FL 120 Raw water pump priming?

[Pete Meisinger]

My AC pump will not self prime for the first time every spring. I have to take the intake hose off, force feed some water and away it goes. Never loses its prime during the year.

I've come to expect it and it is part of my Spring ritual.

pete

 

[Alisske]

Can anyone here give me a description of removing the stock (FL 135) and replacing w/ Johnson? Time? Cost ?
TIA

Its expensive (relatively anywhere from 350 to 500$) but so completely worth it. First thing i did when i bought the boat

I think mine came with gear on it. I would recommend getting one with the gear on the shaft already.

If the gear on it, its easier than replacing the fresh water pump. I think anyone that changes there fuel and oil filter could easily do it.

 

[Larry M]

I’m not sure the pumps on the SP135s had the same failure rate as the FL120s. Our SP135 had 10k +hours with no issues other than the cover plate was worn.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. LM. I think the plates wear on both the 120HP and the 135HP BUT the major failure point on the original 120's (a "slot" type shaft drive) was rectified when the 135's came out. When we bought our Cheoy Lee, some 20 years ago, the water pump upgrade had already been done although it had 3/4" inlet/outlet and would best have had the 1" inlet/outlet version. I don't know if the 1" option was available when the PO did the switch over.

 

[Alisske]

I’m not sure the pumps on the SP135s had the same failure rate as the FL120s. Our SP135 had 10k +hours with no issues other than the cover plate was worn.

I stand totally corrected. Yes, the FL120 were time bombs. Lol. I think it was. Corrected. For the 135s

My apologies

 

[C lectric]

IT SUCKS!!
I did as suggested and replaced the wear plate and cam and she just started up pumped like a champ. The wear plate was worm, maybe, a 32nd and the brass (bronze?) cam was worn too.
So, there I was looking at what I had changed that might have caused the issue and it was just time for the pump to be serviced.
Thanks again, everyone, for the suggestions.

View attachment 129368

Just caught up with this.
I am glad you got it working.

Wow, those parts were long gone. I am surprised they had not given trouble before this.

 

[diver dave]

... BUT the major failure point on the original 120's (a "slot" type shaft drive) was rectified when the 135's came out. ....

RT: was the slot drive itself an issue? My new RW pumps have that drive where a thin headless screw goes crossways thru the impeller and picks up the forked shaft end.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. dd. I think the problem was the tabs would break off from the water pump drive shaft. Brian at AD would be the one to give you a definitive answer.

 

[Tator]

I have a new Johnson pump sitting in my engine room storage in case my port Jabsco goes bad. The major problem would be access installing it on my stbd engine. It would seem that the need to try and put a plug in an unviewable, small passage, as is required for the installation, would be a nightmare. if the stbd goes bad, I will move the port Jabsco to the stbd and put the Johnson on the port. Luckily, over 16 years and thousands of hours it hasn't been needed.

Tator