Seasonal service. Do you guys use any lube on the impeller?

[Flyinbowtie]

Ordering parts to get the boat out of winter storage, and I read so many "opinions" on this I thought I'd see if any of the experts would like to chime in.
I learned my lesson a couple of seasons ago, was in a hurry and didn't want to wait for a genuine Merc impeller to get shipped for our inboard ski boat's raw water pump, and put a generic...I think it was a "sierra" in there from the local NAPA store, and for the first time when I pulled it the following season I saw cracked fins on it.
Back to Merc.
Anyway, it seems to me that with the time it takes that thing to pull water up into it there should be some sort of lube that you could, or should, wipe in there to protect it from the first dry start. After that I would think the thing would be good to go.
I know a lot of lubricants will actually attack the rubber and wonder...what do you guys do. Dry? lubed? if so what do you use? Once installed the boat will sit a week or two til we get it on to the lake, whaddya think?

 

[TPC]

Glycerin

 

[Runs2rch]

Vasaline.

 

[4Waters]

I was told Dielectric grease.

 

[mjc]

a little lube makes it so much easier to get it in the housing. i just use a little of whatever I find in the garage at the time.

 

[lbhsbz]

use dishsoap, not oil or grease.

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

Vasaline.

Here

 

[JD D05]

dawn

 

[airchair.rider]

Liquid Soap.....nothing petroleum based

 

[Runs2rch]

Liquid Soap.....nothing petroleum based

You guys ever leave a little dish soap in your sink and watch it dry in a few hours? This is what happens inside the housing.

 

[dribble]

Astroglide.

 

[Runs2rch]

Thousand Island works well also.

 

[wallnutz]

Always used a generous amount of dish soap. I have been told it's not neccesary to lube them, but piece of mind tells me to.

You guys ever leave a little dish soap in your sink and watch it dry in a few hours? This is what happens inside the housing.

I always started mine on the muffs to check everything out, so it didn't have a chance to dry out. Also, in the pretty much closed housing I don't think it would dry out so much. Dunno?

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Glycerin and Dilectric grease are two new suggestions. Ive heard serious arguments about the petroleum based options actually eating the rubber or whatever. Thanks guys for the input.

 

[fishing fool]

Dish soap.

 

[Boat 405]

Dish soap.

 

[HST4ME]

Been at this for 30+ years. I use whatever is slippery and closest to me.

 

[waterhorse]

Dishsoap

 

[TomD]

Have used grease and rubbing a bar of soap inside the cup. The key is NEVER start it without water at the pickup NEVER. It will burn up the impeller in seconds.

 

[Rattle Can Lou]

dawn...

 

[rrrr]

.

 

[SBMech]

Silicone Spray. Does not harm the rubber, is made to condition rubber/plastic, does not change state (stays a liquid) and is washed out by water eventually ( a few minutes).

It can sit in there forever if it has to.

 

[SoCalDave]

I use Parker o-ring lubricant when I change mine. It's made for rubber type compounds.

 

[Yellowboat]

I like a product called throat seal. It is a siliconized lubricant for use in fluid pumps to maintain the O-rings. It's made by Graco, you can often find it in paint stores

 

[boatdoc55]

Been at this for 30+ years. I use whatever is slippery and closest to me.

40+ years here also. Anything slick but most of the time and after 1000's of impellers blue marine grease.

 

[530RL]

According to my faithful service manual sitting here in front of me (I know, who reads fucking service manuals any more.. ...), impellers are typically either nitrile or neoprene and are fairly resistant to petroleum products.

It says to "apply a light film of Quicksilver 2-4-C" in the housing so that it is easier to insert......

Edit: In my outboard service manual it says.... "Lubricate impeller cup, keyway, and driveshaft".... and it says to use Quicksilver 2-4-C.

 

[500bbc]

Some impeller come with a tube of lube.
Lithium grease works well.

 

[guest hs]

You guys ever leave a little dish soap in your sink and watch it dry in a few hours? This is what happens inside the housing.

The soap washes out of the housing as soon as you start and run the engine on the hose.

 

[Motor Boater]

I’m surprised by how many people use dish soap. I was always told Dish soap is designed to cut grease and it dries things out. That’s why your not supposed to use it to wash your car. Doesn’t really matter if you run it on the hose right away but i wouldn’t want it sitting in storage for a month with dish soap drying out the new rubber impeller.

 

[Runs2rch]

The soap washes out of the housing as soon as you start and run the engine on the hose.

I know it does. I'm referring to if the impeller was installed and not run shortly after.

 

[Racey]

Wd-40 liberally, one if the few things it actually works well on, the other is machining aluminum.

 

[Runs2rch]

Wd-40 liberally, one if the few things it actually works well on, the other is machining aluminum.

Cleans tar off your feet well at the beach also.

 

[jones performance]

silicone spray works awesome. also great for spark plug boots.

 

[zx14]

Vasaline.

To get it in, yes

 

[ElAzul]

Anal ease, spit, tears and Pledge

 

[JDKRXW]

I do mine once a year, usually in the middle of the summer while sitting at my dock (direct drive MasterCraft so it takes literally less than 5 mins).
I use anything slippery that's in the boat. Sunscreen, Shampoo and Binding Slime all work fine.

 

[Dalton]

lithium grease, never had a problem......except when I hooked the water lines up backwards once, fast way to spend 90 bucks

 

[Racey]

Cleans tar off your feet well at the beach also.

Yes it does, found that after doing my shop roof a few years ago, the stuff works awesome to get asphalt tar like Henry's off tools and your skin, literally wipes right off.

I think the bottom line here in regards to the impeller is that any lubricant works fine. The impellers aren't reactive enough to petroleum based substances to cause issues either, you could use motor oil in a pinch and i guarantee it would work just fine.

 

[Runs2rch]

Yes it does, found that after doing my shop roof a few years ago, the stuff works awesome to get asphalt tar like Henry's off tools and your skin, literally wipes right off.

I think the bottom line here in regards to the impeller is that any lubricant works fine. The impellers aren't reactive enough to petroleum based substances to cause issues either, you could use motor oil in a pinch and i guarantee it would work just fine.

Agree 100 percent. Had some M8 in the boat. Used that in a pinch.

 

[Waterjunky]

Dielectric grease is just a form of silicone grease. I use a slightly different (food grade) silicone grease all the time at work as an anti-seize on stainless hardware. Stainless on stainless is bad....... Being you only need a small amount, its food grade, and is not water soluble you should have no issues using it. You would be surprised at how long it will stick around even in water and wear.

 

[boatdoc55]

Agree 100 percent. Had some M8 in the boat. Used that in a pinch.

I changed a neovane impeller in the middle of Thompson bay about 35 years ago with a dime or some sort of coin and used the oil on the dipstick for the start-up. It was one of those "massive" 20 ft. Eliminator daycruisers back then.

 

[Runs2rch]

I changed a neovane impeller in the middle of Thompson bay about 35 years ago with a dime or some sort of coin and used the oil on the dipstick for the start-up. It was one of those "massive" 20 ft. Eliminator daycruisers back then.

MacGyver theme song just played in my head!

 

[boatdoc55]

MacGyver theme song just played in my head!

Yep, it was one of those " ah shit, now what deals". Couldn't believe my buddy had an impeller in the boat but no tools to do anything with it. "Hold my beer & watch this".