Posted: January 12 2009 at 13:18 | IP Logged

Hi, gang. Got the pump rebuild kit complete with new bearings. Took the pump home and attacked it Saturday in my garage. Clamped it in a 6" vice and removed back of the pump. Next drove out the roll pin that holds the pulley mount to the shaft. Pulley mount does not want to come off. Attach gear puller and it wont budge. Threaded 2 5/16 ss bolts into the mount to push against the front of the pump housing. Tightening the bolts and the gear puller at the same time it started to move. Continued this process until mount is off the shaft. Fought me all the way. Bought a new set of snap ring pliers from napa just to remove snap rings inside the pump. These hold the bearings and shaft in place. Pliers are defective. Supposed to lock in place for both internal snap rings and external snap rings. But they don't. See how things go for me? And my wife wonders why I drink. Remove snap rings with whatever I have handy. Place pump in vice. Tap end of shaft but it dosen't budge. Obtain large rubber mallot and beat the end of shaft mercilessly. Shaft comes out. Remove snap rings that hold bearings onto shaft. Put shaft in vice with rags between the jaws so it won't scrar the shaft. Tap the bearings with a hammer. bearings don't budge, Obtain drift pin and hammer.  Attack Bearing. Bearing budges. Continue assault on first bearing. I win. Shaft spacer between bearings comes off easily. Not so bearing #2. Assalt bearing with hammer and drift pin. I win again. open first beer. Clean shaft of rust, grease sealer etc. A few nicks on shaft so I remove them with emery cloth. Apply Grease to insde of bearings. Bearings refuse to slide down shaft. Hit the shaft again with emery cloth. Still won't go on. Put the shaft in the freezer. Open second beer. Putting shaft in the freezer will shrink it. We do this in the hinckley yard with cutlass bearings. Freeze them and they slide right into place. Take shaft from freezer and place in vice. Bearings slid halfway down shaft. They recieve encouragement from a hammer and they are in place. install snap rings on shaft. Install shaft bearing assembly into pump housing. Install snap rings to secure assembly into housing. Try to install pulley mount onto shaft. No go. Put pump back in freezer.  Hit the inside of pulley mount with emery cloth several times. Try again, this time with teflon grease and hammer. Mount goes on shaft kicking and screaming all the way. I win again.  Installed new impeller, wear plate and impeller cam. Assembled back of pump to pump housing. Open 3rd beer. Time to rebuild start to finish, 4 hours and 3 beers. Should have taken an hour or so and 1 beer.  Time to install on boat, 30 Min. and 2 beers. Take defective snap ring tool back to napa. Napa guy plays with it for 20 min. trying to make it work. I leave with a $38.00 refund. Stop by a beer store, buy a case of Miller Light. On sale. Finally something goes right.

Tight lines and cold beer, Capt. Heavy

Posted: January 12 2009 at 21:11 | IP Logged

And our Hero, Capt Heavy, lives on, undefeated!! he conquers with blood, sweat, and beers!!!! (and a hammer)

Floater

Posted: January 14 2009 at 19:15 | IP Logged

<Singing off key> He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

Hey Capt. Heavy, yes, I know that area of South Jersey well.  We cruise our 35 in the upper Chesapeake.  Last few seasons out of Bohemia River and next season on the Sassafras.  Would like to winter aboard a boat, after I retire, in FL or, Bahamas, or further south?  Who knows.

Yeah, the right tool for the job...  A wood and hammer press.

Posted: January 16 2009 at 23:07 | IP Logged

Well Heavy,

If you make it back up here we would love to hang on a hook and swap stories.  Maybe it will be when we become snow birds and follow the warmth to FL and the Bahamas.