any tricks on water pump impeller replacement Honda 130?

[thataway]

The Honda 130 on the C D 25 runs like a little jewel (fired it up after polishing the fuel, putting in a coarse fuel filter before the flow tranducer, and new Racor). The "pee" is a little "Weak"--not sure what the Honda should be like on muffs--but since I suspect that this is the orgional impeller (2003 engine), I will change out the impeller tomarrow.

Are there any special tricks which are unique to the Honda 130? I have changed a number of inboard and outboard impellers in the past, and some times there are little hints or lining up the shift shaft, or the pump gromet etc. Also any preference on servcie manual: Clymer vs Seloc?

Thanks,

Bob Austin

[Stanley-J]

Bob, before you change the water impeller take a piece of thin wire and stick it in the weep hole where the water comes out the monitor port. I had good flow on both my Hondas one day and then the next day, one of the engines was just barley peeing out. I gently pushed a wire in the weep hole and got some debris out and the flow was back to normal...good strong stream
I have changed both my impellers on my Honda 75' and it's pretty simple on the 75.

[TyBoo]

Ditto on the pee hole. Also remove the plastic Tee connector in the lines right above the outlet fitting for cleaning. Every time I am in salt water I have to clean out the puny little hole through the Tee a few days later.

That being said, you probably want to pull the lower unit anyhow just to put some grease on the drive splines and the shift shaft splines, at which time it would be kind of silly not to replace the impeller and inspect the rest of it.

There are so few tricks to the impeller change that even I can do it. You can't even put the impeller on upside down (unless you leave the key out). The only thing difficult is after you put some grease on it to protect the initial start, the vanes keep slipping out of the housing when trying to put the can back over it. No trick to it if you have 7 fingers on each hand. The 130 lower unit is the same as the 75 that Stanley J mentions.

[thataway]

Thanks folks--I have already done the chat hanger/nylon line up the pee hole and it is clear. I didn't pull the "T"--but will. Good thought.

Good idea on the spline grease--yep, I use plenty of grease on impellors! also I make sure that they are put in correctly--with vanes in the proper orientation.

[Doryman]

[thataway]

Warren,
Thanks, but I will try and see if I can find a manual locally, tomarrow, if I don't find one, I will take you up on the kind offer.

[Doryman]

If you don't take it, Bob, any other Brats reading this are welcome to it.

Warren

[thataway]

Just as a matter of courosity--how often are the group replacing outboard impellers? I have always carried an impeller/water pump repair kit aboard each boat. Sometimes getting sand, an obstruction (kelp or plastic bag) can cause an impeller to run dry--and be damaged. One of the reasons to not try and turn a fly wheel or shaft by hand from the prop, is that the impeller can be damaged by reversing and pinching the vanes. Impellers will take a "set" when kept in one position for a prolonged time.

We always kept a totally rebuilt water pump on our inboard boats--it was much easier to replace and rebuild than outboards. I probably averaged about 1000 hours or 3 years between replacements--which ever came first.

With outboards, I tend to replace the impeller every 3 years.

[TyBoo]

The guys at Sportcraft Marine where I bought my first CD said I should pull the lower unit once every three years to grease the splines and look at things (not much to see), and while it was down to change impeller even though it would probably not need it barring any of the problems you mentioned. Sounded like good advice at the time, and it is continued on my latest CD. I have changed the impeller twice on the 130 and neither time did it have any problems other than a bit of hardening and a permanent set to the vanes. Probably would have gone a couple more years each time. They have been in good enough shape that I carry the latest used impeller as a spare, along with a spare key and the unused gaskets from one of the kits.

I am still guessing your weak stream is caused by the little bitty hole through that Tee being partially clogged. Mine has been that way a dozen times.

[Larry H]

Replacing the impeller on an outboard is not the only reason to remove and replace the lower unit.

Greasing the splines at the top of the driveshaft and putting neverseize or gasket sealing compound or grease on the bolts every three years is also very important. ( By the way, don't put any grease on the end of the driveshaft, just put the grease on the splines.) The lowerunit bolts should be torqued properly when reassembling.

Its much cheaper to have the lower unit removed and the waterpump serviced every two or three years than it is to pay the mechanic to drill out a couple of broken bolts!

[Pat Anderson]

You lost me at "pull the lower unit" - oh, yeah, I can just see me doing that! I wouldn't know a "spline" from an "impeller" if it jumped up and bit me in the face... The last time I "pulled" something, I forget what, twenty little thingees all fell out, and I had no idea wht they were, where they came from or where they went back. I would end up boxing the lower unit all up and hauling it back to some Honda service guy who would have a pretty good laugh and charge me double. Now, I assume that pulling the lower unit is not a part of the 100 - 200 - 300 etc. hour services unless you ask for it, correct? I think we ought to have weekend clinics where we can all bring our boats and walk through things like "pulling the lower unit," "greasing the splines" and "change the impeller." I would love to be able to do something like this.

[Larry H]

Pat,

Don't worry, you can still have that 'lower unit service' done every three years by using a special tool....your checkbook!!

Just ask the mechanic to inspect the waterpump and replace the impeller. He will do the spline and bolt greasing and so forth as part of that service. It is a good idea to ask for the return of the old parts to help keep the mechanic honest.

Sometimes its better to pay others for their special skills and use our own special skills to earn the money to pay them . LOL

Larry H

[Doryman]

[Larry H]

I think an engine service or fiberglass repair class or clinic is a good idea.

I recently attended a class devoted to the diesel engine in my trawler. The class was presented by a well experienced, well qualified, willing, technician. There were about twenty or thirty students, who paid $25 each for the 4 hour class. The lecture portion was accompanied by a slide show and various engine parts, both new and used, which were passed around. I am sure that I will save much more than that on engine maintainance and breakdown prevention.

Perhaps a Honda motor guru (Les, are you reading this?) would consider holding such a class in the off season.

Larry H

[drjohn71a]

Speaking of classes.... Monaco Coach, maker of Holiday Rambler, Neptune and other models, has a special "club", called the "Diesel Pushers" which meets at least once a year and has hands-on instruction in care and maintenance (what a non-mechanic could do) of diesel pusher motorhomes.

John