Pump Life

[h2otboat]

I have a 78 Carlson with a 460 and berk 12JE pump. I had the pump blueprinted last winter and am using an alum. A impeller. I grease the bearing on a regular basis. How long can I expect this pump to last before it needs to be freshened up again

[Jim]

Keep it out of the rocks and sand should be good for 10 to 15 years Jim

[Joey]

h20tboat........have you installed a loader grate on your 12JE?

[h2otboat]

It does have a loader grate,and I take great care to keep it out of the gravel .thanks for the info.

[Joey]

Did you install the grate yourself? When it was installed did the pump have a grate retainer on the inside? Mine didn't so I had to buy oe from CP Performance. It cost me $65 for the retainer that cost about a nickel to make in a high school metal shop. Pissed me off. Anyway, I'm into the grate for about $170 (including tax and shipping).
Also, I am running a 460 frod with the pump anbd since the BBF sits soooo low in the bilge I had a hell of a time getting under it to thread the bolts into the retainer. Not a fun job on a JE.

[chaz]

h2otboat, I have a JE pump on my 21' commander. How do you grease the bearing on this pump and what kind of grease you use?
Thank for the info. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/cool.gif http://free.***boat.net/ubb/cool.gif

[h2otboat]

The pump has a grease fitting on the front bearing.I give it a shot of Mobil 1 synthetic grease before each use.

[Cas42]

careful not to over grease it, you might cause the seal to fail. Putting too much pressure on the seal may cause it to blow out from the inside. It happened to me back in the late 70's on my first boat.

[wrightnow]

Also never run the pump dry, it's hard on the wear ring

[h2otboat]

Thanks for that info.How often should the bearing be greased??? Should I not run the pump dry at all or can I run it for short period of time,without causing damage..