Crack Engine Cirular Water Pump using hose in driveway.

[flya750]

A few years back I started using a direct hose hookup run my PS190 w/Lt1 out of the water. I use to use a fake-a-lake with no problems.

My direct hose hookup has a shut off valve. What I noticed when I started using the direct hose/water feed was I was putting a lot of pressure on the raw water pump and Thermostat T-housing. I could hear pressure build when I had water flow. So I was careful to start the motor before I let the water flow.

Well, some how I let too much water flow and I heard a POP today!!! It turns out - I cracked the Engine Circulating Water pump @ the base.

The engine runs fine, I just have a small crack on the pump that leaks a little. I probably could use JB Weld and fix it but I will most likely replace the pump. The part looks to be about $300+.
http://www.waterskis.com/12529560-p/...r_pump_lt1.htm

I guess it's a good time to change the thermostats since they are original.

The moral of the story is using that direct hose hookup can cause problems if you don't micro manage the water flow. I'm surprised the cast iron water pump cracked? The pump could be weak from being 15 years old?

[pram]

I bought one of these for mine and it is working great

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-CORVETT...item3cc4e647a8

[flya750]

Originally Posted by pram

I bought one of these for mine and it is working great

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-CORVETT...item3cc4e647a8

Glad to hear you got an inexpensive solution.

The price of these pumps sure varies... The re-manufactured pump sure is less expensive. I've seen new pumps go for $415. ? The average for a new one runs about ~$200-230

Everything I've read so far is... going with a GM part would be fine. No need for an Indmar special marinized part.

I've found youtube videos on replacing the pump.. the process doesn't look to difficult.

I'm definitely switching to a reservoir system to run my boat out of the water. The direct hose hookup seemed to pressurize the system too much. Every time I turned on the water to run my boat you could hear the system pressurize and make funny noises. Now granted my engine water pump could have been fatigued and that is why it cracked.

[flya750]

Originally Posted by pram

I bought one of these for mine and it is working great

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-CORVETT...item3cc4e647a8

What happened to your pump? Did it just one day show a leak? What year boat do you have?

[mayo93prostar]

flya, I find it hard to believe that normal garden hose water pressure of 40 psi cracked the water pump. I suspect it had some metal fatigue or defect.

[ahhudgins]

I can say with about 99.99% confidence that the water pressure from your hose did not cause the damage to your pump housing…it would blow your garden hose apart if it could crack a cast iron housing. Most likely your housing already had a crack in it. I’ve been using the direct hookup for 30 years and I’ve left the engine off for short periods of time with no problems.

Some people will use the bucket method to run the engine on the trailer; others use the direct hook up. The fake-a-lake is the least preferred method.

[flya750]

My garage hose source has some type of back flow valve that stops the water from flowing back into the house. I assume this is some sort of anti freeze device? Not sure.

Anyway, I have no doubt that my pump may have been weak ( I will know about its condition when I remove it later this week)... but one thing I know is when I would turn on the water flow I would hear all kinds of whistling and funky noises that didn't sound good. Weak pump or not.. there was NO leak until I went to power up the boat in the driveway to test all my new fuel line/pump rework. Normally, I try to start the motor before I turn on the water flow. This time since there was no gas in the lines it took a bit to get the motor started... in that time.. I heard a loud POP! I wasn't sure what it was @ first.. I finally got the motor started, no gas leaks... just the one small water leak @ the base of the water pump.

From my reading.. there seems to be a big debate about the water source for running the boat out of the water. For me.. the debate is over... I'm switching to a reservoir system. My only concern with the reservoir system is getting enough water in the reservoir to keep up with the water being picked up by the boat...

[Jeff d]

I agree that it's pretty unlikely that your domestic water pressure, unless it's blowing fixtures off of your walls, could have caused that to fail. The noises were likely the water from the hose pushing past the vanes in the raw water pump and then displacing air in the block. Probably nothing to worry about.

[pram]

Originally Posted by flya750

What happened to your pump? Did it just one day show a leak? What year boat do you have?

It leaked when I bought (I knew this)

It is a 95 - 205

[pram]

I am in agreement with everyone else on there that there is no way a 40psi hose is responsible for the damage you have. There has be other factors.


I assembled this and stick it in the hose downstream from the transmission cooler and turn on the water then get in the boat to start it

You can hear everything filling until I fire it up