I replaced the cirulation pump on my 1988 5.7L mercruiser at the end of last season. I did not fix the engine hatch cover that caused rain water to leak on the front of the engine which cause the problem in the first place. Now I already have a squeak or whine coming from my belts and I am pretty sure it's coming from the circulation pump pulley that has already rusted from water penetration. I hate spending boating days making repairs and I am wondering how critical this problem is. I hear the whining at slow speeds, but a faster speeds it either goes away or is drowned out by engine noise. The pulley has no play and the engine cools just fine. Can this wait until the fall, or do I fix this right away? Yes, I have fixed my leaking hatch.
