Clean your Bilge pump reminder!

[Port0222]

So I am working on my boat, doing a little spring prep (still have a foot of ice on the lake) — This includes my list of to dos after last season. I do not post that often, but some of you may remember I basically sunk my boat last fall. (Check old posts to read up on that). So this spring, on my to do list was replace my bilge pump and add a secondary pump as a back up as my bilge pump could not pump as fast as water was coming in. I regularly look at my intake grate on the bilge and ensure nothing is blocking my pump, but I have been fooled. I did not realize until I went to replace my pump, there is a mesh screen inside the plastic retainer. As you can see in the below photos — mine were like a McDonald’s addicts arteries. I had no idea there was a mesh screen inside my strainer. Just a word to the wise — don’t just inspect the exterior, get deeper and unclip the pump and check inside the strainer. My stock pump is alive again and has great flow. I feel like a heart surgeon, and I just removed a huge blockage (read BIGMAC) from my boats bilge pump. I am sure this has never been cleaned in the 10+ seasons of this boats life— happy boating!

 

[Wisefam22]

Going to check on this tonight... if i can figure out how to get to it!

 

[Ilmmct]

@Port0222 thanks for the reminder. Your other post got me thinking about doing a check so I did a casual inspection ... how the hell did you get back into the far recesses behind the engine?

 

[Port0222]

Furthest back part of your engine bay — the pump has 2 tabs that hold it to the plastic filter. Squeeze to unclip those and pull up. Leave the blue plastic tray alone as it is screwed to your hull.

You do not need to go all the way back. It is in your engine bay — pics — my bilge is not nearly as clean as the others I have seen on here, so no judgement please.

 

[Port0222]

@Port0222 thanks for the reminder. Your other post got me thinking about doing a check so I did a casual inspection ... how the hell did you get back into the far recesses behind the engine?

To get to your water boxes (not needed to check the bilge). I remove the tray above the clean out hatches. Luckily enough, I also have pics of that. As I just replaced the tray — I broke mine last year when I had a clean out plug launch out of its hole. So I ordered a new one. Anyone need a 95% good one?


Open the access hatches — there is a worm gear securing the clean out port tubes. Then you can unscrew the screws along the outter rim and it pulls out. To get it all the way out, you will need to Remove the drain fitting and the hatch open sensors. Again — you do not need to get into that hatch to check the bige, but if you do for a different reason, this is how
I should also say, this is for a 230 series boat. Not sure about others.

 

[Ilmmct]

Finally got to this maintenance item ... 1st time in 5 years. Bilge mesh screen was a little gooped-up from the Boeshield I regularly spray on my clamps and metals. @Port0222 thanks for the pics, diy details and reminder. Piece of cake for mechanical neophytes like me, if you read this thread and look closely at the pics beforehand (e.g. the clips are the same on my 242LS).