Removing the bottom pump bearing from MCE 600

Question:

hello,

i am having difficulty disassembling my aquabee pump. i just received my mce600 skimmer so i assume it is the new style pump. i was trying to inspect and disassemble for future reference, but haven't been able to remove the impeller. i cannot get the view of the bottom grommet. i looked through the "maintaining the mc skimmer pump" and "aquabee pump and grommet installation" instructions but couldn't locate how to remove them.

Answer:

Hi Troy

Looking straight onto the inlet you will find that there is a collar that
sits around the suction plate/inlet nozzle.
The collar holds the suction plate to the pump by means of a bayonet
fitting, you need to turn the collar anti-clockwise
and remove it from the pump.

You can now pull off the suction plate, pull it straight off the pump with
no sideways pressure as the impeller shaft sits
up within the bearing in the suction plate, its brittle maybe damaged if
pressure is applied to the shaft.
You will then be able to view the pin wheel impeller , this can be removed
by pulling the impeller straight out of the
pump body whilst making sure you don't apply any sideways pressure as again
you may damage the bottom end of the shaft.

You can now remove the bottom grommet/bearing, this can be a little tricky
and i find the use of a cut down metal coat
hanger with a slight bend at the end very useful to hook the bearing out.
You can also use a long shaft thin bladed screw
driver to maneuver the bearing out but be careful not to damage the bearing
when removing it.
Lubricate the outside of the bearing/grommet with a little Vaseline when
installing so it seats correctly and doesn't snag and twist.

Hope this helps Tony