Our 2001 DF70 has VERY low hours. When I checked it was something ridiculous, around 17 if I remember correctly.<br /><br />The manual says to "inspect" the empeller every 12 mouths or 200 hours. As far as I know, it has never been replaced, and it pumps water like crazy! <br /><br />I think it was a salesmen who told me something about the empeller being stainless steal. Is this referring to the empeller itself of the casing that it spins in?<br /><br />If its worth mentioning, the last trip of the season we picked up a plastic bag on lower unit, which blocked the water intake and set off the temp alarm, stopping, removing the bag and restarting seemed to solve that problem, and there where no temp problems the rest of the trip.<br /><br />The motor is now four years old, do you think its time to replace it as a precaution?