Storing impellers

What is the best way to store spare or even new impellers? Can't imagine that throwing them in a Tupperware container and putting it in the engine room is the best way to keep them long term. Spray them with something and put in a ziplock bag? I have the previous owners collection of 5 for the RW pumps on my twin diesels and two new ones still in plastic that I purchased. Seems like 4-5 too many to me?

Maybe we have some chemists here that could chime in, but I think these things age even when not in use. I don't like putting in impellers that are of unknown age. Nothing wrong with keeping a few as spares, but if I am going to put one in as a maintenance step, I buy a new one.

I think the tupperware is a good idea, and keep impeller in a box to keep plasticizers from getting to it. I think engine rooms have some ozone which has some effect too, maybe store them elsewhere.

I have a single engine. Every two seasons I install the "spare" that I bought new then buy a new one and keep as a spare in its original packaging in the engine room.
I don't keep old impellers once they are removed. They get tossed.
I have never had a problem with this practice in 25+ years of boating.
YMMV

I took a class at Mack Boring diesel repair and the suggestion was to store them in a container of cheap olive oil.

Storing them is not an issue but changing them is. Lots of owners never change them until they fail, then they've created an "event" when all they had to do was change them...

"I have a single engine. Every two seasons I install the "spare" that I bought new then buy a new one and keep as a spare in its original packaging in the engine room."

A good procedure for any spare , alt , starter , even running light bulbs.

Install it and you know it fits , and works.

Rubber products have solvents that evaporate out in time to leave the base material harder and less flexible. Sealing impellers in a vacuum extends their life when sitting. But who knows how long they sat on some suppliers shelf?
My last set of impellers (2 mains, 2 generators) lasted 5 years. That means my spares were 5 years old when I put them in.

I do what jleonard does. Seems to work.

I wonder if a Spray w 303 protectant before the zip loc bag would help...I can't see where it would hurt???

Ski in NC said:

Maybe we have some chemists here that could chime in, but I think these things age even when not in use. I don't like putting in impellers that are of unknown age. Nothing wrong with keeping a few as spares, but if I am going to put one in as a maintenance step, I buy a new one.

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This.

When we bought our boat, we had to move her from Florida to the upper Chesapeake. I replaced the impellers with some spares that looked fine to my inexperienced eyes. After we arrived I decided to change out some weeping engine hoses and found a lot of impeller pieces. Below is what the impellers looked like. What amazed me most is that the Lehmans ran 750 miles at cruising speed without overheating with a few vanes on each impeller and lots of rubber pieces clogging up the works. From now on, it's new impellers on a regular schedule.

Cut and paste.....

Ideally, rubber and plastic objects should be stored in cold, dark, dry, and oxygen-free conditions. Cold, dark, dry conditions can be found in the refrigerator section of a frost-free refrigerator or in a low relative humidity cold storage room. The freezer compartment of frost-free refrigerators and frost-free deep freezers have high relative humidity and should not be used to store objects, unless they are protected by waterproof containers (Wilhelm and Brower,*1993). To reduce humidity around objects, they should be placed in sealed glass or vapour-proof plastic containers along with dry indicating silica gel that occupies about one-third of the air space in the container. The indicating silica gel will remain blue as long as the air in the container is dry. When it turns to a pink colour, it should be replaced with a fresh quantity (CCI*Technical Bulletin 10,*Silica Gel). Monitoring should be done at least once a year. Please note, however, that plastics are more brittle when they are cold. Well-padded boxes and trays, as well as careful handling, will be required...

Care of Objects Made from Rubber and Plastic - Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Notes 15/1 - Canada.ca

I am just a moron but I store my extra impellers just the way the factory sent them, in their original box in the cabin in a drawer (semi dark and neither high or low humidity). I have used some that were stored like that after five years. So far no problems.

Bigsfish said:

I am just a moron but I store my extra impellers just the way the factory sent them, in their original box in the cabin in a drawer (semi dark and neither high or low humidity). I have used some that were stored like that after five years. So far no problems.

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Only takes one problem to make you regret it. I would never use a five year old impeller. We rotate ours out of circulation.

We do keep all that we purchase dated and have a regular schedule for replacement of the one in use and of the backup.

I consider two years the absolute maximum storage. Keep in mind that if you store it two years then use it two you're already using a four year old impeller. A cheaply made, soft, and somewhat flimsy little item in a very expensive hard metal piece of equipment.

BandB

As explained to me, how do you know when the impeller was manufactured, how long it was in stock at the factory, how long it was in stock as the distributor, how long it was in stock at the ultimate reseller? At one time I fooled around with old motorcycles and autos, often the only rubber part we could locate was over ten years old. We used it. It the part wasn't put in use before I never found it damages as long as it was stored properly, certainly having a part recently produced would be best.

I propose an expirment, go to you local store and buy an extra impeller. Keep it in the original box and put it in your sock drawer. After five years take it out and compare it to a brand new impeller.

Bigsfish said:

BandB

As explained to me, how do you know when the impeller was manufactured, how long it was in stock at the factory, how long it was in stock as the distributor, how long it was in stock at the ultimate reseller? At one time I fooled around with old motorcycles and autos, often the only rubber part we could locate was over ten years old. We used it. It the part wasn't put in use before I never found it damages as long as it was stored properly, certainly having a part recently produced would be best.

I propose an expirment, go to you local store and buy an extra impeller. Keep it in the original box and put it in your sock drawer. After five years take it out and compare it to a brand new impeller.

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I know because I buy in dated packaging. I don't go to the "local store" to buy. You take whatever chances you wish. I won't do it. I've known of too many problems.

Now, your statements on sitting around on store shelf and other places are very appropriate. Check dates on things like cans of oil at small dealers. And, yes, oil and other fluids are dated and do lose properties. Batteries are one of the worst.

I've never been in a grocery store I couldn't find outdated items somewhere in the store. I haven't checked but I'm sure you can go into any parts or supplies store and find old items as well.

As a kid... talcum powder sprinkled liberally onto rubber swim equipment such as fins and masks, then hand rubbed into and all over items as well as wet-suits etc worked wonders to stop the rubber-like materials from aging/cracking/getting-gummy.

I recall sometimes locating rubber-like items treated with talcum powder years after storage still being in good condition.

Guess the powder locked in the natural moisture/oils of the rubber products. Wonder if that powder would also help keep impellers in good, supple, rubber like condition?

Appreciate everyone's response. Didn't realize it would be such a discussion! I have new ones in from a month ago and 4 new in package spares. My exec. decision for the next change is to put the oldest new ones in and buy a new set for spares. I will keep the ones taken out as the back up emergency spares. 6 impellers would seem to be more than enough but what do I know. Oh, throwing away the 5 sets of old old ones I inherited. Just not enough cost to justify keeping anything very old. These range in age from 3 years to....??? who knows...

Having twins I keep 8 new impellers and 5 foe the generator. Yes I try to use an old one and replace it with a new purchased one. I ven been known to save the best looking of old ones just in case. My nemesis for impellers is plastic bags.

Certainly a great idea to cycle spare parts.
And with natural rubber components a very good idea to store away from UV and heat as well as any petroleum products.


Practically speaking from my past experiences I can offer up these thoughts on typical natural rubber impellers and their close cousins.....

- impellers stored for 10 years will still perform well unless subject to heavy UV and heat
- Even some impellers left in service for 10+ years will still work well, But I am a proponent of yearly inspection and every 2nd year changes for most impellers.
- Natural rubber components subject to thermal cycling chambers will survive through much more heat and heat cycles than your boat will ever see but some failures can begin to occur at temps in the area of 10F and lower.
- Unexpectedly I did put one impeller into service that had been in use for two seasons and then stored for another 9 years. There were no issues for the balance of that season and it looked real good at the end as well.


Generally impellers with long vanes and shorter cam lifts will easily outlast impellers with very short vanes and high cam lifts.
This affect will trump any issues of storage by a large magnitude.

We have had our fair share of impeller issues this season ,so much that we have system for changing a bad impeller. I don't think I have a bad pump just a series of events that caused impeller failure.
1st : I remove the cover and pull the bad impeller . Joy removes all the broken pieces from the oil cooler and hoses , my fingers are to fat . She then installs the key back in the shaft ( again my fingers to fat). Then I install new impeller and put it all back together. I'm going today to get a pair of 90 degree needle nose pliers .
I've been keeping mine in ziplock bags in a cabinet in wheelhouse.

"Joy removes all the broken pieces from the oil cooler and hoses , my fingers are to fat ."




FWIW - I have found that a very small wetvac available at Home depot called the 'stinger' will suck those pieces out of there even where you cannot see them. And that vac costs less than $40 and we also use it for many other suctions chores as well as for blowing up toys and inflatables.

I have always kept one spare impeller on the boat. After hearing about the number of spare impellers some of you are keeping I am beginning to wonder...

Having two spares would be fine, but it means the impeller that I am installing would be a couple years older. That is unless I keep a removed impeller as an "emergency spare" to back up the new spare.

Our Tolly has a spare "twin" engine aboard. Soooo... Brand new impellers are used when replacing them; always being careful to do that before either engine's impeller has disintegrated to point of overheat.


Don't forget... the impeller can loose quite a few flukes [i.e. resulting in reduced raw water flow] before the engine's thermostat can no longer open wide enough to sufficiently cool the engine's self contained antifreeze coolant in its heat transfer system. The thermostat when new impellers are installed does not open as wide as when impellers are getting worn out and loosing raw water flow efficiency.


When brand new impellers are installed, by watching the flow of water out of exhaust pipe at idle, you can get a darn good visual "take" on just what that water flow is supposed to look like. Phone video is a good way to jog memory if needed.


I check the tailpipe water flow at idle every time I start engines [before either is warm] to make sure the raw water pump and its impeller are pushing ample water through. When I notice the flow at idle has decreased just a bit, that puts me on alert to keep checking engine temp and to soon install new impellers on both engine's cooling system


Raw Cooling Water Impeller Condition Surveillance - 101

Art

"The thermostat when new impellers are installed does not open as wide as when impellers are getting worn out and loosing raw water flow efficiency. "

Please educate me. I thought the thermostat open and closed because of tempature not pressure.

Help.

Bigsfish said:

Art

"The thermostat when new impellers are installed does not open as wide as when impellers are getting worn out and loosing raw water flow efficiency. "

Please educate me. I thought the thermostat open and closed because of tempature not pressure.

Help.

Click to expand...

Pressure from raw water flow has nothing to do with engine antifreeze coolant's internal thermostat actions regarding how much coolant flows through the engine. Raw water flow in a boat should have no restrictions that builds any pressure. If it does build pressure inside itself then something is broken. The raw water portion of the cooling system should freely flow and it is the raw water pump's impeller that creates/sustains that flow.

Temp of the antifreeze coolant mixture going through heat exchanger into the engine is what opens the thermostat to what ever "opened" or "closed" amount is needed to keep the engine cool. Per thermostat's designed temperature level that coincides with what temperature the engine is designed to operate at. Thermostat always keeps an engine at desired temperature - until it can't. There are many reasons why the thermostat may not be able to maintain temperature at proper level. Here we are only addressing the raw water flow in accordance with raw water pump's impeller condition.

Sooo... if the water in heat exchanger is well cooled by the raw water flow coming from raw water pump's good condition impeller the thermostat reacts accordingly [opens or closes] to maintain engine and coolant temp level for which the thermostat is set at for the engine to run at. As the impeller gets worn out and the raw water flow then decreases the thermostat needs to open wider accordingly to maintain the coolant and engine temperature it's designed for. Once the raw water flow becomes so much reduced that even with thermostat wide open the engine and coolant overheats - BIG Problem Occurs! Because if for any reason [including but not limited to not enough raw water flow for any reason] the fully open thermostat cannot maintain correct operating temperature then the temp of coolant and engine will likely continue to rise past point of engine being able to withstand the extra heat level.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. That is different than what I thought upyou were saying.

Bigsfish said:

Thanks. That is different than what I thought upyou were saying.

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Well, Big... Sometimes my thinking gets mixed up with my words. Often when that happens I begin thinking about pretty women,,,, and then,,, suddenly... discussion about things like impellers, raw water pumps and heat exchangers go onto the rear burner! = LOL

Art

At my age I would rather have a hard boiled egg.

smitty477 said:

FWIW - I have found that a very small wetvac available at Home depot called the 'stinger' will suck those pieces out of there even where you cannot see them. And that vac costs less than $40 and we also use it for many other suctions chores as well as for blowing up toys and inflatables.

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Not in a gasoline powered boat, I hope. Diesel would be fine.


I keep my spare impellers in the box they came in. The box is in a plastic (similar to Tupperware) box with other spare parts in the engine compartment.

WesK said:

Not in a gasoline powered boat, I hope. Diesel would be fine.


I keep my spare impellers in the box they came in. The box is in a plastic (similar to Tupperware) box with other spare parts in the engine compartment.

Click to expand...

Am I not getting a clear picture of circumstances... How would a vac be bad for sucking out broken impeller fluke pieces from cooling system in well ventilated area aboard gasoline powered boat?