Westerbeke Raw Water Pump - WB-038445

[pma_foyl]

Hi all,
I have a W64A-Four and it uses the WB-038445 water pump">raw water pump (same pump used on W71C, lots of Westerbeke generators, etc.). Westerbeke sells this pump for nearly $1300.

Sherwood has their version (R10870G) that looks identical for $700. Is it possible this is actually the same or identical (ie. does Westerbeke just rebrand the Sherwood pump and double the price)? I'm interested to hear from those who've used the Sherwood Pump (ie. is it working well; lasting an appropriate duration; etc.)?

If anyone has used BOTH pumps, I'd welcome their assessment.

Thank you, P

[motion30]

I don't know for sure but I would think that is a very good possibility. Not sure that westerbeak actually manufactures water pumps

[gonesail]

JMP Marine in Miami makes raw water pumps to replace the Westerbekes. Not sure if they have yours though.

[Exile]

Depco Pump in Fla. is also a good resource with a lot of expertise & reasonable pricing.

[Nord Sal]

It's not just possible, but probable that your engine uses a Sherwood raw water pump.

My Westerbeke uses a Sherwood pump. I don't know about your engine. WB uses more than one manufacture.

Westerbeke doesn't make their pumps (or any parts I believe). They buy them from pump manufacturers and paint them red. That red paint is very expensive.

[Scrimshaw4]

Westerbeke uses the Sherwood pump but they mill the base to fit their bracket. Best to just get the rebuild kit from Sherwood and use the original case. JMHO

[Madehn]

Ran into the same issue on my westerbeke granny. I ended up putting in a 110 volt pump powered by the generator and saved many many bucks. May be possible to do something similar with your engine. Weaterbeke does not make pumps and their branded pumps are stupidly expensive. Best of luck.

[scuba2]

I pulled mine off this year and re-built it. Re-build kits are available for that pump

[GoAway]

Sherwood should be able to tell you if it is a direct replacement for your water pump. Stay away from the cheap replacements that come directly from China. I tried two that claimed to be exact replacements for my Westerbeke (42B) raw water pump because they were so much cheaper. My best examples of “you get what you pay for.” One leaked the first season of use and the pulley mount on the other was located incorrectly, so I couldn’t get the belt properly aligned. When I took those pumps apart, it was obvious how much more cheaply they were made. But they did have expensive red paint jobs. Ended up buying the Westerbeke pump which might be made by Sherwood. If there is a next time I will check with them.

[pma_foyl]

Thanks for all the input. There is NO chance to rebuild my existing pump. The damage is too severe. It needs replacing. I'm just trying to avoid the "W" expense, if the Sherwood is in fact the same.

[Tsuru]

Originally Posted by Nord Sal

It's not just possible, but probable that your engine uses a Sherwood raw water pump.

My Westerbeke uses a Sherwood pump. I don't know about your engine. WB uses more than one manufacture.

Westerbeke doesn't make their pumps (or any parts I believe). They buy them from pump manufacturers and paint them red. That red paint is very expensive.

I agree, WB does not make raw water pumps and uses Sherwood pumps extensively (along with others). I'm not familure with your engine model but if it looks like a Sherwood it is.

[Paradox111]

You might try googling Oberdorfer Pump.
N202M-908 N202M-837 Universal Westerbeke
(worked for my Universal 5416)

[michaeld]

We have a Westerbeke 71C. I ordered my rebuild kit and a new pump from Depco May 2021.

SH R-10870GMJK*** MAJOR KIT*** $380.46************ Note: Includes most major internal parts, except the shaft.

*
Unfortunately a new pump was back ordered with no expected delivery date. The rebuild kit worked perfectly

Good luck.

[Exile]

Good to know about the rebuild kit working out. I've heard mixed reviews about going that route.

[pma_foyl]

UPDATE: Thanks to all who chimed in. I appreciate your help.

I ordered one "westerbeke" pump (WB-038445, $1265) and one "sherwood" pump (R10870G, $699), supposedly the equivalent. I wanted to see if they are in fact equivalent or possibly even the exact same pump. After receiving them both I can definitively confirm they are the SAME pump (because they both have the Sherwood R10870G tag on them). The one from Westerbeke isn't even painted red (still raw). BUT as some had mentioned here, the base/foot does appear to have a very slight milling/modification. It is so slight (about 1mm channel on each edge) I can't imagine it does anything required to mate with the bracket (which I believe is a completely flat surface). However, I can't check, because my boat is on the hard in Mexico. Just to be safe, I'll have a metal shop mill the Sherwood pump base to copy the Westerbeke version. Also worth noting, Sherwood would not respond to my inquiry asking if they sold these pumps to Westerbeke.

Lastly, the bolts that attach the pump to the bracket (with the rectangular backing plate) are the last part of the puzzle. They do not seem to be able to go through the holes on the pump (because the bolt heads cannot clear the adjacent pump housing). This is true on BOTH the Westerbeke and Sherwood products. They were difficult and just barely cleared on the failed original pump, but I was able to remove them. Not sure what the difference is. Perhaps I'll need to file the pump housing a tiny bit.