impeller

[JohnT]

Recently purchased a 2011 Ranger R-27 powered with a Yanmar 4BY2 180. Changing the impeller looks to be somewhere between difficult and impossible. I'd like to get some feedback on how to best approach the task. Thanks.

 

[Bruce Moore]

bumping post delayed in moderation queue.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Hello John T. This was a 2 person job for me. In order to get to the impeller there is a panel that needs to be unscrewed from the cave and or when you open the access hatch on the step face. After the screws are off slide the panel into the cave port side hull side. With the panel off you’ll be able to see the front of the engine, a flashlight helps. Lay a towel below the impeller housing in case you drop a screw or whatever, easier to retrieve this way. There are 3 or 4 screws on the face of the impeller housing that you’ll need to take off to access the impeller to change out. It’s been 5 years since we sold our R27 but I’m thinking you also have to take the belt off. Don’t need to loosen anything, just rotate and force off in order to free up the impeller housing. Most of this is done blindly by the person laying on top of the engine with the in cabin helper assisting with there eye sight to give directions. Good luck.

Jim F

 

[Brian B]

Took me awhile to find it. Here is Knotflying’s post from 2013 on changing the impeller.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3318&p=24333&hilit=impeller+change#p24333
On my 25SC I enlarged the step opening to make access easier. I did the impeller change by myself working through the step. Pics in my album of the step mod.

 

[Red Raven]

Here’s a link that includes several descriptions of mods to get better access from under the step.

http://www.tugnuts.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8885&p=61795&hilit=r27+impeller#p61795

Curt

 

[GaylesFaerie]

There are four hex head bolts holding the water pump housing in place. I used a T-handle hex driver to remove them - its a solid one piece tool and easy to manipulate and mate into the bolt heads. Clean the head bolt sockets as best you can first. I also used a belt removal tool worth every penny for how easy and fast it works:

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/lis ... 10615598-p

If you have standard access to the front of the engine i.e. really poor, awkward, sightless and painful, then perhaps the most important advice has already been given which is too place that towel under the front of the engine to catch solid objects when they try to make their way into the bilge.

HTH, GF

 

[JohnT]

Thanks so much for the input and very helpful advice.

 

[Texas Tuggernaut]

We recently got an R27 with the Yanmar 180. I changed the impeller last week for the first time. It’s possible someone had already modified the opening to access the front of the engine. When I remove the inside step the entire front of the engine is visible. I did the entire job lying face down on the inside cabin floor facing aft.

I could wish the factory had done a better job with fiberglass work in unexposed areas because it was a bit of a landmine field sticking my arms into an area with raw exposed fiberglass. Perhaps I’ll clean that up some the next time and lose less blood as a result. Same with all of the zip tie ends cut off in the factory with side cutters leaving a razor sharp end. I got cut and scratched plenty by them in an earlier job replacing the 1 1/4” raw water intake hoses. Arrg!!

I read up in the Yanmar service manual, found online, on how to do the job after I first examined it and found no way to loosen the belt to remove the pulley/pump. I’ve never encountered a belt that had to just be pried off and then stretched back on while tight but that’s how it’s done on this motor.

I used a 3/8” ratchet with an extension and 6mm Allen socket. It helped to tap it in to get it all the way into each bolt head as I found them quite tight.

Sliding the old impeller out and the new one back in was pretty straight forward. Fortunately the old one was still intact and not missing any arms.

The new o ring seemed a bit smaller than the groove diameter and it took me a while to stretch it and keep it in the groove without it shrinking up and a small section popping out. Lots Vaseline helped and once I was confident the o ring would remain in place I put the pulley/pump assembly in place and put in the 4 bolts. I tightened the bolts evenly in an alternating pattern like you do with lug nuts on a wheel to make sure it seated properly and mated up well with the o ring

Then it was time to put the belt back on. I didn’t have the special belt tool so I just did my best. Once it was mostly in place but not entirely I bumped over the engine by turning the start key for just a fraction of a second so it would turn over without starting. That worked the first time and I found the belt was properly seated in both pulleys. It was basically the same technique I learned as a kid to get the chain back on a 1 speed bike. Get on as much as you can and then begin to pedal and the chain will stretch into place on both sprockets.

Finally I opened the thru hull and fired up the engine. I half expected water to leak if I’d accidentally dislodged the o ring when jiggling the pump into place but everything remained dry. Success!

The whole job took me 2 hours which included a 30 minute trip to O’Reillys to buy metric Allen sockets. Next time will be much easier.

Best wishes.


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