Bravo 3 water pump impeller

[agallant80]

I have a 2013 Bravo 3 and 5.0MPI. I would like to keep an extra water pump on board. Does anyone know if the impeller can be changed with the boat in the water and what the proper part number is?

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

Not sure how your boat is setup, but I had a couple of customers with Bayliners that actually had to have the engine pulled to get the pump off so the impeller could be changed. The boat was built so tight around the engine you could just barely touch the pump with one finger. Hope yours isn't like that.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

Usually you have to work fast when changing the impeller on the water... As the bilge tends to fill with water.

I don't know the part number off hand, but I'm sure it is easily Googled.

To Don's point, check the access space around the pump, just to be sure you can change it without drastic motor moves. Also, it would be a good idea to learn to stand on your head while holding a socket wrench as practice for if/when you have to do it for real and on the water.

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

Usually you have to work fast when changing the impeller on the water... As the bilge tends to fill with water.

Even if you stuff a rag in the end it will slow it down enough to work on things. To just let it run and fill the bilge is crazy.

Tale the hose off the pump, and plug it, or take it off at the transom and plug it. Then, no water coming in.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

I was thinking in just an emergency. As for being able to change it Bayliner fixed the issue. They even put this coupler in the middle of the intake hose so you can disattach the hose and have room to pull the pump out. It does not look fun. Funny thing. I watched a youtube video of a mechanic doing this and it looked really easy then I looked at my boat and remembered that the mechanic had the motor on a stand in his shop.....

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

I watched a youtube video of a mechanic doing this and it looked really easy then I looked at my boat and remembered that the mechanic had the motor on a stand in his shop.....

Yup, when I had my engine out of the boat, I could get at all kinds of places that I had never even seen before. . .

 

[Don S]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

I watched a youtube video of a mechanic doing this and it looked really easy then I looked at my boat and remembered that the mechanic had the motor on a stand in his shop.....

Welcome to the real world.

You may have watched a video, but that won't be an option out on the water. You would also have all the parts and the tools to do the job.
Usually preventive maintenance and changing the impeller every other year will prevent you from having to replace the pump out on the water.
With all the electronics on that engine, a failed raw water pump is probably the least of your worries. Invest in seatow or something like it, instead of all the parts, tools, and manuals you would need to troubleshoot and fix any problems that engine has.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

Oh I have my seatow I just would hate to have to give up on a weekend on the ICW if something simple breaks considering the weekend would involve a day of PTO (long weekend) 150 miles each way at 8mpg etc.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

Oh I have my seatow I just would hate to have to give up on a weekend on the ICW if something simple breaks considering the weekend would involve a day of PTO (long weekend) 150 miles each way at 8mpg etc.

I'm the same way, I really value my time on the water and am happy to carry tools, manuals, and spare parts with me if it means a 1 hour repair in the water can prevent a ruined weekend. I carry a spare impeller and the tools necessary to swap it, but have never needed to do so. A 1/4" drive ratchet and short socket, sized for the water pump bolts (3/8" rings a bell), makes the water pump removal go pretty quickly on my 7.4 MPI. I also carry a slick tool that clamps onto the 5/16" bolt heads on the hose clamps making blind hose clamp loosening and tightening a bit easier. Looks like this:

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

I have only had one mechanical failure one while underway, and it happened to be the sea water pump. The outlet hose blew off, so sea water was going to the bilge rather than the engine. The alarm went off after a short while as the engine quickly over heated. ( makes a lot of smoke when that happens).

I did have my tools with me, so I was able to fix it fairly quickly. The biggest problem was taking apart the partitions that were along side the engine compartment . It took about 20 minutes, but to MM's point, it saved the day.

Shortly thereafter I doubled up on the clamps to the related hoses, etc.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller

...Does anyone know if the impeller can be changed with the boat in the water?...

I changed my 97 Chaparral 2135's impeller while being towed through a lock ont he Illinois River. It was a tight fit, but I had good enough access to it. I was able to remove the inlet hose from the pump and secure it up high enough so that no water came in. I will say to lay a towel over the exhaust manifold first though, cause when the impeller fails, those things get HOT! (It didn't blister, but it sure stung!)

 

[Kedwards68]

Re: Bravo 3 water pump impeller



I'm the same way, I really value my time on the water and am happy to carry tools, manuals, and spare parts with me if it means a 1 hour repair in the water can prevent a ruined weekend. I carry a spare impeller and the tools necessary to swap it, but have never needed to do so. A 1/4" drive ratchet and short socket, sized for the water pump bolts (3/8" rings a bell), makes the water pump removal go pretty quickly on my 7.4 MPI. I also carry a slick tool that clamps onto the 5/16" bolt heads on the hose clamps making blind hose clamp loosening and tightening a bit easier. Looks like this:

I am gathering any tool that looks helpful to pull the sea-water pumps for impeller replacement (first time in boat). I did a pretty good search for a clamping hose-clamp tool but all I could find are flexible drivers. Where did you acquire that nifty clamping tool? A flexi clamping tool would be even better.