Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

[insttech1]

I bought this boat in 2011 and have changed impellers twice.
Neither were damaged; one was starting to show a few stress cracks, but no missing pieces.

Upon performing a rebuild of my entire water pump this weekend, I had to pull the pump and impeller.

To my surprise, I found 2/3 of the "lip" of an impeller fin in the housing, stuck between two fins of a perfectly intact impeller.

This pump should only go in one direction; therefore, any previous neglect to the impeller should, to my knowledge, have sent this piece deeper into the block/cooling system somewhere.

So I'm wondering how a broken piece could make its way back INTO the impeller housing when water only flows in one direction, or is there some manner of re-circulation in the drive somewhere that could cause a piece to come back into the cooling system?? And I don't think there's any way I could have just sucked this up on the lake???

I'm kinda stumped.......I have no cooling issues, engine always runs around 160 degrees, and has ever since I bought it.
I even have the old impellers (don't know why, but I do....) and re-checked them. They're perfectly intact.
Thanks!!

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

Hi there, While that is an usual occurrence, some strange phenomenons like that do happen from time to time.

What year is the boat?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

broken part probably fell into pump suction port when the impeller was last changed.

 

[insttech1]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

Boat is a '99.
So Scott I guess what you're saying is that parts been stuck up maybe by the thermostat for years, and did not flush out during two winterizations and two impeller changes?

I don't see how it could get into the suction port--is that not the line that is coming from raw water thru the drive to the pump?

Thanks Much!

 

[Walt T]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

I once found a ring stuck in the thermostat. Boat wouldn't warm up at idle but kinda would underway. Ring was holding the Tstat open a little. I showed the ring to the owner, assumed it was hers. Nope. I gave it to her and she batted her eyes and from then on she called me 'Cutie Pie'. Too bad she was 71 at the time. Probly dead now. I am not making this up.

 

[insttech1]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

I don't care what you find Walt--I'm not calling you "Cutie Pie"!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

I found a little fish once in my heat exchanger..... at least most of him. usually just find small rocks and broken shells.

 

[insttech1]

Re: Strange discovery when changing impeller on 3.0GSMPWTR

Well....I won't worry about it. Just wondering how in the world it ended up where it did when I've not seen any damaged impellers.
Thanks for the responses.