Quickest method to remove pump housing?

[don't sink]

Ok, This is one of those projects I have been putting off for a few years but now will try to tackle. I need to do some JD weld fine art work on my wear ring.

The issue is the previous owner used the boat in salt water and the housing has a good deal of white barnacle buildup- of course some are on the bolts.

I am skipping over the PB Blaster lube and going straight for the torch. I am worried about snapping a bolthead.

So, It looks like I can remove the bucket and Stator housing as one? I just need to get to the wear ring. Do I need to remove the ride plate? those allen head screws are looking like they will strip easily? So whats the easiest way to do this??????????

 

[ddeem]

Bucket and stator cover come off to expose the stator and fluid fill plugs. Then you need to remove pretty long bolts that go thru the wear ring. I tried to use impact but that does not work well because the bolts are long and flex twist with the impact gun. I used a long power bar with the correct size 1/2 drive socket. It will be scary with frozen bolts and it is going to feel like they will twist and break. Even mine are pretty clean but you do feel some twist... To pull the wear ring, there are many methods listed. One using a 2x4 as a type of pry bar. I had a great amount of success using a two jaw puller and adjusting so that I could hook a jaw on the back of the wear ring and the center puller bolt on top of the actual loose wear ring bolt head. Then, I just used it like a can open opener and pryed against the wear ring bolt working it around to all 4 corners (4 bolt heads). Once you get to this part you will understand...

Dave

 

[WAJetboating]

There are four bolts that hold on the steering nozzle and thrust reverser. Then there are four bolts that hold on the stator AND the wear ring. The wear ring does not have separate bolts. Once the stator is off, the wear ring technically can come off - but there is an o-ring between the wear ring and the jetdrive housing that can be a bear to overcome. The 2x4 trick, etc. can be used but what worked for me was two people: One pulling consistently on the wear ring and one tapping gently around the wear ring with a plastic dead blow hammer. This process gradually loosened the wear ring away from the housing until it just fell into my hands. Nice and clean.

Keep in mind that to remove the wear ring you will also have to disconnect the throttle and steering cables, as they are strain relieved to the ring. Fiddling with those cables was way worse than removing and installing the wear ring because there is very little clearance for your hands and tools to fit in that tunnel in the hull. But don't worry, it can be done!

When reinstalling the wear ring, be certain that o-ring is in place and in good shape. I replaced mine for good measure. Air leaks around the wear ring can seriously rob your jetdrive of efficiency.

 

[don't sink]

I have a Utopia- I believe the wear ring is not removable- meaning it is built in the housing?

 

[WAJetboating]

I have a Utopia- I believe the wear ring is not removable- meaning it is built in the housing?

If it's a Mercury jetdrive, the wear ring is removable as described.

 

[igneous]

I'm in the same boat....literally. Seen some salt water that is. Don't worry about the torx bolts (not allen), they come out ok. You may need an impact screwdriver to loosen/adjust ride plate though. I just snapped off one of those big #4 phillips screws yesterday, so I'm soaking the other one overnite. My impact sd didn't do a thing, so had to resort to impact wrench and it snapped it. Good thing is I have enough threads on in housing to couple another screw in there to secure it. Definitely don't want to drill out that bigass SS screw!

 

[don't sink]

ok- I got the bucket and stator housing bolts off- scary but no heads breaking off. PB Blaster is the best stuff to loosen bolts!! Then came the ride plate mess. Forget about the torx screws- I stripped that one with 10lb of pressure!! So now I am looking at removing those big #4 Phillips screws. Why they would use screws in place of bolts is beyond me!!

One was already 1/2 way stripped and the other was replaced with a Allen Cap screw which came out nice. I have already decided to cut the screw in half and use a "Easy Out" to pull the rest out. Risky but I am so close I can taste it! Why is it always one bolt that keeps you from completing projects?!

I have my JB Weld ready to go and I am going to add some to my Stator fins to try to smooth them out. My boat was nice enough to come with a Titleist #3 lodged in one fin! More JB to the swirls on the wear ring -A little smoothing with a metal wire wheel and a nice coat of black paint and I should be getting a little more performance out of her. All in theory of course.

 

[don't sink]

The saga continues...I had to cut both screws holding the trim plate on. I will figure what to do with those later- either easyout them or JB Weld it back together. I was able to get the Stator assembly off and I started the buildup with the JB Weld. So far, it is coming along nicely.

Here's where its going to get ugly- my ride plate screws that match up to the trim plate which match up to the wear ring housing [huh?] are completely stripped. If i want to get my wear ring housing off I have no choice but to cut the 2 screws closest to the stern and once again tap out or weld into place. My wear ring has a deep 360 gouge at the leading edge of the impeller fins and needs to be corrected.

This means my trim plate will be held in place with JB Weld only-not ideal is it?

Tomorrow morning I tackle getting the wear ring housing off- I am sure I will be back with another story!

 

[WAJetboating]

This means my trim plate will be held in place with JB Weld only-not ideal is it?

Not ideal, and not acceptable. The trim plate is subjected to tremendous forces. The JBWeld will not hold it. And the ride plate must be adjustable. You'll never magically get it "right" the first time, it's almost certain you'll need to adjust it a bit to control porpoising.

Are the threads in the housing stripped, or just the screws? Absolute worst case you could go up one screw size and re-tap the housing.

 

[don't sink]

True- so true. My adjustable factor is out the window due to all the fittings being frozen or stripped. the boat has been adjusted and I intend on keeping the angle the same. I am looking at easyoutting first, remounting with new holes second and JB Weld third.

The force will be coming from the bottom up so its better than sideways force. I know its risky but i feel it will be worth the shot.

 

[don't sink]

I could not remove the ride plate screws so I listened to the "little voice" and stopped progress. I found I could still apply JB Weld with the impeller on.

I made several metal bars bent at different angles and applied- move impeller an inch and apply-continue process.

Very tight tolerance now! My impeller is in good shape [amazing] so no work was needed there. Between the Stator buildup and the wear ring I should get some improvements out of this. Now, if only everything goes back together as it should!

 

[surferdavet]

Ride plate screws

Had the same problem with my ride plate screws frozen - ended up drilling out the head of the screw to remove the plate - then after removing the stator was able to heat the screw stub with a torch red hot, apply wax to threads and quench bolt with water - then was able to remove then with vise-grip pliers on stub.