How to slide the impeller down?

[sullypat]

Hi everybody, I'm replacing the water pump in my Merc 4.3 Alpha and can't for the life of me get the impeller all the way down. The impeller is lined up with the key but it won't go down. It stops just above the key. I thought of lubing it up but then i'm afraid that it will slip off the key when the shaft spins. Any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Don S]

Re: How to slide the impeller down?

Could be some rubber flashing material covering the key slot on one side, turn the impeller over.

 

[sullypat]

Re: How to slide the impeller down?

Thanks for the quick reply Don. the shaft is actually wider at the bottom than the top. It slides freely til about a quarter inch above the key then stops dead. Is that shaft supposed to be wider at the bottom?