# Misshapen impeller (Yamaha 60hp 2s) big deal(?) and sand in L.U. housing



## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

Hi folks,

Pretty new at this and trying my hand at some needed maintenance. Got my boat last year with a C60TLRW (98 Yamaha 60hp 2stroke) on the back. Runs pretty good (well, rough now, not sure what to do there). I felt that the stream from the tell-tale was pretty weak compared to some on youtube so I figured I'd check/replace the impeller.

A few things: 

*1.* When I dropped the lower unit, I noticed *there was a fair bit of sand on and around the water pump (impeller) housing*. I hadn't really seen that in a lot of the videos online. Everything looks pretty clean. Maybe that's normal. I cleaned it up pretty good. *Is that to be expected?*

*2.* I pulled off the housing to reveal the *impeller*. Sure enough, *it was deformed like they all show on youtube*. The fins don't stick straight out and are rounded back. (Ok. So this is what I assume meant there is a gap between the fins and the housing and the impeller was inefficient. When I look under the housing part that I pulled off, there is a stainless "cup" that envelops the impeller. It's smaller than the diameter of the impeller, even with its fins rolled back. I have to work the impeller into that spot. So it seems to me that this impeller should be fine. But *maybe I don't understand the pressure those fins are under.* Maybe, under power, these rounded over fins, round over even more, causing inefficient flow. What do you think?

It's _not a big deal to fix at all, I'm just wondering if it could even be the problem. And if I don't need to fix it, I'll save it for future replacement or return the impeller and use the 30 bucks on something else..._

3. When I dropped the lower unit, there was *a hose to detach at the front end*, right in front of the shifter shaft (?). I couldn't pull it off the barb and found out that *the other end was loose anyway!* Turns out, that it was just held up underneath the main motor body at the top but not attached to anything. Just a barb sticking out. *What's it for?* My bro-in-law thought it was a pressure-relief hose of some sort. This hose is in rough shape at the top. Cracked for the first ten inches or so.

*The boat is from Florida and has maybe seen some sand in its day...*








*A clean 'cup' that the impeller fits into.*








*The 'misshapen', rounded over impeller, seems to fit pretty tight in there. Do I really need to replace it? Not a big deal, just not sure if it fixes my problem.*








*The mystery hose - unattached since I got the boat/motor.*


----------



## Guest (Jun 15, 2019)

Ok, throw a new impeller in there! It’s apart, might as well. The sand you describe will be normal if running in a dirty water environment and not flushed long and thoroughly. The hose you are seeing is for a speedometer, it’s useless but keep it plugged so it doesn’t spray water everywhere.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Boatbrains said:


> Ok, throw a new impeller in there! It’s apart, might as well. The sand you describe will be normal if running in a dirty water environment and not flushed long and thoroughly. The hose you are seeing is for a speedometer, it’s useless but keep it plugged so it doesn’t spray water everywhere.


What he said! If there’s a questionable water pump impeller drop a new one in there and know it’s new.


----------



## Guest (Jun 15, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> What he said! If there’s a questionable water pump impeller drop a new one in there and know it’s new.


Cheapest insurance money can buy!


----------



## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

You are all very correct and I will mind your advice! 

In the meantime, I lowered the motor to the vertical position to drain the lower unit oil and forgot (even though I was holding the motor in my hands while I let it down), that the lower unit was no long attached! 

Like my dad used to say "You'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on".


----------



## Frank Ucci (Jan 20, 2019)

The shape of your impeller is normal. Replace it anyway. When you are reassembling the water pump, rotate the drive shaft clockwise as you lower the pump housing on top of the new impeller. This will allow the blades of the impeller to "fold back" into the proper position inside the housing. I use a shot of silicon spray on the new impeller to ease the reassembly. BTW, I'd replace the housing and stainless liner while I was at it. The stainless liner and impeller are usually available in a kit with new bolts, gaskets. etc. I believe the plastic outer housing comes as a separate part.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Oh yeah...the sand in the housing is pretty normal.


----------



## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

I haven't been in any sand, per se, since I got it. Nothing too shallow, for sure. I do run it on muffs for 10 minutes or more when I return, probably more like 20. Brackish water. Eastern NC. While I'm surprised it isn't washed away after all that, I recognize sand IS heavy and will sit in those nooks and crannies quite contentedly.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

hawkman said:


> I haven't been in any sand, per se, since I got it. Nothing too shallow, for sure. I do run it on muffs for 10 minutes or more when I return, probably more like 20. Brackish water. Eastern NC. While I'm surprised it isn't washed away after all that, I recognize sand IS heavy and will sit in those nooks and crannies quite contentedly.


You will be ok, don’t worry about it.


----------



## JMZ400 (Aug 30, 2015)

Frank Ucci said:


> The shape of your impeller is normal. Replace it anyway. When you are reassembling the water pump, rotate the drive shaft clockwise as you lower the pump housing on top of the new impeller. This will allow the blades of the impeller to "fold back" into the proper position inside the housing. I use a shot of silicon spray on the new impeller to ease the reassembly. BTW, I'd replace the housing and stainless liner while I was at it. The stainless liner and impeller are usually available in a kit with new bolts, gaskets. etc. I believe the plastic outer housing comes as a separate part.


Just to add on here, when I bought my impeller etc SIM Yamaha not only had the kit, but buying the kit and getting all the other new parts was only like $10 more than the impeller alone. So buy the kit now to get the additional parts needed and keep the extra impeller on the boat or in your tackle box. They have been known to break apart.


----------



## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

Buy two kits and keep the parts you take out.


----------



## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

Boatbrains said:


> Ok, throw a new impeller in there! It’s apart, might as well. The sand you describe will be normal if running in a dirty water environment and not flushed long and thoroughly. The hose you are seeing is for a speedometer, it’s useless but keep it plugged so it doesn’t spray water everywhere.


Also check the cup for scratches, if scratched replace as well.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

No Bait / Lures Only said:


> Also check the cup for scratches, if scratched replace as well.


Better off just replacing it, if the impeller is bad the cup isn’t worth keeping for $10-15 savings. This is just me though, I have messed with enough motors and equipment in my life to know that skimping on parts will usually bite you in the ass and you’ll be kicking yourself for compromising a trip to save the equivalent of a case of beer.


----------



## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

I put it in and ran it on muffs. Can't tell that it made a difference but that is ok. I know I have a good impeller in there now.


----------



## SFL_Mirage (May 25, 2019)

I recently bought a 2002 yamaha 90 2stroke and when i dropped the lower unit, I was amazed at the sand and shells and everything else stacked up outside the housing. Never seen one that bad. But did my replacements and blew some air through the hose and now its pissing harder than it probably has in years.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Without opening up the cooling jackets on the powerhead you are just going through the motions. You will be amazed at the salt, corrosion and debris inside most outboards. Once you do this flush with Salt-A-Way or Salt Terminator every time.


----------



## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Without opening up the cooling jackets on the powerhead you are just going through the motions. You will be amazed at the salt, corrosion and debris inside most outboards. Once you do this flush with Salt-A-Way or Salt Terminator every time.


If you decide to do this, use a torch and heat the bolts before you try to remove them or you'll break them off in the block.....ask me how I know. 
There should be tons of youtube videos on how to do it properly.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Tx_Whipray said:


> If you decide to do this, use a torch and heat the bolts before you try to remove them or you'll break them off in the block.....ask me how I know.
> There should be tons of youtube videos on how to do it properly.


Heat and let cool several times if you try to loosen one and it doesn’t want to.


----------



## ek02 (May 8, 2012)

Try blowing out the tell tale with an air hose or run some heavy mono up there. Sand can plug it up. I bought a pump kit for a Yamaha F40 recently. The pump stopped working shortly after start up. Turned out that the impeller was too big for the shaft and spun over the key. Usually the impeller is a tight fit over the shaft. My old brain did not notice the loose fit of the wrong impeller.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

ek02 said:


> Try blowing out the tell tale with an air hose or run some heavy mono up there. Sand can plug it up. I bought a pump kit for a Yamaha F40 recently. The pump stopped working shortly after start up. Turned out that the impeller was too big for the shaft and spun over the key. Usually the impeller is a tight fit over the shaft. My old brain did not notice the loose fit of the wrong impeller.


If there is sand and shell in the pee hose the cooling jackets are likely full of it too.


----------

