If it ain’t broke, it just needs cleaning and painting
Issue 111: Nov/Dec 2016
The inspiration to rebuild, rather than replace, the non-functioning Whale Gusher 10 bilge pump on our Ericson 31 had two sources. The first was my friend Keiffer, a fellow Ericson 31 owner, who had successfully rebuilt his pump. A price tag of $250 for a new replacement pump was the second. After all, how hard could it be to diagnose any problem and then repair or replace any broken parts? I dove right in.
I started by disassembling the pump. Right away I saw that aluminum oxide debris had collected beneath one of the flapper valves. This prevented the valve from closing fully, rendering the pump useless. After removing the corrosion from all the aluminum parts with my little home sandblaster, I used thickened West System epoxy to repair one corroded corner of an internal plate. I then sprayed all the parts with a coat of zinc chromate primer and the first of three coats of Rust-Oleum yellow enamel paint.
While the paint dried, I cleaned all the stainless-steel parts and the two rubber flapper valves in preparation for reassembly. I also applied a coat of Armor All Protectant to the flapper valves.
Because I was able to repair the plate and everything else was in good shape, I didn’t need a repair kit. My biggest expense was the cost of the paint and primer.
I reinstalled the pump on Dawn Treader with the hope that it will serve me well for another 37 years.
Glyn Judson, a retired corporate aerospace photographer, has been raising dogs for Guide Dogs of America for the past 14 years. Between boat projects, he sails the waters of Southern California with his wife, Marilyn, on their 1979 Ericson Independence 31, Dawn Treader.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
