How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

LTDan440

Cadet
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
13
Annually? Every 2 years? Ever?

I changed mine last season (saltwater, OMC) and I was planning on leaving it through the rest of this season; should I plan on R&Ring for next year?
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

Ayuh,...

If I don't have an Overheat Issue,....

Every couple or few years,... I have my drive Resealed,+ it's replaced then.....

Btw,....
There's No e in Old Town,.....

See,........ ;)
000_0021__1_288.jpg
 

LTDan440

Cadet
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
13
Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

noted:)

the book recommends annually, that just seems a little excessive to me
 

Bondo

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Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

A bunch of Mopar musclecars

Ayuh,.... I've got a Bunch of Canoes,...;)

What "Book" you been readin',..??

If the annual maintance is based on a hundred hour year,....
That's reasonable....
It Sandy conditions are common,...
That's reasonable....

Bluewater boating in a Sweetwater sea,....
I have no problems running 2, or 3 seasons,... Probably 100/ 150hrs....
 

APPALOOSA2

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 9, 2008
Messages
354
Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

I change mine every 5-8 years, but I watch gauges as I run the boat. After 7 years If water temp starts to run a little bit hotter I'll change it. I live in upstate NY and winter can be brutal so I take my lower unit off and put it on in the spring which saves the impeller from hardening to soon.
 

achris

More fish than mountain goat
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
27,468
Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

Checked annually, with the rest of the service, and replaced as needed. Got 7 years from my last impeller and it still looked like new.

It also depends on which engine you're looking at.... The early Mercs had the high pressure/low volume impeller. Very stiff and if you didn't change it every 2 years, at the most, you'd get problems. The newer, 'floppy vane' pumps are great.. They don't even get damaged in sandy conditions.

Observe and replace before it dies.... Pull the leg, every year and inspect the unis, gimbal bearing and impeller... That also means the the bolts are moved and re-greased and won't be seized solid when you really need to get them off.

A little maintenance regularly is better than a big repair infrequently.

Chris...........
 

LTDan440

Cadet
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
13
Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

I've got a "white anchor" OMC 800, which after working out a few initial bugs, turned out to be a good outdrive and my temp guage has never gone over 180, even at WOT. Does anyone know if the OMC is a high volume/low pressure pump or high pressure/low volume?

I think I read the annual recommendation in my very vague Clymer repair manual...

Bondo, if you look at the green canoe on top of the Jeep in your picture and change it to red, I think thats my canoe. With gas prices the way they are this year, its spent a lot more time in the water than my boat.
 

Knot Waiting

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
761
Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

I change mine every year. We have alot of sandy bottoms here and the rubber blades get chewed to bits after a season of pick up. I feel it better to err on the side of caution.
 

Bondo

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Re: How Often Do You Change Your Outdrive Impeller?

Bondo, if you look at the green canoe on top of the Jeep in your picture and change it to red, I think thats my canoe.

Ayuh,....

That's a Beautiful Boat,....

The 1 in the picture is a first year intro of the Charles River model....
I hated to sell it,... I love the Full curl of the bow,+ stren,..
But the Sponsons on the sides made Me fall in Love with it....
It looks like the wooden Old Towns of early last century.....

That 1 is made of the cross-linked poly,...
They also make'm in the Rolalex plastic, at almost 1/2 the weight of the cross-linked....
 
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