Lesson learned the hard way.

[AFDan52]

[font "Arial Black"][red][size 3][red] I've been trying to get my little 6 hp Johnson Trolling motor up and running again. I think I finally have it done. I have replaced the entire ignition system from the coils to the Spark plugs. Today I replaced the Water Pump Impeller, as 2 weeks ago I was up to Echo with my son amd brother -in- law and we had some problems with the little motor.[/red][/size][/red][/font]
[font "Arial Black"][size 3][#ff0000] It would run perfectly for a little bit and then, it would pick up rpms and quit. While we were on the water I tried to figure out what the problem could be. Thermostat or Impeller.[/#ff0000][/size][/font]
[font "Arial Black"][#ff0000][size 3] Well anyway after I got it home, it had to wait for a couple of weeks because I was working a lot of OT all month. But today I got into it and what a mess I found. The impeller was a Total Meltdown. All I found was the center hub piece and a lot of melted pieces. Well I got it fixed and cleaned man what a mess that stuff makes.[/size][/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Arial Black"][#ff0000][size 3] my to this is to make sure that you check the water pumps and impellers. [/size][/#ff0000][/font]
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[font "Arial Black"][#ff0000][size 3] AFdan52[/size][/#ff0000][/font]
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[pennyfarmer]

Yes I have been having problems with my motor not pumping water also. Last night I TORE the outboard apart. We thought it had blown the gasket between the motor and housing. I still think that it had because there was exhaust coming out of the flush plug.

Anyway, We decided to double check the pump impeller cause I had just changed it. Well we found a few more pieces of the old impeller that I had not gotten out, oh and I think the water pump housing had some burrs on it. We hooked the shaft up to a hand held drill and holly cow if it didnt pump water.

So it sounds like we have become the designated lesson learners here. Good luck with your motor. Oh and wish me luck on making new gaskets.


John
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[Theekillerbee]

That impellor is an overlooked little trouble maker. Most manufacturers will recommend replacement every 1-2 years, but most people never even consider having it done. Those little motors have a lot of aluminum parts, and when small/thin aluminum parts get too hot, they warp! This causes gaskets to fail, leading to more costly repairs down the road. The impellors are cheap, but sometimes can be a real pain to get at, so do-it-yourselfers sometimes shy away. Most shops charge about $75-100 to replace one. Should you replace it every year? Well I don't think you need to (under normal use), but every 3 or so is probably the longest you should go. Kind of a hastle, but an ounce of prevention sure will beat a pound of cure!
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[AFDan52]

[font "Arial Black"][red][size 3] Hey Pennyfarmer, are you going to cut out the gaskets by hand?[/size][/red][/font]
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[AFDan52]

[font "Arial Black"][red][size 3] Hi there TKB, yes you are right abiut the little trouble makers. I have learned a good lesson, and am going to be a lot more careful in the future.[/size][/red][/font]
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]TKB is correct. A water pump impellor should be replace every three years. If you decide to do it yourself, check the pump housing out. If it shows any signs of wear than replace it too.[/size][/black][/font]
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[Paddler]

I once burned up the top cylinder of a Merc 75 because the impellor was bad. Instead of a tattle tale stream of water, all I got was steam. Compression was good in the lower cylinders, but zip in the top one. End of motor, and sold the boat. Never did like the boat that much, anyway. The buyer was informed of the motor problem.

Guess I'll check the impellor in the current motor, they're lots cheaper than a new motor. By the way, my current motor is a 98 Merc 50HP 4-stroke. If anybody wants to buy it, let me know. I'm thinking of going to a 60HP EFI.
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[pennyfarmer]

Yes I cut the gaskets out by hand. I had the whole thing back together today. I am just about to write a post of my terrific adventure.
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[AFDan52]

[font "Arial Black"][red][size 3] I decided to to take my boat out to Willard tonight and try out my little trolling motor. Finally I got it right. That thing runs like a new motor . [/size][/red][/font]
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