Leaking Water Pump

[mross]

Yes, but the satisfaction you get when you find just the part you needed, with the boat miles from anywhere makes it worthwhile. These parts can be kept in ziplock bags, stuffed into nooks and crannies that have no other use. My boat has lots of countersunk, brass screws which were too short when fitted and when they pull out I have always found a longer one in my 'happy box' that makes a permanent solution. A sheet of gasket paper can also be a godsend when you tear one dismantling a pump.

[MtB]

 

This causes me a lot of trauma!

Its good to keep a good stash of useful spare parts on a boat, but space is at a premium.

Its much easier and usually cheaper to get big selection packs of copper washers/O rings etc etc in a nice plastic compartment box. But then what do you do?

Keep the whole lot taking up space when you know that maybe 80% of them don't fit anything on the boat?, maybe you might just somehow need them one day, or even meet a boater in distress who needs one?? but very unlikely, or do you throw the box and 90% of its brand new contents away, thus supporting our daft throw away culture and putting copper into land fill.

 

and .... keeping things that you know you don't need but feel just might be useful one day is.....hoarding!!!!!

 

................Dave

 

 

Yes and those boxes of O rings are a particularly good example. 30 sizes? well O rings come in thousands of different material diameter/ring diameter combinations and I have several of those 'selection boxes in the van. Guess what, when I need an O ring there is NEVER the right size in any of them. But I can sometimes resort to my O ring making kit for low stress/non critical applications. Yes, there IS such a thing!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O-RING-GASKET-SPLICING-KIT-NEVER-GET-CAUGHT-OUT-AGAIN-MAKE-YOUR-OWN-GASKET-SEALS-/130394316999?hash=item1e5c1b60c7:g:cTYAAOxy7nNTTAU2

[mross]

I used to be able to get an O-ring making kit that had a second bottle of stuff to waterproof the glued joint but they don't seem to be available now. The homemade O-rings tended to split without this. MtB have you had good experience with them recently?

[MtB]

I used to be able to get an O-ring making kit that had a second bottle of stuff to waterproof the glued joint but they don't seem to be available now. The homemade O-rings tended to split without this. MtB have you had good experience with them recently?

 

 

Surprisingly yes.

The glue to fix the ends together is quite strong and once the O ring is seated correctly and the joint made up, the strength of the bond is less important anyway.

[mross]

The other issue, already mentioned, is what material the O-ring is made of. Some will be compatible with fuel but many will be unsuitable. Most 'rubbers' will be okay with potable water, but antifreeze is likely to affect some 'rubbers'. Heat resistance varies considerably and viton, when overheated, produces nasty acids which are very, very caustic. (Hydrofluoric acid can eat through glass for instance and can cause nasty injuries.)

[dmr]

 

 

Surprisingly yes.

The glue to fix the ends together is quite strong and once the O ring is seated correctly and the joint made up, the strength of the bond is less important anyway.

 

I think when superglue came out there was a demo where you used it to make an O ring (a fairly thick one) and then used it to support your own weight. It didn't work and I was quite a bit lighter then too.

 

................Dave

 

You are quite right of course. We are liveaboards so dont have a shed at " Home " to keep stuff in and I have found breakdowns usualy occur mile from anywhere. I carry many spares including pumps, belts, oil, filters etc etc I even have a new spare mastervolt inverter just in case to get by with. Our boat is a purpose built from scratch liveaboard so has way more decent storage than most so this helps but I know without even looking that 80 percent of the stuff I carry will be never used and permenantly in the way!!

 

Yup, Ive even got a spare cylinder head.

 

Trouble is, whenever I need something I just can't find it so its quicker to buy a new one on eBay sent to the nearest post office (or even pub).

It still amazes me how much stuff you can loose on a boat.

 

...............Dave

[MtB]

 

I think when superglue came out there was a demo where you used it to make an O ring (a fairly thick one) and then used it to support your own weight. It didn't work and I was quite a bit lighter then too.

 

................Dave

 

Yup, Ive even got a spare cylinder head.

 

Trouble is, whenever I need something I just can't find it so its quicker to buy a new one on eBay sent to the nearest post office (or even pub).

It still amazes me how much stuff you can loose on a boat.

 

...............Dave

 

Yes. One's sanity is usually one of the first things...

[Sea Dog]

Also worth getting boxes of fibre washers, copper washers, brass screws, hose clips etc.

 

I got a box of assorted hose clips from Screwstation or Toolfix - an excellent thing to have in the cupboard. Trouble is, when they come out of the cupboard, you find they're nearly useless! They suffer from cam out at anything approaching reasonable tightness so, if you'relucky, the odd one might just about hang on until you can buy a proper Jubilee Clip, but most end up in the bin.

[hopefulboaterlndn]

Sorry for the delay in responding, couldn't get on to the website for a while. I've now replaced the water pump with some nice new flexi hose and no more leak Thanks!

[mross]

Sorry for the delay in responding, couldn't get on to the website for a while. I've now replaced the water pump with some nice new flexi hose and no more leak Thanks!

Thanks for the update. Did you find the cause of the leak? Which pump did you buy as a replacement? will you keep the old one as an emergency spare?

Edited February 21, 2017 by mross

[Sea Dog]

Sorry for the delay in responding, couldn't get on to the website for a while. I've now replaced the water pump with some nice new flexi hose and no more leak Thanks!

Pleased to hear all is well. I hope your new installation stands the test of time... and maybe looks a little better too!

[hopefulboaterlndn]

On ‎21‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 10:51, mross said:

Thanks for the update. Did you find the cause of the leak? Which pump did you buy as a replacement? will you keep the old one as an emergency spare?

Sorry I couldn't get on the website for a while. To be honest I didn't find the exact cause of the leak but several of the joints seemed worn and possible culprits. Will keep the old pump as a spare. Mainly relieved to have it all working without fear of flood  

[bizzard]

Talking of O rings, I once got into big trouble with a girlfriend and her family over one. They used to drive down to Cornwall overnight to dodge the holiday traffic, the old A30-A303-A30 in those days. It was about 11.30pm and I was just getting ready for bed when there was a knock on the door. It was her brother who said that they were all in the car ready to set off but it wouldn't start, could I come round and look at it. Ok I said, let me put me pants back on and I'll be round. The car was a Vauxhall Victor 101. I had an idea what was wrong, opened the bonnet, stink of petrol, air cleaner off and yes the carburetter was flooding over. On those old fixed jet Stromberg carbs was an O ring trapped between the carb top casting and the body to seal off the venturi.  A very common problem on those carbs at the time was for the O ring to snap, and it had, dumping petrol straight into the venturi and flooding. No chance of getting a new O ring at that time of night, so I fixed it with a doubled up elastic band. It started up right away. They all thought I was wonderful, the way I diagnosed the problem right away, especially the elastic band fix which they thought was brilliant.  I didn't tell em it was an extremely  common fault and that I'd been out to and fixed countless of those Victors carbs O rings.  Off they went on their merry overnight journey to Cornwall.   I went back to bed.  I was due to drive down to meet up with them a day later. When I arrived there, ''Pendean'' they were in the pub opposite the guest house. In I went dying for a pint. I was expecting my ego to be inflated by, words of thanks, hugs, kisses, plied with free drinks and  stuff, but no, I was virtually blanked by her and her family.  Later her dad told me what had happened. They had broken down at about 3am in the morning on the 303 near Ilminster in the middle of nowhere, found a phone box and called the AA. The elastic bands had been attacked by petrol and had dissolved. The AA had no O rings on board. They all had to wait until 8am in the morning until a Vauxhall dealer opened to get a new O ring. They arrived in Pendean about 5 hours later, tired, hungry and thinking up the most terrible things to do me when I turned up, especially her mum. It was only a short 3 day break but the atmosphere was very very icy. I was glad to get back home out of it. I wouldn't mind but I didn't even charge for the botch up and my diagnosis was spot on and I got them about a 100 or so miles on their way.   I still fix many things with elastic bands, but not carburetters.  There are millions of em scattered about by postmen, shame to waste em.

  

[cuthound]

20 minutes ago, bizzard said:

I still fix many things with elastic bands, but not carburetters.  There are millions of em scattered about by postmen, shame to waste em.

  

 

I wonder why postmen are scattering millions of carburettors about? 

Perhaps the Post Office have loads left over since fuel injection became the only way to meet emissions regulations, and are getting their employees to "lose" them?