Mercruiser Not Started In Five Years - Have Concerns About Pump Impeller

[Rickochet]

My neighbor has a Mercruiser in his houseboat. He hasn't started it in probably five years. It has a Bravo II outdrive with the seawater pump on the engine. He is concerned about the impeller and wondered if it would be best to change it before he tries to start it or just fire it up and see if it heats up. I have always heard stories about impellers coming apart and pieces blocking up water passages. My suggestion is to change it out. Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.

 

[alldodge]

hasn't started it in probably five years

Change it, he doesn't want to be finding pieces of the impeller later.

The gas in the tank probably needs to be removed. If its E10, it really needs to go, if its E0 then it has a slight chance

 

[Scott Danforth]

impellers need to be changed every few years whether the boat is used or sitting and rotting.

so yeah, change it.

and as AllDodge indicated, the fuel most likely is no longer fuel and has reverted to a sludge.

 

[wahlejim]

Before you worry about cleaning the tank and draining, change the filters and impeller and run it on a remote tank. Not much worse than spending hours cleaning out sludge only to find major issues with the engine. Get the engine running then worry about the tank.

 

[Bondo]

Change it, he doesn't want to be finding pieces of the impeller later.
and run it on a remote tank.

Ayuh,.... What they said,.... ^^^^^^^^

Change the impeller before it's started, 'n start it on a remote tank, rather than the hull's tank,....

 

[Rickochet]

Ayuh,.... What they said,.... ^^^^^^^^

Change the impeller before it's started, 'n start it on a remote tank, rather than the hull's tank,....

Sounds like good advice. I talked to him and he agreed. Two more questions. His engine in an EFI. Does that cause issues with using a remote tank? Also he wonders what he is going to do with 50 gal. of old gas.

 

[alldodge]

Sounds like good advice. I talked to him and he agreed. Two more questions. His engine in an EFI. Does that cause issues with using a remote tank? Also he wonders what he is going to do with 50 gal. of old gas.

EFI is no issue with remote tank. Take the canister filter off and look at it in a clear container and also smell it. If it was E0 it has a chance in being OK but not guaranteed. If its E10 then its probably toast. As for disposal, need to find a local place that is willing to haul off old gas. Either that or pump it out and take it some place you can try and open burn it in a safe place

 

[Benny67]

as for disposal, need to find a local place that is willing to haul off old gas.

The guy next to me at my dock just paid $700 for some tree hugging company to take 60 gallons of 5 year old fuel out of his tank.

Burning it off on your own could be dangerous. .you might be better off buying a bunch of 5 gallon containers and attempting to dispose of it a little at a time by burning it in small batches instead of all in one sitting if you decide to go that way

 

[Rickochet]

Thanks for the suggestions. Impeller replacement should be an easy chore. Not sure about the gas. He is going to take a sample out of the tank this weekend and proceed from there. I suggested to him that he put the old gas in some cheap 5 gal cans and sit them in the parking lot over night and I'll bet they will be gone the next morning.