the far end where it can be fastened to a bulkhead or stringer

pump.jpg
 

Augoose

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
1,220
Great idea with the wood. Possibly a square of cheap walmart poly cutting board would work as well.
 
Last edited:

robert graham

Admiral
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
6,908
Great idea with the wood. Possibly a square of cheap walmart poly cutting board would work as well.

I did this and the weight/size of the plastic "cutting board" sorta anchors the pump in place....so it's not actually attached to the boat/hull....it's just sitting down there with nowhere to go....works great!....
 

HPLou

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
196
Update on my install.
I finally installed my 2nd bilge pump.
Clean to hull bottom and I glued the bottom of the bilge pump cup with Gorilla 2 part epoxy and was able to sit it with a post to the hull bottom.
I left it 24 hours to cure. I Install the 3/4'' hose on the pump, lengthen the wires and with the same post I snaped the pump on the cup.
It's a clean job. Because the Bilge Pump Cup is glued I decided to buy a spare pump in case I have to replace it.
My only hope is that the epoxy will last!
Thank you for your help.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
Update on my install.
I finally installed my 2nd bilge pump.
Clean to hull bottom and I glued the bottom of the bilge pump cup with Gorilla 2 part epoxy and was able to sit it with a post to the hull bottom.
I left it 24 hours to cure. I Install the 3/4'' hose on the pump, lengthen the wires and with the same post I snaped the pump on the cup.
It's a clean job. Because the Bilge Pump Cup is glued I decided to buy a spare pump in case I have to replace it.
My only hope is that the epoxy will last!
Thank you for your help.

If you cleaned everything up nicely, I think it will work well. Nice idea about buying a second pump for a possible replacement. Just don't forget where you put it and have to buy another later anyways. That would be how I would do things. :facepalm:
 

harleyman1975

Ensign
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
959
"Nice idea about buying a second pump for a possible replacement. Just don't forget where you put it and have to buy another later anyways. That would be how I would do things. :facepalm:" ME TOO!
 
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