Speedseals on Cummins 450Cs?

I understand how they work, got some brief hands-on with smaller diesel a few years ago...

But are these equally viable (useful? safe?) for the larger Sherwood pumps we have on the Cummins 6CTAs? Will they really seal properly when the screws are only hand tight?

If so... is the Speedseal Life version worth the few extra $$?

-Chris

What's the point? I always thought they were a waste, anybody "doing it themselves" has a fist full of tools anyway. If a bilge ferret gets the screw, there are probably a dozen more in your stores. The tough part is getting the impeller in or out, not attaching the cover.

I guess they would work but why bother ? just a few bolts to undo. Then the real fun begins, getting that impeller out and in.
I always just removed the entire pump and replaced parts on the workbench.

here is a tip. If the cover is scored clean off the pint and flip it over. Good opportunity to check the inside surface for scoring as well.

Yep, got tools...

But there are a couple access issues I'd like to improve. On our port side main, I have to work upside down, in the blind, so getting a tool on each bolt is already a chore. Complicated by not having much room to use easier tools (like an electric ratchet).

And my thought actually started when I was considering improved access to the genset impeller; a Speedseal there would save slotting a tool in/around/through hoses... or removing hoses...

While I was looking into it, I saw their run-dry claims for the newer design... figured that might be an OK feature too. Hadn't seen that, before. Happens we just had to replace our port side main impeller yesterday, earlier than normally expected, and a couple vanes had some rips... So possibly that wouldn't have happened if the new Speedseal design really does what it says...

??

-Chris

Allen screws are a good choice as you can use a ball driver to get a good bite at an angle and blind.

Hope that you found the missing impeller pieces.

Personally i always find a small ratchet with an extension and swivel easier to attach than fingers or pliers.

Whoever designed your installation should be shot.

jleonard said:

Allen screws are a good choice as you can use a ball driver to get a good bite at an angle and blind.

Click to expand...

I actually already replaced all the allen screws on the genset impeller water pump with hex nuts; couldn't get any kind of allen on one of the original screw heads without removing hoses. Just a quirk of that particular unit in that particular installation...

-Chris

Xsbank said:

What's the point? I always thought they were a waste, anybody "doing it themselves" has a fist full of tools anyway. If a bilge ferret gets the screw, there are probably a dozen more in your stores. The tough part is getting the impeller in or out, not attaching the cover.

Click to expand...

Hm.... my guess is that you've never had to change an impeller on a water pump that is hard to access. Maybe more common in sailboats, but lot so boats you can't even see the face of the impeller cover, then alone get a screw driver on it. In those situations a speedseal is a real lifesaver.

dhays said:

Hm.... my guess is that you've never had to change an impeller on a water pump that is hard to access. Maybe more common in sailboats, but lot so boats you can't even see the face of the impeller cover, then alone get a screw driver on it. In those situations a speedseal is a real lifesaver.

Click to expand...

bayview said:

Hope that you found the missing impeller pieces.

Personally i always find a small ratchet with an extension and swivel easier to attach than fingers or pliers.

Whoever designed your installation should be shot.

Click to expand...

The two vanes that were torn didn't actually separate, so we got lucky this time.

Yep, ratchet is what I'm having to use, but have little room for extension... and I have to use a mirror to guide the socket onto each bolt on that side.

I'm thinking I could feel the hand screws easier than I can get a tool on the existing bolts.

Sure, installation could maybe have been better, but while there commonly are remote mounting kits for filters and so forth... I dunno how common that is for raw water pumps... and the more difficult one to service is outboard... with not much room for squeezing in there.

The builder could have used smaller main engines. Could have used different engines, maybe, where the raw water pump would be mounted inboard for both. (Any like that?) Could have made the beam wider. Could have placed the outboard freshwater tank on that side elsewhere, or could have reduced tankage.

Or on the genset, the maker could have used a different base engine...

Coulda woulda shoulda... But it is what it is...

So I'm looking for ways to make this particular chore easier without buying a different boat.

-Chris

I understand. With my two Cs it was the port side that was the problem. Fortunately i was able to squeeze myself around the engine and partially in between the fuel tank and the engine to at least see what I was doing. Had to have all tools in place because getting in and out was not easy. MY engines may have been set farther apart than yours as well.
The on engine fuel filter on the port side was worse.

bayview said:

The on engine fuel filter on the port side was worse.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it's just a matter of working with what we've got...

At least the fuel filter on our port engine is mounted on a remote kit, so it's inboard...

-Chris

Chris:
Over the years i collected some tools for special purposes. Would this type of wrench help you?

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnp...FUU7gQodFg4BFQ

Ah, thanks for heads-up, hadn't noticed it first time. But yes, those are slightly easier and I have them... didn't mean to say ratchet and socket in my earlier note...

-Chris