Boat Maintenance Guides, Videos & Tips — Straight from the Engine Room

Learn how to reinstall a large marine impeller correctly. Step-by-step lubrication, spline alignment, keyed installation tips, and why you should never use a mallet.

Learn how to remove a stuck marine impeller from a Scania 6SY engine. Step-by-step cooling system service from a marine mechanic.

There’s a tiny part on your engine that decides whether your weekend is chill or a tow bill: the impeller. It keeps cooling water moving so your engine holds the right temperature. When it’s healthy, you don’t notice it. When it’s not, you really notice it.

Be prepared on the water! Discover the toolbox essentials every boater should carry to handle repairs, maintenance, and emergencies with ease. Read more!

The impeller is the quiet workhorse of your boat’s cooling system—pulling water into the engine, circulating it through the cooling loop, and making sure everything runs at the right temperature. When it fails, the adventure stops. Overheating, warped components, and expensive repairs can follow fast. The good news? Most impeller failures are preventable once you understand why they happen and what signs to look for. Let’s dive into the real reasons impellers fail—and how you

See how a failed raw water pump seal caused major saltwater corrosion inside a generator enclosure and how engine room inspections catch it early.

Learn how a boat raw water cooling system works and why engines overheat. Marine mechanic explains flow from sea inlet to heat exchanger.

Learn how to remove a marine impeller in a tight engine room with limited access. See a one-handed method for clean, controlled impeller removal without damage.

See a Cummins 5.9L marine diesel overheat diagnosis after a sea trial. Eddie removes a destroyed impeller, finds missing vanes, and back flushes the raw water system.