With less than two months to go ’til the unofficial start of boating season on Cape Cod, it’s time to get serious about preparing our boats for a summer full of great times on the water! For example, let’s take a look at the condition of our engine(s)’ cooling pumps.
In marine engines seawater is used to help cool engines, pumped into the boat from overboard. It is important to keep track of when your pump was last serviced.
On inboard motors the pump’s impeller should be inspected and replaced every couple of years. The impeller (like a small fan blade inside the pump) helps circulate water to the engine and keep it at a normal operating temperature. If the impeller is damaged it will not effectively get the water to the engine. The result of a damaged impeller is overheating of your engine.
The same is true for outboard motors. The pump is located in the lower part of the engine and should be replaced every two years to ensure proper flow of cooling water to the upper part of the engine.
As always, with this or any other maintenance item, if you have questions you can call us for answers at (508) 563-7136 X105. Or send us an email to [email protected].
