| Changing the raw water pump impeller on a | | | | or liquid soap for ease of installation and start up. |
| Kohler 5E marine generator is actually very easy | | | | The easiest way of getting the impeller in the |
| as long as you can fit in the small work area | | | | pump is to pull the pump from the generator a |
| where the pump is. The generator is a closed | | | | little bit, place the impeller on top of the pump and |
| system with a heat exchanger mounted on the | | | | twist it in the proper direction to get it started |
| top of the generator. You will only need a few | | | | (vane tips are trailing rotation) then align the |
| hand tools to get this job done. A new impeller is | | | | impeller with the flat(s) on the drive shaft and |
| readily available at your marina or a local marine | | | | slide it into the pump body. After the impeller is |
| supply store. | | | | installed the o-ring needs to be placed in the |
| First you need to shut off the raw water supply | | | | groove in the pump housing with a little bit of lube |
| at the hull fitting. Locate the pump, mine is | | | | on it and the cover replaced with the bolts and |
| mounted on the starboard side of the vessel | | | | tightened. |
| even with the water line, yours could be on the | | | | When the cover is in place and tightened it is time |
| opposite side. Remove the four 1/4" bolts that | | | | to open the valve for the water intake, checking |
| fasten the pump to the generator. The only | | | | for no leaks. After all looks well there it is time to |
| things you really need to take off of the pump is | | | | run the generator to make sure the whole |
| the cover with the o-ring and then get the old | | | | system is functioning properly. There should be an |
| impeller out of the pump.You might have to slide | | | | ample supply of water coming from the |
| to pump partially off the drive shaft and then | | | | generator exhaust port while the generator is |
| back into position to get the impeller to stick out | | | | running. This will become a normal yearly |
| a little so you can grab it with your pliers. If you | | | | maintenance job on your vessel with normal |
| have any problems getting the old impeller out | | | | generator usage. |
| you will have to remove the whole pump to work | | | | Sometimes these impellers will last a few years |
| on it. | | | | with only periodic use but most will have to be |
| If you have most of the impeller vanes on the | | | | changed yearly if used frequently during the |
| old impeller there is no need to worry. If there | | | | boating season. Different brands of vessels will |
| are only a couple of impeller vanes on the old | | | | have the same type of system and are very |
| impeller it is a good idea to flush the system with | | | | close to this procedure. The one major difference |
| a garden hose to make sure you have a good | | | | might be the pump used on the generator but it |
| flow of water and most of the vanes are out of | | | | still should not be a large pump. |
| the system. Check the rotation of the pump by | | | | After the first time of doing this maintenance |
| touching the start button on the generator control | | | | item and getting to know your vessel it should |
| panel and observe which way the shaft has | | | | only take about 20 minutes to complete this task. |
| moved or if the impeller still has vanes on it install | | | | The first time might be up to 90 minutes give or |
| the new impeller with the vanes running in the | | | | take according to what you will study, focus on |
| same direction. | | | | and observe. |
| The next thing to do is to install the impeller in the | | | | This procedure was done on a 2006 Searay, |
| pump. You should lube the impeller with Vaseline | | | | 280DA with twin 5.0 Mercruiser engines. |