Other I hate changing impellers

McDog

Other Administrator
Staff member
Location
South Florida
No matter what I do. They get stuck. Tons of antiseize. All freshwater. Lots of heat and breaker bars. 1 hour wasted. Still on there. It's amazing that the driveshaft never bends or breaks. I hate changing impellers.
 

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IS0LD0UT

I hate winter
Location
MN
I feel ya, however I have my process down. I just changed two this week. 30 minutes complete.

I use a vice with a shaft holder. Heat with MAP gas for 15 seconds. Use box wrench with another hooked for leverage. Hit the wrench with a rubber mallet a couple of times, and then apply pressure. If it doesn't pop repeat with 15 seconds more heat. I put bearing grease on my impeller threads and shaft threads when installing.
 

stagesrt4

see ya out there
Site Supporter
Location
St Charles IL
when all else fails....put it in a vice


I dont enjoy changing them but it only takes me a few minutes to do with the proper tools... I dont even use pry bars like you use....
 

stagesrt4

see ya out there
Site Supporter
Location
St Charles IL
x2 put that shaft in a vise with the shaft holder, make your life a little easier only having to hold/turn one thing at a time.
yea standing on pump while turning two wrenches opposite ways can be tricky ha

plus i only weigh 150 pounds so i tend to twist myself right off lol



FYI: PB blaster is your friend
 

McDog

Other Administrator
Staff member
Location
South Florida
This actually works better than my vice. The driveshaft tool keeps torquing and spinning in my vice. I stand on one and crank on the other.
 
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Gotta use a good vise mounted solid to a work bench or whatever. And a bit of heat. Once it breaks loose or starts to move, keep unscrewing the impeller. If you try to twist back and forth / clockwise counter clockwise, you could gall or jam any white crud on the shaft threads making it even harder to get the impeller off. Anti-sieze or grease used at install should help to prevent too much crud build up which is seem you did.

Vise is all your missing here, and a nice solid fitting wrench that's not worn out. I still think it is possible all though probably difficult to bend the drive shaft. Vise helps a lot.
 
Location
Ohio
I hate it too and have had to send several pumps to Impros and let him weld tabs on and turn them off on a lathe. The tools are soooo weak IMO. And really!? Only 15 seconds of map gas? Damn! I have heated them up for 10 minutes before....glowing hot....and they still fought...but came off...
 
Ezzeeee-off

impeller tool 001.jpgimpeller tool 004.jpg I made a couple of these , it fits your reciever and goes wherever you are , no vice needed ''' but fits the vice too '' this does not allow the driveshaft to flex up and down at all ,allowing all the torque to go straight to the prop and threads . has not failed to do the job yet !
 
what do you put on the threads prior to installing your impeller ? Do you clean them up and lube them...??

never had a problem with any of mine after I installed them , if I get oem pumps and crap oh yes tons of heat ....
 

SuperDrifter

Prototyper
Site Supporter
Location
Floridapunk
nice tools. smart Blaster800....

Been out to Alum? Summer slipped by here, on my new build. Once again, I'll be looking @ some cold weather riding. (no iceberg skating this year)
 
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stagesrt4

see ya out there
Site Supporter
Location
St Charles IL
View attachment 230913View attachment 230914 I made a couple of these , it fits your reciever and goes wherever you are , no vice needed ''' but fits the vice too '' this does not allow the driveshaft to flex up and down at all ,allowing all the torque to go straight to the prop and threads . has not failed to do the job yet !

genius....

i have seen someone else do something along these lines

probably a marketable piece.....
 

OCD Solutions

Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
Location
Rentz, GA
Nothing but silver anti-sieze on the threads for me. I have only fought one kawi pump and ended up snapping my vise before finally giving up. There were several kawi STX12F impellers listed on ebay with the shaft still in them so I believe it to be a common problem. The rest have come right off with the method described in post #3.
 

RMBC Freeride

Vintage
Site Supporter
Location
Pueblo, CO
BIG vice - mounted to the left-hand side of a HEAVY workbench. Heat if needed. Cheater bar if needed..... but...

***The absolute key, I've found, is a closed-end, tight fitting, 6-point (or 12-point is OK too) wrench on the impeller tool. NO Crescent wrenches or even open-end

I never had trouble for years (even using a crescent wrench), but recently started crushing or deforming EVERY DAMN impeller tool - solas or skat - that I used. Closed end wrenches solved the problem!

Hitch mounted holder is sweet BTW!
 
nice tools. smart Blaster800....

Been out to Alum? Summer slipped by here, on my new build. Once again, I'll be looking @ some cold weather riding. (no iceberg skating this year)
Im going to BRIG/NJ tommorow but then Ill be watching ERIE if you want to ride up with me for some big waves :) fds213@hotmail if you want to stay in touch for fall waves
 
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