Impeller

11 May 2013

My first thought about the engine running on the hot side was the impeller. I have had impellers throw blades before.  Once that happens the pump reduces in efficiency. Also the pieces become foreign material in the system causing restriction in flow. A double whammy.

Upon inspection of the pump I first noticed silicone around the outside of the cover (at least it wasn't duct tape). Removing the cover I saw..... nothing. Thats why It was leaking. Someone in the past didn't install a gasket.

Moving on, the impeller, the woodruff key, and the housing were removed and inspected. My only concern was the woodruff key that had some major wear. 

The rebuild was simple. The mating surfaces were first cleaned of any sealant then honed to remove any nicks or dings. New gaskets made and the first one installed. The trick to reinstalling the pump housing to the block is to match up the driver with the female notch. I do this by taking a black marker and indicating the orientation of the male driver. 

A new Woodruff key was installed, impeller, second gasket, end plate and hoses. It was a quick two hour project.

G

Dirty Fuel

10 May 2013


The diesel in the tank was a mystery.  How old was it?  When was the tank last cleaned?  Does the fill cap leak and let water into the system? Could there be a old bag of Mary Jane hidden in the tank just waiting for the Coast Guard to find?

All of these thoughts have been bouncing around in my head.  I asked some friends and was directed to a local owner-operator of a fuel polishing business.

Intro to Mark.

Mark designed and built his own fuel filtering system. 

I scheduled a time for the cleaning. Mark is so busy a appointment is a must.  That alone told me he was good at what he does.  Sure enough after he lugged his equipment down the dock it started raining.

This tank has a large inspection port which I removed to find the rubber gasket had failed. The fuel gauge was also removed to get to the other side of the internal baffles with the cleaning wand.

Mark told me that he had only used ONE filter for polishing the last ten boats.  As soon as he started the process I over heard him say "interesting".  On a side note, I have bad luck. Enter the Gremlin.

When it was all said and done, Mark had used THREE filters in his machine. I have become the new grand prize winner of the dirtiest fuel he has ever seen.  The tank volume went down seven inches after the cleaning due to the removal of moisture and dead algae.

Am I glad I had the fuel polished? Hell yeah.  A small price to pay to have all my questions answered.  Except for the bag of weed.  Mark never said if he found anything hidden in the tank, but I did see him eating a bag of Funyons today. I'm kidding.  Mark was a great guy to work with. I would recommend him to anyone. 

G