Sunday 22 August 2010

how to fix impeller housing on a volvo penta 400 outboard

 Ok so I recently bought this engine and it wasnt pumping water, I couldnt work out why, It had a new impeler and no blockages... anyway after much investigating and help from swedish dudes I found out that they made two versions of the same engine, the one I have which is pre 1978 and has a plastic impeller housing and one after 1978 which had a smaller aluminium impeler housing.

So my problem was that I have the older larger plastic one and the previous owner had fitted the impeler of the newer and smaller aluminium one , which meant that it was just sloshing water around and there was no vaccum to push the water up. So I managed to fix this by making an aluminum plate to go on the inside of the housing, It wasnt that difficut , I just got a sheet of aluminium, (I had to make two of them because the sheet wasnt wide enough) then I cut the circles out with some tin snips, filed them smooth, pushed them in the housing and marked out the holes for the driveshaft and the water pump tube , cut the holes and then glued them in place and clamped them for about 6 hours! I put back on and it now pumps like a beauty!!!

You may be wondering why I went to all this trouble and didnt just buy an impeller to fit?? well... you can't! they don't make them anymore, there is only one pace where you can get the newer smaler impelers and that is why If you need an impeler for this version this is what you wil have to do.. or you could possibly try and get the newer aluminium housing as I am told this will fit straight on to the older water pump.

pics of the impelor housing and spacers

Monday 12 April 2010

Leon Switch In Hong Kong

Leon switch has just embarked on his tour, starting in hong kong then off to New Zealand then and Australia, here he is sporting another one of my lovely tees designed by David Dixon whilst blasting the ear drums of the chinese with his infectious tunes, you too can look this good. order this t shirt here www.artfag.co.uk

Savakas in Ride Magazine

Savakas is starting to get the exposure it deserves here is one of the savakas army tees I printed for them in uk bmx magazine Ride.