It’s another hot day of work on “Big Dreams, Part 1.” While I’m digging into the mechanical guts of the Bayliner, Danielle is out here handling the cosmetic side of things—scraping off old pinstriping and getting ready for the oxidation restoration.
Today, I’m tackling a critical safety system: the Bilge Pump (or as I sometimes call it, the ballast pump). In a boat, if your bilge pump isn’t 100%, you’re one bad leak away from a submarine.
The Investigation: Smoke is Never a Good Sign
The rule of thumb for boat maintenance is simple: if you plug in the battery, have water in the hull, and the pump starts smoking—it’s done. That’s exactly what happened here.
The Teardown: Accessing the Pump
On a Bayliner Bowrider 175 with an inboard engine, the bilge pump and the float switch are tucked way down at the bottom of the hull.
- The “Lucky” Break: Because I already have the intake and exhaust manifolds off for the engine rebuild, I actually have room to reach down there. If those manifolds were still on the engine, getting to the “mystery screws” holding the pump housing would be a nightmare.
- The Hardware: My pump was held in by three screws, while the float switch only had one (looks like the previous owner got lazy during a past repair).
Removal Tips
To get the pump out of its housing, there is a small clip you pull up, give it a twist, and it pops right out. Since mine is officially fried, I’m clipping the wires and pulling the whole unit out.
What’s Next?
This pump is headed for the trash, and a brand-new one is going in. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with knowing the boat won’t sink while we’re out on the lake.
While I’m handling the “dirty” work down in the bilge, stay tuned for Danielle’s progress on the exterior. She’s working on making this boat beautiful while I make it functional.
Watch the removal process here: Bilge Pump Replacement On Inboard Boat EP #5
Very helpful post. I was having trouble installing pump on the bilge. Water has been flowing in into my kayak. Seems to have some leaks on on the boat , so i needed to install a pump on board. Your post helped a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, we are glad this helped.