Pump Bearing Cover Leaking

[jpearce]

For the second year in a row I have had the jet pump cover leak, which has destroyed the bearing. All the grease must get washed out. There was no grease inside the cover when taken off.
Last year it happened around mid season, this year was the first time out. There was a crack in the cover this year. Not sure if water was inside over the winter. I should have checked the cover before storage but thought that because the bearing was changed only a month before it wouldnt be an issue:facepalm:. The bearing was changed under warranty last year.

If the cover was pressure tested after the dealer installed it shouldnt there be a cap at the tip of the cover?

Is it common to get a little water inside the cover?

Do anyone know if this would be a warranty issue again.

BTW I have a 2010 180 Challenger 255hp with 52 hrs

 

[jpearce]

A couple of pics of the impellar cover. No grease at all, just water. The bearing is ok minus the rust. I have less than 20 hrs since the bearing was replaced last year.

 

[merc596]

Yea your housing is cracked so most of the pump lube evacuated and was replaced with water. There should be an o ring that seals as well. In addition, there is usually a screw plug that you take out to fill the cone with the pump fluid. Looks like the housing was tightened tooooo much and cracked. If the dealer did this I would try and get them to make it good.

 

[devonte007]

Merc596, only the older 2-stroke models had a screw plug to fill with oil. These newer 4tec machines use grease and there is no fill plug.

He is right though about the cracks, almost looks like it was overtightened but those cracks could also have been a result of the water in there freezing and expanding. I don't think it really matters. If the dealer performed this work and fixed it end of last summer I would take it back to them and demand they warranty their work and fix it again but this time property. Working with dealers can really be hit and miss, and I have heard some real horror stories, hopefully yours is honorable.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are seals on both ends of the pump, the nose cone seal and then at the other end toward the bow where the driveshaft comes in. I have also heard that these plastic pumps can warp over time. If it is warped, then the seals will not do their job. I would think that a pressure test would reveal any of these irregularities. Even though the dealer said they did a pressure test, maybe they did not?

I feel your pain, as I would be quite frustrated if this happened to me. Hopefully the dealer makes this right, keep us posted.

 

[jpearce]

Well the boat is going to the dealer in the morning. They said they would take a look at it. I took the pump housing off and there is a lot of play in the impellar. The wear ring and bearing will have to be replaced. Hopefully they will fix this for good. I dont want to go through this every year.
Even though it will probably be covered under warranty, I have to tow the boat for an hour each way to the dealer and get charged $50 for the deductible.