© Boat City Yachts, Inc. April 15, 2024
Palmer M60 & P60 Raw Water Pumps
Palmer 60 engines used a variety of raw water pumps over the years, all of
which are now obsolete. The most common pump was the Sherwood E20
which can be found on most P60’s. The earlier M60’s can be found with
Jabsco AL41 pumps or Oberdorfer gear drive pumps.
Sherwood E20 Pumps
These pumps were the best application for the
Palmer 60’s, mounting directly to the distributor drive
housing. They use a rubber bladed impeller with
good suction and discharge capabilities. DYS has
rebuild parts in stock, including new shafts &
bearings, seals, and impellers. See parts available.
Other Options
Electric drive water pumps are available in the
market, but care must be taken to make sure the
pump is turned off when the engine is not running.
They do not respond to differing RPM demands for
cooling like engine driven pumps. There are some
efforts to convert existing pump designs for the
Palmer 60 applications, but none are available yet.
Oberdorfer Gear Drive Pumps
These pumps were similar to the engine oil pumps,
using two spinning, toothed gears to push water
through the engine. They work for installations where
the engine is mounted below water level in the boat,
as their suction or “lift” capabilities are very limited.
Jabsco AL41 Pumps
These pumps suffered from two design problems in
their application to the Palmer engines. First, they
used an extension shaft which pushed the pump out
in space from the engine. Second, they solved that
problem by using a cast steel mount extension below
the pump, right where the salt water leaked when the
seals wore out. Then the mount rusted out.
