Water Pump Replacement

[FishStu]

I have a F115 Yamaha that has about 250 hrs. When I purchased the boat, I had a water pressure gage installed on the dash. I watch it carefully and the gage has not shown any drop in water pressure at a given RPM . I know Yamaha recommend inspection and replacement as need of the water pump at 200hrs but my question is ---- does the pressure gage provide a reliable measure of water pump wear ? My gut feel is that if you pay for the inspection you might as well go ahead with a replacement . My theory when the I bought the boat was that if I watched the water pressure I would be able to spot a drop in water pump performance and have it replace before it failed. Now I am not so sure I was correct since I have seen several reports on these boards of catastrophic water pump failure. Any recommendations ?

[MTPOCKETS]

I think that I would have the service done now, in the off season, rather than wait till you see a problem that might occur during peak fishing season. Sux to be high and dry when the bite is on. [wink]

[Bob H.]

Look at specs for the engine - there should be an idle pressure and max pressure rating. The pump pressure can remain within spec but the impellor could be cracking or glazing. If you're going to inspect you might as well replace it. I replace mine every spring, but I put over a 1000-1500 miles a year on mine. $20 and an hour of my time beats a tow - even though I have unlimited towing.

[Sandtiger]

I have an I/O and although it is not an outboard the same maintenance applies to it as it does to an outboard. I replace mine every two years and I put more "miles" on my boat per year than you are putting on yours.

If I were you I would have it changed. This way you're being pre-emptive and you would then have a reference point for future maintenance.

[BBCroaker]

What's the cost to get a water pump changed at a repair shop now?

[FishStu]

Thanks for the advice. I plan to take my boat in on Jan 3 to TriState Marine. Will have winterization done and water pump replaced. Will let you know condition as it might be helpful to others with similar motors. Good benchmark for 250 hrs service .

[FishStu]

Results are in ! I had the pump replaced and TriState saved the old pump for my examination. It had visiable signs of wear on the tips of the impellers . Guess this confirms that some where around 250 hrs is about right. I am sure it would have run for a while but better safe than sorry.
Hope this helps you other Yamaha owners who are undecided about replacement of the water pump. My advice is don't take a risk about the 250hr +/- range. Most of my running is in "clear" water. If you run in places where there is more sand mixed in the water from the current or if you run a aground frequently and stir up some sand, would say go early . If you run exclusively if clearn , clear fresh water maybe you could strertch it a bit.

[Kirk Grassett]

Stu,
I change mine every other year. My mechanic indicated that sometimes it can be stretched a little longer but it can make removal of the lower unit difficult (increased corrosion).

Kirk

[crxess]

FishStu, most of the problem with impellers comes in the off season. They dry out and start cracking. Then they throw chunks off the blades and lose the ability to pump.

If they didn't crack, they would last 4x as long. Tip wear can be seen after only a few hours use due tothe tightly wrapped fit.