Mercury KE4 impeller help needed

[richardg]

Use heat from map gas all the way around the outside of the housing then try your tool. Remember to turn it counter clockwise to loosen.

[richardg]

Forget what I just said I clicked send to quick. I meant clockwise to loosen. I have been using the factory tool but I put a hex bolt into the end to accommodate my impact wrench

Prior to that step I use pb blaster

Next step is to tap around the outside of the housing with a flat punch and hammer in the area where the water pump cover sits

Next step is Mapp gas around the outside of the housing.

Finally the special merc tool with impact wrench.

This seems to be successful in most cases

[Anonymous]

Ive got to the point im going to go ahead and buy the proper tool to remove the cover. I have seen a couple for sale online. I also saw a post on here about someone breaking the tool trying to get the cover off. Any suggestions for where to buy a well made tool. After all this i would hate to waste $70-80 on a cheap made tool and be right back where I started. Also if anyone is near Hot Springs Arkansas and has a tool I would buy lunch, dinner, beer whatever it takes to get this thing off.

[dave-bernard]

just a little advice. when you get the new tool. see if there is a small hole behind the pins if not remove them and drill a hole so if you break a pin you can drive it out to replace it.

[green-thumbs]

Although the subject at hand is removing the cover to access the impeller. it should be kept in mind that the entire gear should be evaluated first. Gear cases lead a hard life because they are in water
and water gets into them. Frost cracks, failed seals, water in
gear lube ruin gears / bearings and stuck covers are
issues resulting from time, water and wear.
If you have limited experience and a desire to learn, junk KE4 and Mark7are common, inexpensive and excellent ways to practice your technique and gain understanding. The gear cases vary in detail
among rhe KE4 thru KG4 series due to changes in drive shaft and
prop shafts. Be like a doctor, learn from a deceased how to work on
the living.

[Anonymous]

The tool for taking off the cover was here all along. I used a spanner wrench for a side grinder that lined up perfectly to the holes in the cover. Applied pressure by using a peice of pipe over the shaft, a nut and washer and in one wack she broke loose! Was able to get impeller changed out and everything put back together. Now for the bad news, it spit a little amount of water and vapor from the exhaust holes for about a minute and then nothing. No water at all. When I pulled the cover all of the impeller fins were broken off and i dug out everything I could see. I have taken the prop and cover back off and the new impeller looks fine and is still lined up with the pin that holds it in. Any ideas on why it quit pumping?

[dave-bernard]

missing blade clogging the system .

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave Bernard, they should put you on the payroll here, this guy has helped me here and over the phone twice since I started this. So here’s an update, I talked with Dave earlier and he suggested pulling the lower unit. Luckily everything went smooth and I got the lower unit dropped. I used my compressor and blew air through the lower unit/impeller catridge it was clear and clean. I blew the water tube going up to engine with air and also hooked up a waterline with reducer hose clamped to the line and flushed it. No impellers came out just water. I stabbed the lower unit back together put everything back and fired it up again. This thing runs like a top. Wide open with great throttle response and will idle as low as any fuel injected 2 stroke ive owned however…it still only spits water off and on and I feel that is certainly getting hot. Not sure where to go from here, but the last thing i want to do is put it on my boat and lock it up 10 minutes into the trip. Its a smooth clean complete little motor and I would hate to part it out but i need a runner not a display piece. Any ideas? Dave I know you got something left in your bag of tricks

[Anonymous]

is it possible that because its in a barrel and direct drive that it is not pulling water in like it would out on the water? Im racking my brains on this one…

[richardg]

The water pump cartridge in the lower unit has to be properly aligned for the pump to suck through the inlet holes and then compress the blades as they approach the discharge point. With the water pump cover off does the water pump housing seem to be aligned with all the water inlet holes?

Are the rubber sealing washer and metal compression washer in place where the copper tube slides into the lower unit?

[Author]

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