Impeller replacement on westerbeke

[sailortjk1]

Can anybody give me any advice on replacing the impeller on a Westerbeke 30B Three? (I belive thats the model I have)

It looks like it is on the Left Side of the Engine (As I am Facing it from the Front) and that to get at it, I have to reach around the front of the engine and work backwards and blind. Or else go from the very back of the engine and try to reach all of the way forward.??????
Its not easily accessible at all.

Started the boat today and have no water circulation through to the exhaust.

I closed the seacock, removed the hose from the thru hull, than opened the seacock again and have plenty of water coming in the boat. There is no outside blockage.

Than I checked the hose leading to the strainer and that hose is not blocked. The strainer is clean.

I believe its the impeller. It looks as if its going to be a big pain in the ass to replace. I have a spare on board, but what good is having a spare part if you can't get at it????!!!!! What a pain.

Is there something I am missing??

[Valiente]

I have a Westerbeke W-52 and its raw water pump is a Sherwood F-85 common to a number of engines in this range. It is also at the front of the engine, left side. The best way to replace the impeller is to remove the entire pump and to carefully preserve the gasket (or trace and cut a new one, as I do, being part-Scots in ancestry). This pump is driven off a cam in the block and the slot of the pump shaft must align.

As I recall, there are four 1/2 inch bolts and one of them wants a short wrench or a socket wrench with a pivoting joint between the socket and the driver. Alternatively, the better tool is a "crow's foot" wrench, but they are expensive and hard to source...at least I haven't bought a set yet.

I would advise you to get the shop manual for any Westerbeke engine. They are very well drawn and are very helpful in getting minor but annoying jobs like this done right. I would also advise a clamp, a dental mirror and a strong light, plus a pan beneath the pump to catch water and the inevitable dropped bolt. I picked a center cockpit/pilothouse in part because I have exceptional access to the engine from three sides and from above...the only exception is that it's a little tight on the forward side, which is why I'm considering a 2 x 2 foot sheet of mirror Mylar I can tack to the forward bulkhead so I can see the entirety of the engine front face when I need to do stuff down there.

[sailaway21]

FWIW,
What Val describes is a male/female universal for the socket wrench. The Crow's Foot wrenches (and i haven't bit the bullet yet either) are available at Sears (probably the best quality for the buck) as is the universal joint for the socket driver. Note: the universal goes on your socket, then an extension onto it out to your ratchet. indispensible

[camaraderie]

These guys are goood to know about. The link has a couple of good drawings of your engine and they sell parts and shop manuals.
TAD for Westerbeke 30B THREE Marine Diesel Engines, Westerbeke 30B 3 Marine Engines, Westerbeke Diesel

[sailortjk1]

SUCCESS!

2 men for 1 hour and we got 'er done.

One worked from the back of the engine and one worked from the front.
Between the two of us I think we got it.
She is running now with plenty of discharge. I will let her run for at least a half an hour and double check everything.

Thank you all for your encouragement.

I don't know if it could be done single on a rolling sea with a hot engine. I hope and pray I never have to try.

Tim

[Valiente]

This is why I am seriously considering pulling off the old, working raw water pump, bagging and tagging it, and clapping on an entirely new ($500) pump. I can see myself in a big sea swapping out entire pumps...I can't see dealing with impeller changes or press-in oil and water seal diagnosis or cutting fresh gaskets with scissors work.

Same with a lot of other engine parts: best in some cases to haul a spare starter, alternator, an injector or two, the lift pump and oil cooler around the world than to try and dissemble something full of tiny parts in the middle of the ocean.

This is not a problem the weekend sailor should worry about, mind you.

[KeelHaulin]

Originally Posted by Valiente

This is not a problem the weekend sailor should worry about, mind you.

In terms of the raw water impeller; I'd suggest taking a look under the cover if you have not before. I changed mine on Friday and glad I did because the impellers were just starting to show signs of wear/degradation. This is the time to replace them; before the blades break off and go into the heat exchanger. Impellers are a scheduled replacement item; once every two years or so because of the abuse they take while in operation.

Offshore; a complete spare is a wise choice. Just mentioning that even daysailers should be looking at the water pump regularly also...

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by KeelHaulin

Just mentioning that even daysailers should be looking at the water pump regularly also...

Oh, I'm not arguing with that, but a simple yearly change and a post-pump, pre-block "basket" filter should cover 99% of most shredded impeller issues. I am specifically citing situations in which one is considerably more than a couple of hours from a friendly and swell-free dock.

[SailorMitch]

My Pearson 27 had a Westerbeke 12B2 engine, and on that one the raw water pump was pretty accessible from the rear. One improvement I did make that you may want to consider is a Speed Seal. Check it out at Welcome to Speedseal. It replaces the back plate and those little screws that always end up in the bilge with a thick plate and 4 knurled knobs you can turn with your fingers. Don't know if it will help your situation or not, but check it out. Sure makes opening the back a lot easier.

[Maine Sail]

On my Westerbeke 44B Four it takes me about 5-8 minutes, from start to finish, to change the impeller including putting some impeller lube on the impeller before installing it. Always have a back up impeller and the paper gasket.

Oh to save time I have an extra pump face plate that is already cleaned up and ready to go. When ever I change the impleller I change the gasket and swap the face plate. I then take the old one home, clean it up and put it back in my spare parts cabinet ready for the next change..