Raw water pump hack

Newsgroups Archive Prior to 2025
1

My Westerbeke 33 with vee drive requires me to change impellers one handed in a place where I can only see about a third of the cover. In order to make this easier with my older style pump I replaced two of the hex /slot screws with studs and the rest with Allen head screws. This allowed me to place the gasket and cover in one trip and return on the next trip with nuts / screws. It makes the job a lot easier.
I have just replaced that old style pump with a new one ($$$$$$$!!!:astonished_face:) and decided to modify it before installation. I replaced all the hex / Phillips screws with M4 studs. I currently have M4 hex nuts on them but I will be replacing them with wing nuts.
If you’ve ever tried to do this job with one hand you have to wonder what they were thinking when they designed these things.

Paul M
NS30U #211, Sandpiper
Cowichan Bay, B.C.

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2

Would brass thumb screws work?
Mark Powers

3

Sure, thumb screws, wing nuts, even the hex nuts are better than screws. I like wing nuts because you can tighten (loosen) them with pliers, wrench, or screwdriver.

4

Looked up JMP pumps. Good looking gear.

5

I got a small water pump wrench from Crappy Tire. Helps turn the thumb screws. My plate is double the thickness and uses only 4 of the 6 fasteners, as wll the lower 2 are slots making placement easier.

6

Thor,

Did you make, or have made, the double thickness cover plate?

Jim Cosgrove
FATE 30U #343
Galesville, MD

7

If I could have bought a speed seal, I would have Thor, but alas they are no more.
:cry:

8

Latest update.
I just replaced the M4 nuts on the studs with knurled thumb nuts. Finger tight there are no leaks. I will monitor for a while but I think this is as close as I can get to SpeedSeal efficiency.
The job is now actually quite quick and easy one handed.

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9

Paul,

That is ultra amazing. The pump on my Beta 35 faces aft under the intake manifold on the starboard side with little clearance to the ice box wall.

I have not yet attempted an impeller replacement on this engine as it has 105 hours and one season of use.

I will replace the impeller this spring. I’m stealing your fix to the ugly placement.

Ward Woodruff
413-847-0620 cell

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10

So what the purpose of the looking for a stud in the photo?
Mark Powers

11

Whaaaat?

12

I’m going to repost the picture. I posted it as an attachment in gmail on my phone but it appears (to me at least) to have enlarged itself by about 100X when viewed on the forum.

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13

Paul,

I use those knurled nuts on my MG to fasten air filter covers, and would advise you to check the tightness of them because they definitely can come loose due to vibration. After I lost several I put lock washers on the studs first and haven’t lost any more since then. They are very handy!

Ed Cook
Chat-eau, N26c #173
Middle River, MD

14

Thanks Ed. I will monitor them for a bit as I’m concerned about vibration as well.
I’m hoping that lock washers aren’t needed. The nuts I was using on the old pump were fine but they were tightened with a small wrench.