New impeller won't prime.

[BobMcD]

Guys,
I had a similar issue with getting a new impeller to work. It was suggested by Don that soaking the new impeller in a light oil might "swell" the impeller enough to allow it to seal. I tried this with two new impellers and left it soaking for a number of months, while using my old impleller. When I put the soaked one in, the pump worked perfectly, and will self prime itself from dry. This soaked impeller has been working fine for the last three years.

Might be worth a try.

[Easy Rider]

FWIW. I've done a ton of work using various sanding equipment and I wouldn't even think about trying this job with a "buzzy" as Shawn calls them. You would need to be blessed with a miricle for it to turn out successfully. A belt sander in the right hands could do it but if your hell bent on trying then I would suggest you remove it from the motor and do it on a bench where you would have much better control. If I was going to attempt this I would lay my sand paper on flat solid surface like a table saw top and very carefully sand away using a circular pattern and checking progress regularly. Me thinks it might be time for a new pump.

Chuck

[Ajax]

Ajax, I won't tell you not to do it the way you want, it's up to you

BUT

the advantage of using a sander like I described is the belt rides on a flat metal surface, not a soft pad like every hand sander I've ever seen. I believe you'll have a much better chance at a flat result when there's no 'give' to the abrasive. I think that's pretty much what Shawn said. Please re-read Don's directive in post #5, para 3, add 'hard' in front of 'flat surface'.

The "buzzy" sander I was considering using is a very old palm sander with a steel plate and metal clips at each end to hold the paper. It does not have a foam backer like newer sanders.

Still, I believe that my ability to perfectly control a belt or palm sander is probably pretty low, so *if* I try to re-face this pump, I'll do it with paper wrapped around a hard block so that I can do this in a slow, controlled fashion. That should satisfy post #5, para 3.

I'm tied up with a bunch of housework and my parents coming into town this weekend, so nothing is going to happen immediately.

I still have measurements to take, and other impellers to test first. I still own my Pearson 30, so I still have a couple of lightly used impellers that I can test out, plus I can buy another new impeller to test out before I start attacking the pump itself.

I'm really doubting the cam shoe is the problem because it forcefully pumps a lot of water at idle when it is pumping. This is an "all or nothing" sort of problem, it's not a low volume problem.

[Fred]

In Canada you can purchase a Globe impellers for the Atomic 4 water pump, they are substantially less expensive, but they are useless, I had exactly the same problem, the pump would not prime and when it did it sputtered a quarter of the water that it should have. They are easy to identify, if it's a Globe, they're blue. We purchase Universal impellers, I'm on my 3rd one after 22 years and fingers crossed

[hanleyclifford]

Dead Right

In Canada you can purchase a Globe impellers for the Atomic 4 water pump, they are substantially less expensive, but they are useless, I had exactly the same problem, the pump would not prime and when it did it sputtered a quarter of the water that it should have. They are easy to identify, if it's a Globe, they're blue. We purchase Universal impellers, I'm on my 3rd one after 22 years and fingers crossed

Globe Blue are junk with a capital "J".

[sastanley]

Ajax, I have a combo belt sander/disc sander from harbor freight that could prove useful.
link = http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-...der-97181.html

I know you don't drive by here much anymore since you bride has now transferred up north, but it is available if you need it and we cross paths.

Unless I missed it, you still haven't come clean with the Moyer group as to why you are dealing with this issue!!!

[Ajax]

Ajax, I have a combo belt sander/disc sander from harbor freight that could prove useful.
link = http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-...der-97181.html

I know you don't drive by here much anymore since you bride has now transferred up north, but it is available if you need it and we cross paths.

Unless I missed it, you still haven't come clean with the Moyer group as to why you are dealing with this issue!!!

Oh, I thought it had been implied. I'm dealing with this issue because I bought a Tartan 33 with a Universal M30/5424 diesel. I was actually pleased to see that it shares some parts with the Atomic-4 so that I can continue to use the great resource found in this forum.

My neighbor is purchasing my Pearson 30, so I'll still hang around here so that I can help him keep the Atomic-4 running smoothly.

Shawn, I've spent nearly the last month down in the Solomon's area between moving my bride and doing a very rapid rehabilitation of the Tartan. We both have lots of friends down there so we'll still be visiting, trust me.

[romantic comedy]

I have "machined" the pump cover using a counter top and 320 wet. I did not remove a lot, but it took about a half hour.

Using a power sander seems like it would take off too much.

I would try the sand paper and counter top method and see how that goes.

[Ajax]

I think I've confirmed the diagnosis given by the quorum.

I've installed yet another new impeller and it will not prime, but the old impeller pumps like mad.

When placed side by side, the old impeller is definitely thicker, maybe by .5mm and it definitely protrudes from the housing more than a new impeller, prior to placing the cover plate on.

I carefully sanded the face of the pump with 150 grit for at least a half hour but a new impeller still won't pull any water. I'm probably going to stop torturing myself and just buy a new, MM502 flange pump so that I can stop fooling with grease cups and snap rings.

[JOHN COOKSON]

Did you buy the new impellers that don't work from Moyer?

TRUE GRIT

[Ajax]

Did you buy the new impellers that don't work from Moyer?

TRUE GRIT

The first impeller was found onboard the boat, sealed in a package with an "Oberdorfer" factory label on it, and was of indeterminate age. Never used, but who knows how old. Due to the unknown history, I decided not to trust it.

The second "new" impeller was purchased from Moyer Marine maybe a year ago, as a spare and was never used. There's no reason not to trust this impeller.

[tenders]

I'm wondering if you have a slightly different model of pump (older, perhaps?) and the wrong impeller is being put into it.

We can certainly wonder about messed-up impellers all day long, but "wrong pump" would succinctly explain all the symptoms of this situation.