So my Cambria 44 sailboat with a 2013 Beta 60 (work order K29378) was launched today in Antigua. For the third time in 6 years in the Caribbean the lip seals on the Johnson pump failed with only 700 hours total on the engine.
While I now carry a spare Johnson raw water pump, it is still a huge pain to swap because the 2 of the 4 10 mm hex bolts are very awkward to access. It is a 2-3 hour job, plus I now need to replace the seals on the failed pump and remove 3 gallons of water from my engine compartment. A huge pain
My mechanic here says the Johnson pump uses lip seals that are prone to fail. The raw water seals on my Northern Lights generator have mechanical carbon-ceramic seals that are not prone to fail.
I am fed up. I now have to pay for two more days in a marina, plus for help from a mechanic to remove the last two bolts, plus replacement seals, shipping and labor installing them.
Time for Beta to resolve this poor design. Is there a better replacement pump?
-- Edited by Cape Sailor on Monday 16th of January 2023 06:14:07 PM
-- Edited by Cape Sailor on Monday 16th of January 2023 06:29:22 PM
-- Edited by Cape Sailor on Monday 16th of January 2023 06:30:08 PM
-- Edited by Cape Sailor on Tuesday 17th of January 2023 05:28:29 AM
-- Edited by Cape Sailor on Tuesday 17th of January 2023 05:29:21 AM
The lip seal on my spare pump just failed after being installed in mid January,
a little over 2 months ago. This pump is a real dog. The lip seal was installed by a professional mechanic in Grenada.
