Impeller replacement - O-Ring question

[Gin]

Hi all,

I had the impeller replaced (first time) last week on my Ranger 27 at 277 hours. The impeller was in great shape, but as long as my mechanic was in there, we went ahead and replaced it. The o-ring that came with the impeller kit (from the Ranger Tug factory) was significantly thicker than the one we were replacing. My mechanic felt sure the replacement would be a problem, and the o-ring that was there was still in good shape, so it went back in. Everything is working fine, so no problems.

But have others found that the replacement o-ring is much thicker than your original? And if so, have you installed it and had any problems?

As a curious footnote to this, I checked out parts at a couple of the online Volvo parts sources. One lists replacement o-rings for the impeller as a separate part, for under $2. A second parts place listed it as a "discontinued product." That's puzzling.

Has anyone run into this in replacing their impeller?

Gini

 

[tugnnaweigh]

O-rings tend to be everywhere in water handling systems and like gaskets, lube, etc. are usually included in replacement parts kit and this to me infers they are to be replaced.

Having said that, it can be quite the rabbit hole:

When just doing maintenance and not repair, I tend to leave them in place because removing them for inspection can easily damage them and getting the new one to go in and stay put once back in can be a struggle so dielectric grease is your friend here even if you just left them in place.

In increasingly troublesome order you have O-rings set in a three sided grove with a metal plate squishing straight down, in a water line coupler with parts going past them in connecting and finally again in said three sided grove with the final part being screwed onto them as in the clear cup on water strainers for A/C and the like. In all instances they are concealed from view as the last part of reassemblely takes place and they are called upon to do their job, that is, to seal, so sadly you’re unable to ascertain if they stayed perfectly in place and will indeed actually seal so all you can do here is run the component and see if you’ve entered the boating arena known as Well, that didn't work.

I had to disassemble a strainer because of eal grass blockage and upon reassembly I cracked the clear cup at the threads because I hadn't coated the entire area thickly with dielectric grease so all parts would slide together easily and because I didn't look very closely at why the water was pouring out I thought Oh, it must be the O-ring so I pulled it, damaging it in the process which I wished I hadn't done.

Luckily West Marine was right there in the harbor so I wandered in wallet held out at arm's length as they prefer and purchased the exact cup replacement kit I needed which contained an O-ring which of course was a bit too big to fit and stay in the grove. So I saw a parts list on the cup kit packaging with a specific part number for the O-ring needed so back to WM wallet extended and they said they’d have said O-ring the next day which they did and of course it didn't fit either so in my truck in an unfamiliar town I go to Ace Hardware.

I took my sharp eye, wit and vernier calipers along because differences in O-rings can be very very subtle to my old eyes. I located an O-ring that appeared to be exactly like the one I destroyed in removal and bought, of course, three: use one, lose one, still have a spare; this is known as the quantum theory of boating. Back on board it did fit, did not leak and by this time the entire weekend was shot, this is known as boating.

So if you’re messing with O-rings or more likely they’re messing with you, in all seriousness try to leave ‘em in place, lube ‘em good either way, don’t expect replacements contained in kits to fit and as a fallback have the local Ace Hardware programed in the GPS because that’s most likely where you’ll end up in your search for the answer to the eternal question posed by the wife which is: “How come you can’t fix anything?

 

[baz]

tugnnaweigh: I like the way you framed the O-ring topic..... it brought a smile or two to my face. Thanks for the morning uplift. Yea.... boating is such fun especially when you can finally reach closure arriving at a solution/fix.

 

[S. Todd]

The replacement Volvo impeller parts I have purchased have always come with two O-rings. A thin one, which is an exact fit of what was on as original equipment, and a thicker one which gets discarded for my boat but must fit some other engine application.

 

[Gin]

Love the responses. Thanks.

S.Todd, if you see this reply, I have a question. Was your replacement Volvo impeller kit a Volvo branded item? The one I got from the factor was a Johnson Pumps kit. The Volvo supplied kit is available on the internet for a few bucks more than what the factory sells their kit for. Worth it if it includes the correct o-ring.

Gini

 

[TBates]

Hi Gini, it appears there may have been a miscommunication while ordering your D3 impeller. We stock and sell the Volvo branded impeller, which as stated above comes with two o-rings.

-Tim

 

[S. Todd]

Per the message from Tim at RT I have always ordered mine from Ranger Tug and got the two o-rings. I use their parts order form so they have my Boat Model, engine model and serial numbers if needed. I have always received excellent service when ordering from the RT parts department and find their prices better than or equal to elsewhere (or so close that it does not pay to split an order between vendors).

 

[Gin]

Sorry I haven't followed up with a response to this thread . . . since I started it (family emergency intervened and my attention has been elsewhere).

S.Todd, thanks for your response. Yes, all my parts come through Richard at Ranger Tugs. I agree: prices are good, Richard is a terrific resource, and (in my case) I usually have them the day after Richard ships them.

Tim, if you see this, for what it is worth, my D3 impeller came from the Ranger Tug factory. But I have had it since I took delivery on the boat, in May 2013. It was supplied along with several other spare parts that I went ahead and got right away and came with the boat. At the time, perhaps the factory couldn't get the Volvo kit and was using the only one available. Any advice on whether what I have installed is or is not what I should have replaced mine with?

Happy to call you, Richard in parts, or anyone else that I should talk to about it, if that would best.

- Gini

 

[BB marine]

Gini, This is just my opinion. I would not worry about the integrity of the old ring as long as it wasn't damaged and is sealing properly. The original o-ring and impeller in the pump most likely are close to the same age as the impeller in the box and the missing o-ring . Honestly I would run this new installed impeller for a shorter run time then the original. Rubber products have a shelve life. Used or unused the integrity of the impeller lessens with age. I would run the boat for the season. At the end of your 2018 boating season replace the impeller with a new out of the box impeller and correct 0-ring that comes in the kit. As previously stated there should be 2 o-rings and impeller in the kit.

 

[Gin]

Brian, your advice makes sense to me. Since I just installed the "new" impeller, I probably will wait closer to the end of the 2019 season to replace it again, unless anything seems amiss. But I think you are right -- use it for now, then get a Volvo kit for the next replacement. My mechanic has assured me that there are only a few companies that make these impellers for recreational engines and then sell them to the OEMs. The issue for my replacement may have, as you say, more to do with shelf life than branding.

Thanks for your thoughts!

- Gini