leaking.....beind rubber impeller

[MacPepper]

As always, we aren't experts, so please excuse the lack of accurate lingo! The person we purchased our 28ft Pelin from said that he replaced the impeller recently, so it is apparently quite new, and does look in good condition. Directly behind the housing that the rubber impeller lives in, leaks, just a constant drip. When we take out the rubber impeller, the o-rings inside look in good condition and intact, so it sort of doesnt seem like the water is leaking through........but I guess it is? The other question we had is that the impeller is an extremely tight fit, is this correct? Thanks

[David M]

I assume you mean the pump for the raw water cooling on your engine? I also assume that you do not mean the cover plate that goes over the impeller and impeller housing?

Impellers are supposed to be a tight fit. (This is why I like to lube mine up with silicon grease before installation.) The vanes need to bend in order to function correctly. If the pump is leaking on the backside then you have a seal leak. Because it looks fine does not necessarily mean that it is fine. It sounds like it is time to replace that seal. If the pump is really old, it may be time for a new bearing and possibly a new pump altogether.

My inclination would be to buy a professionally rebuilt raw water pump.

[Wotname]

David is spot on - just to add some more, if new rear seals still leak, the shaft may be worn as well.