Reply To: Problems changing the impellor, and recommending the Speedseal covers

[39Schuss]

Great write up Richard.

I have had a Speedseal for over 10 years on my 321.
Access to the impeller on the 3JH3 is absolutely terrible and sounds similar to your description – lying over the engine, etc .
I have always found that removing the impeller itself is still a massive problem because it is stuck on the shaft and it is easy to damage the pump casing edge if you use a screwdriver.
Before I ever did it I called in the Yanmar agent and watched a professional do it one handed with a screwdriver without even seeing the pump face and not lying over the engine. All by feel, amazing..
I have never achieved that skill level.
What I have now done is modify a pair of electrical screwdrivers (they have insulation all along the metal shaft) so the tips are bent over and sharpened so that they can maybe get behind the far end of the impeller to start pulling it out and also allow better grip by digging into the rubber.

I also picked up a tip in a recent yachting magazine to cut a slot in the thumb screw heads so that in the event of them being so tight you can’t undo them by hand, then you can put a coin in the slot to get better leverage.

The other thing I bought is two additional thumb screws just in case I lose one in the engine bilge. I do have a magnetic telescopic wand but the screws are stainless steel and so can’t be picked up easily with a magnet.

Regards
Steve