Check your manual bilge pump

[Mark Elkin]

As alluded to in my post on the exhaust riser today, I also concurrently had a manual bilge pump failure.  The nut (inside the pump) that secures the eyebolt to the diaphragm worked it's way off at some point and had disappeared -- probably got washed down the exit hose and is now a friend of Davy Jones.  And it turns out that the nut is not easily replaced.  The eyebolt and nut are based on an old British standard called Whitworth and NEITHER modern English nor Metric bolts will work!

Talked to my local chandlery and they contacted Whale Pumps (the mfgr).  Their US sales rep was able to scrounge up a nut and send it to me.  So I now have a working pump again.  But I was nearly faced with much more expensive replacement of the whole pump because of a stupid nut. 

So, the lesson here is: Check your pump.  Do it now and not when you find you actually need it to work and it doesn't.  Searching our web pages and tech notes, I found that Ron Hill has recommended checking the pump, most recently in the May 1999 (Vol.17, #2) tech notes.

Hints: Before you start, put something to catch whatever might fall down the exit hose.  Or stuff a rag into the exit through-hull temporarily.  Just in case that nut has indeed worked it's way off and is just waiting for an opportunity to go swimming.

Sidebar: I later learned from a friend that we probably can still get Whitworth hardware from a Triumph Motorcycles dealer.  So, it you find you've also lost the nut, try that lead and report back to all of us.

Here's a couple pictures.