Quick water pump question

[robshepherd]

Hi All,

A few weeks ago I serviced my FW pump (new impeller, gasket, cleaned hardened grease in cup, added new white lith grease to cup) and all has been working well.

However, my bilge water looks oily and I suspect it's the lithium grease. It shows up as whitish-grey globules (for lack of a better description). It does not look like engine oil, and the level on the dipstick is not changing.

Is it possible that as the pump warms up some of this white grease is dripping out? If so, is there something I can do about it, or is it better to look at a new replacement with the packless bearings?

I did not previously have oil in the bilge, AND the pump was not getting enough grease. I was tipped off by the noise it started to make. Now it's much quieter, but I've got a mess to deal with.

Thanks for any ideas! -Rob

[Mo]

a few things to consider

Rob, if you had water in the oil previously did you do multiple changes. If so, sometimes there is some residual water that steams onto the stick. If you have motored, lets say 10 hours, the residual condensation in the crankcase and block should have steamed off.

Persistent white /greyish/foamy on the dipstick might mean a small amount of water is getting in somewhere. Either past the pump or head gasket. If you noticed steam out the transom look for head gasket. The fact of recent pump work leans me in that direction.

Again, if oil level is staying the same...well...next question?? What are you using for oil. Over a long trip expect to have to add when using straight 30 but not near as often if using 15w40. Now, I said that because you need to ensure that you are not using oil and replacing volume with a small water leak. Oil should not be foamy or grey....hope that helps.

[Mo]

On the pump itself I use just normal wheel bearing grease...works fine. Have a good look around for the source of the oily bilge and ensure not from an above issue. Doesn't sound too serious but keep an eye on things.

[robshepherd]

Engine oil is fine

Rob, if you had water in the oil previously did you do multiple changes.

Mo,

No, nothing of the sort, and perhaps my question wasn't clear. I have oil in the bilge water. Not water in the engine oil.

Somehow either oil or grease is getting out of the engine and dripping into the bilge, thereby contaminating the bit of bilge water I have. When I pump it over, well... you know what the shiny oil slick looks like behind the boat. Bad news. BTW, currently using 15w40 diesel oil.

Hopefully this makes my question clear, and apologies for any confusion! -Rob

[sastanley]

Rob, How hard do you squish the grease cup..since Mo reminded me to do it more often, I turn it every few hours, but I ONLY turn it a bit (like 1/4 turn) until I feel resistance. I figure as soon as I feel the resistance, some grease is going into the shaft..if I turn it too much, it leaks out the cup's threads.

I can't imagine that globs would make their way into the bilge unless you kept turning it. Another check could be a small rag/paper towel under the pump to see if anything drips out on its way down. Don Moyer had me use this trick to check on an oil leak I suspected to be in the pump seal, but it turns out (as he suspected) that it was the bottom pump bolt that I did not seal with Permatex during installation.

[robshepherd]

Good idea

Another check could be a small rag/paper towel under the pump to see if anything drips out on its way down. Don Moyer had me use this trick to check on an oil leak I suspected to be in the pump seal

Ok, that's a good idea. I'll fold a paper towel and secure it below the pump for a while to see if it catches anything.

Perhaps I have been a bit overzealous in tightening the cup.... Need to find the right balance between no grease and way too much.

Thanks for the idea. -Rob

[edwardc]

Hi All,

A few weeks ago I serviced my FW pump (new impeller, gasket, cleaned hardened grease in cup, added new white lith grease to cup) and all has been working well.
...
I did not previously have oil in the bilge, AND the pump was not getting enough grease. I was tipped off by the noise it started to make. Now it's much quieter, but I've got a mess to deal with.

Thanks for any ideas! -Rob

Based on the above, I suspect the shaft on the pump has worn , as evidenced by the former noise. Now, the shaft is quiet because it's getting grease, but the extra clearance due to the shaft wear is allowing some grease to exit via the weep hole between the inner and outer bearings. The paper towel test should confirm or refute this.

I'm always great at spending other people's money , but if its the pump leaking grease, I would just replace it with a Moyer 502 flange pump. No grease to mess around with, and you get the nifty speed-change back.

[Mo]

I got you Bob...when you said "it shows up as" I figured you were checking the dipstick and you had it in the base pan as well as bilge....all good.

I never used Lithium grease on a pump myself...it's viscosity may be a little lighter than normal wheel bearing grease as well...why don't you try changing lube and see what happens.

[robshepherd]

Thanks

Thanks Ed and Mo,

Good ideas. And yes, perhaps this grease is a little light. I just don't have experience with wheel bearing grease, so it's tough to compare. No doubt the pump is worn, or it shouldn't have been rattling.

I'll see if I can limp along with this one into the fall, and then spring for the new 502 pump. After all, what's $300 among friends? Ha!

Thank you for the feedback! -Rob

[tenders]

The grease that comes with the pump is quite hard, almost like wax. So if yours is softer it may well be dripping out of the cup as the engine warms up.

There really isn't much wax in the cup and usually a cup of wax will last or a season or two.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Get yourself some waterproof trailer wheel bearing grease that is made for boat trailers that go in the water. This is what I use. It works well.

"They" used to make a grease for water pumps that is no longer around with the sealed water pumps they have now days. This would be the ideal grease for the A4 water pump if one could find it.

TRUE GRIT