Strainer idea for RWP...suggestions?
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14042
Printed Date: November-17-2024 at 5:32pm
Topic: Strainer idea for RWP...suggestions?
Posted By: C-Bass
Subject: Strainer idea for RWP...suggestions?
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 1:53pm
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After last weekend's impeller frag and the subsequent worry about little pieces of impeller blocking water passages in the engine, I was wanting to do something to prevent this from ever happening again.
My idea was to simply put a very coarse inline strainer after the RWP but before the thermostat, maybe mounting it down around the fuel filter. This way, if the impeller ever decides to shed a vane or completely shred itself, your engine would overheat as usual, but all the major stuff simply gets caught in the strainer where you could easily take apart the screen and clean it out. Put the new impeller in and voila, you're ready to go with no worry about any blocked water passages. So now for the reason I posted it here...any suggestions? Is this a dumb idea? Anyone done this before? It would simply be a piece of mind kind of thing, and you could probably throw something together for around $30. ------------- Craig 67 SN 73 SN http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6103" rel="nofollow - 99 Sport 85SN |
Replies:
Posted By: Mark Mel
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 2:42pm
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I don't see why you couldn't just plumb in a regular strainer. They're usually located after the pick up but I would think they should work after the RWP.
------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=972&sort=&pagenum=4&yrstart=1976&yrend=1980" rel="nofollow - 1978 Nautique FBook - www.facebook.com/charliedontsurfct |
Posted By: C-Bass
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 3:31pm
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If you're talking about re-routing the plumbing so that the main strainer is after the RWP instead of before, that would be bad idea. It would leave your RWP/impeller totally unprotected from any foreign debris.
If you were talking about adding another one of those sea-strainers, they're too expensive and a little bigger than what I would want. This is kinda what I'm thinking...$25.00 from McmasterCarr.  ------------- Craig 67 SN 73 SN http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6103" rel="nofollow - 99 Sport 85SN |
Posted By: Mark Mel
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 3:41pm
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Nah, not rerouting, just adding another after the rwp. I agree that they're kind of big and you'd probably need to route it some where that it'd fit with longer hose.
I'm sure the mcmaster carr one would work, I'd check the flow number so you're not adding a restriction. With this you'd never have to change your impeller, just keep an eye out for black rubber in the strainer - then change. Or just buy a new impeller every couple of years or so. ;) ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=972&sort=&pagenum=4&yrstart=1976&yrend=1980" rel="nofollow - 1978 Nautique FBook - www.facebook.com/charliedontsurfct |
Posted By: C-Bass
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 4:07pm
Yeah, I figured that's what you meant. Just making sure though. 
That's exactly what I'm thinking...just check the clear bowl on occasion and/or if the temp starts going up and see if the impeller is letting go. I agree that changing the impeller every year/every other year would also be good insurance, but insurance is also a waste of money if you never need it, and I hate wasting money. If I spend the $25-30 on this setup, I won't ever have to change my impeller ($35/piece) strictly due to preventative maintenance/insurance, I can wait untill it's full usefull life is up without risking other problems. I will always just keep a spare. I know some people whose impeller's have lasted 5+ years easily. Thanks for the comments Mark. ------------- Craig 67 SN 73 SN http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6103" rel="nofollow - 99 Sport 85SN |
Mark Mel wrote:Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 4:18pm
My guess is that Mark is talking about the more compact (and much more common) Sherwood strainer used on 86+ CC's. SkiDIM sells it for ~$40. Looks just like the one from McMaster- most likely theyre the same. ------------- |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 4:21pm
28 years @ about 20 to 25 hours per year on my impellers (dual cavity) in my 312. Just don't run them dry and the service life is fantastic!! I also do not have a sea strainer on any of my boats but do try to avoid any weedy areas. I do know for some that's tough due to the waters they boat in. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: C-Bass
Date Posted: June-16-2009 at 6:12pm
Thanks for clearing that up Tim. Only had one CC so far...so excuse the ignorance on other models. 
Pete...that's pretty incredible. I figure with no more hours than I get to put on the boat in a year, mine should easily last 8+ years. Do you remove your impellers in the off-season to prevent them from taking on the permanent bent over shape? Just curious, it seems that whatever maintenance you use is working...and obviously the lower hours helps as well. Thanks again guys. ------------- Craig 67 SN 73 SN http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6103" rel="nofollow - 99 Sport 85SN |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 12:21am
I Have never removed any impeller for off season storage in any of my boats and have never see a problem. I have many friends who I know have never removed the impellers. Not once have I ever heard of the practice with any of the ACBS members. Our local chapter even had a tech clinic several years ago in which one of the subjects covered was winterizing. Removing the impeller was brought up by one of the attendees and quickly shot down as being totally unnecessary. I feel the practice was created by the marinas wanting to make sure you brought the boat back in spring so they can "summerize" your boat. It's become one of the "old wives tales" now!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 10:43am
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Pete - I could be wrong (don't have time to check at the momnet) but I think it is in the CC owners manual to remove the impeller for layup.
------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 11:22am
Chris, You're not wrong. Yes it's in the manuals. I knew someone would bring up that fact! Maybe the dealers had something to do with putting the practice in the manuals!!!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: 81nautique
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 11:39am
Wow, are you engineers listening to yourselves!!! 
Maintenance...change it every 2 years regardless of hours and forgitaboutit! ------------- You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails |
Posted By: 81nautique
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 11:50am
Where's 79 when you need him? I'm trying to be funny but my first impression is HUH???. Your going to put in a strainer so you can wait for the impeller to fail so you can save $33.95 every other year in maintenance? Meanwhile your on the end of the ski rope and your wife or kids are driving and they have no idea what that smell is as your engine slowly welds itself together. ------------- You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails |
Posted By: C-Bass
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 2:33pm
Haha, You don't think the Marina's would actually do such a thing....
Haha, yeah I see your point Alan, and yeah you could kinda laugh at the logic, but there is at least a tiny bit of logic to it: -I do not live on a lake, in fact the nearest lake is about an hour away. Mix that in with very limited vacation time, and it equals probably less than 50 hrs. on engine time a year. At this rate I expect my impeller to go WELL beyond 2 years. -If my wife ignores the temp gage enough to let it get hot enough to the point where the alarm starts going off, and then procedes to ignore that even further to the point where she ignores the steam coming out to the point where the engine welds itself together....I'll gladly find a new wife 
-Even if you go by the 2 year part swapper routine and get new impellers all the time, there is still a small risk that an impeller could let go and this little gettup would just save you the worry of finding all the bits/pieces of impeller. -Saving $33.95 every other year is step #42 on my "100 steps to get rich quick" program  ...Step #1 is..."Don't ever test drive a Nautique"..we all know where that leads...
Thanks Alan for the alternate point of view though. ------------- Craig 67 SN 73 SN http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6103" rel="nofollow - 99 Sport 85SN |
Posted By: 81nautique
Date Posted: June-17-2009 at 3:48pm
Then beleive me the $33.95 is going to look like a bargain
ps. I only put 50 hours on my boat last year as well so I don't get out much these days, last thing I want is a mechanical problem ruining a day with family or freinds. ------------- You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails |
Posted By: nuttyskier2002
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 3:19am
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I've been waiting for the opportunity to tell this story and it looks like the time is finally come. Last fall we were camping on Roosevelt Lake here in Arizona. About a year and a half before that I put a Sherwood strainer on my Malibu and plumbed it in after the RWP with the same idea that C-bass has here. The strainer was a bran new unit and so were all the hoses that I used. I remove and flush the strainer about every 2-3 times of use. Getting back to the Roosevelt trip,....upon arriving at the lake we launch the boat. I get it started and Frannie parks the turck/trailer. I pick here up at the pier and we start out for a ride. About 2-3 minutes later I here the engine start to change tone. I shut it down and lift the doghouse. My bilge is full of water up to the bottom of the floor. I pumped the water out and started looking for the problem. It didn't take long to notice that the strainer cup was no longer attached to the rest of the unit. When I found the pieces in the bilge it was obvious that the cup burst under pressure. It had stress cracks around the perimeter of the cup and separated in a couple of places around the threaded part. I held the cup in place while Frannie started the engine and drove us back to the pier. It was almost dark when we got back and put the boat on the trailer. The next day I found a piece of hose long enough to bypass the strainer and that got us through the weekend. We had no problems with overheating after bypassing or since then so I'm convinced that this incident was not due to any restriction in the hoses, manifolds, thermostat, engine or tranny cooler. I also pulled all the hoses and the thermostat and found no debris. When I got back home I re-installed the strainer but plumbed it in between the pickup and the RWP. It's been there since with no cooling related issues. I have to believe that strainers of this type are not designed to operate under any pressure. Perhaps in my case the strainer was partially (or more so) clogged and this contributed to the pressure build up. At any rate I would not install the Sherwood strainer downstream of the RWP. ------------- 95 Malibu Echelon w/Mercruiser 350 Magnum Skier Former boats: 88 Ski Centurion Tru Trac II 59 Chris Craft Capri (woody) |
Posted By: C-Bass
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 10:52am
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^^ That's interesting...anyone know what kind pressures these RWP's make. The strainers that I looked at were 150psi rated I believe. Could've been several contributing factors (heat, oil/gas film weakening the strainer housing..etc..), but that definitely is something else to consider...In trying to prevent a rare occurance, would I really just be creating another opportunity for a rare occurance/failure by installing this....
I'll probably hold off on doing it, and just be more disciplined at checking the condition of the impeller a couple times a year and always carry a spare. ------------- Craig 67 SN 73 SN http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6103" rel="nofollow - 99 Sport 85SN |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 11:04am
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The strainer is rated at 150 psi but at 70*. The polypropylene will rapidly loose strength at high temps even though it's glass filled. The clear bowl is nylon and not glass filled so weaker. Even so, it's odd that it failed because the flexible impeller pump max's out at 30 to 35 psi!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 11:45am
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if i wrote a transmission maintanance manual, it would include transmission should be pulled and inspected every 2 years ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 12:52pm
With a notation that the inspection be done only by FFM! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: BuffaloBFN
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 1:10pm
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I learned in the aquarium business that if a filter was difficult to get to...it would seldom be cleaned. That said, I have engine removal down to a science.
I'll send it to you next year...you won't know how to act. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2331&sort=&pagenum=12&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990" rel="nofollow - 1988 BFN-sold "It's a Livin' Thing...What a Terrible Thing to Lose" ELO |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-18-2009 at 1:59pm
Filter? I heard through the grape vine that your engine removal is just to clean the bilge!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: June-19-2009 at 1:24am
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Too bad we can't get impellers made from a better material that doesn't degrade like we are discussing. Would silicone or urethane be more durable? ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: June-19-2009 at 9:23am
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i think some are made out of Viton ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: BuffaloBFN
Date Posted: June-19-2009 at 10:34am
Guilty as charged...but that's not all I was doing.  ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2331&sort=&pagenum=12&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990" rel="nofollow - 1988 BFN-sold "It's a Livin' Thing...What a Terrible Thing to Lose" ELO |