XP/Speedster Pump Swap

[JeremyD615]

Well you guys know I’m not normally one to cut corners, but I’ve run into an issue and I’m hoping to Band-Aid it enough to get me through a lake trip Friday afternoon. I noticed some bearing noise from the port side of the 95 Speedster Saturday night, so I pulled the pump to find the impeller shaft bearing just disintegrated. I changed the pump oil at the beginning of the season, but apparently it got water in it and toasted the bearing. It looks pretty nasty.


Luckily I have a spare pump laying around, but it’s propped for a 787 XP. No big deal, I’ll just swap the impeller and it should be good to go. Except this impeller is not coming off the shaft... Even with some heat from a propane torch, I broke the jaw off of my 5in bench vise trying to break it free.


So I’ll have to put some work in to get those pieces separated, but to get me through the trip Friday, I’m considering just throwing the spare pump on it even though it’s massively over propped. I know on a ski it would be such a dog that it wouldn’t be worth taking out, but my thinking is that since I’ve got twins feeding from a single intake grate, the starboard motor will get it moving well enough that it will carry the over propped port side.

What do you guys think about that? Is it worth even attempting, or should I just keep the boat on the trailer for this trip?

 

[mikidymac]

I would try more heat on the impeller. They usually pop off.

You can run the XP impeller just watch your rpm's and take it easy.

 

[JeremyD615]

I’m going to put some more heat to it, but I’m going to have to buy a new vice before I can get that done! In the meantime I think I’m going to try it with the steep prop on it. I wouldn’t think I’d be able to over rev it with that pitch, but I’ll keep an eye on it. I was more curious whether the motor would turn it well enough to even be worth experimenting with.

 

[mikidymac]

Is the impeller correct, absolutely not.

Will it get you through a family weekend, yes.

 

[JeremyD615]

Thanks Miki! As always, you’re a gentleman and a scholar!

 

[Dougsnash]

Hey Jeremy, while I expect you will get through the weekend, be prepared for cavitation the starboard engine if you are not getting full flow through the port. I find that my '95 speedster will occasionally cavitate if I am not balanced when applying throttle.