What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

[onehunglow]

Is there any emergency procedure that can be done if this happens and there is no impeller to pump water up and cool the engine?

For instance ..has anyone ever had an alternative water supply feeder with a bilge pump or something to at least force water thru the engine at least so you can get to shore?

Many other failures you can plan for (extra gas tank, mix oil directly into gas, spare fuses, etc) but an impeller failure can leave you pretty much dead in the water ...and needing a tow.

I am wondering of anyone has thought of a quick fix in such an emergency

 

[Vic.S]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

No just hoist the sails!
Should always be hanked on ready in case the engine fails at an awkward moment.

 

[bankerjohn]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

Can't say that this is a possibility for all motors, but I know my 1996 Evinrude has a flushing port in the block with a plug that can be removed.

Seems to me that, with a flushing attachment installed, and a bilge or live well pump attached to it with a piece of garden hose, it should provide enough cooling to at least get back to port, albeit at a leisurely pace!

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

Doesn't everyone have twins or a kicker? If not Sea Tow is a great investment.

Seriously, do impellers fail instantaneously and catastrophically? ? I thought they just loose efficiency.

I had one on a 70 hp I bought years ago witha broken vane. It still worked and pumped water just not as well. The engine never overheated or anything but after replacing it there was a noticable difference in pisser power.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

Richard is mostly correct. Impellers do not usually fail competely. I suppose if some sand or gravel got into them and jammed them enought to break the key, they might fail completely.

You need to monitor the cooling of the motor at all times. Sometimes the impeller will loose efficiency at high speeds. One time my Mercruiser Alpha impeller got chewed upon it's very bottom, by sand. The motor tended to overheat at idle, but ran cool at fast idle and up. Ideosyncrazy of the impeller design, I guess.

Depending on the motor's design, there may be some way to introduce cooling water and limp back to the dock. The suggestion on the Johnny flush port is a good one. Newer Mercs have a similar flush port. Alternatively, you might be able to remove a thermostat cover and pump water into it on an inline motor.

The best thing to do is to monitor the temp, and idle home. Try a fast idle as well to see which works best.

 

[F_R]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

Seriously, do impellers fail instantaneously and catastrophically? ? I thought they just loose efficiency.
QUOTE]

Man, if you had been around my shop back in the late '60s - early '70s you wouldn't have to ask that question. I almost constantly had a 3 cyl or V-4 powerhead torn apart for rebuilding due to instantaneous impeller failure. We had a rash of impellers that spun the stainless hub loose from the rubber. When it happened at high speed, there was no warning whatsoever and you couldn't shut it off fast enough to prevent burning the pistons. In fact is happened so fast that people always insisted that the warning horn never went off. Then after it siezes, you sit there dead in the water while the heat cooks off all the paint and melts all the wires---and the temp warning switch! I might add that these were motors less than two years old.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

DISAGREE COMPLETELY. impellers can fail at any time. you can start on muffs in drive way, and it will be pumping. drive down the the ramp and it will not work. they can go just like that. it is determine by when the rubber fatigues, and comes apart.

the reason to do preventive maintainance, impeller, gear oil, carb cleaning on on a schedule.

 

[MushCreek]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

When I was a kid, I got a small OMC home by throwing buckets of water on it to keep it cool. NOT recommended! I quickly learned not to POUR the water on it, as the ignition zapped the snot out of me! I guess in a dire situation, it would work, but it can't be good for the motor. Boats were kept in the salt water all season back then, and the prudent boater put a new impeller in every season.

 

[DGartzos]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

If there is no pressure upward from the impeller, couldn't there be a way to put water through the pee pipe downward ?

 

[bankerjohn]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

If there is no pressure upward from the impeller, couldn't there be a way to put water through the pee pipe downward ?

No way ... the diameter of the tell tale is too small to get the needed volume of water thru the motor!

 

[jbjennings]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

My emergency water pump procedure amount to a boat paddle and a cell phone. My dad's retired...............Heh Heh Heh
JBJ

 

[robert644]

Re: What can you do on the water if an impeller fails?

Just a wild guess...

remove impeller, cut a scoop out of a platic bottle or jug, and duct tape it over the intake to force water through the system.

i'd sure have tried that, playing on the columbia river when i was younger. but in the end I always had a good paddle. A nice long solid one, not some flimsy piece of junk. I also planned most of my trips upriver,

so I could float and not paddle back home.