Sweetwater Bahia Pump leak

[Cheap Engineer]

I have a 2002 Sweetwater Bahia and the two speed pump is spraying water out the back end when I use high speed.  On low speed the pump doesn't leak.   I think this means it is the pump shaft seal that is bad.  How hard is it to replace the seal?  Also where can you find pump parts?  I found lots of site that will sell you a whole new pump, but I think I only need a new seal.  

        

[clover]

That depends on how long it has been spraying water back into the motor bearings.  The leak combined with chemicals can really do some damage to the pump, more specificall the bearings.  Replace the seal and deny the water getting to the bearings, dried out and without lubrication, could cause the pump to sieze up within a couple of months and you will be buying a new pump then.  How long has it been leaking and how bad is the pump?  Start by looking at the motor shaft and the condition of the motor.  Crusted and caked with chemical residual do yourself a favor and get a new pump and then check it periodically.

Pull your motor out, open the wet end and see if you can get the impellar off without damaging it.  If you damage it, then you will need to order both a pump seal 201 and the impellar.  Of course you can always get a new pump if all else fails.  Best of luck to you in the process.  

Is your dealer not able to help you out on this?

[Cheap Engineer]

I did have the motor and the pump rebuilt about a year and a half ago.  The motor and the shaft are still in good shape.  Just the water leak when it runs on high speed.  I was thinking about taking it back to the same pump shop and having the seals replaced, but if it is something I can do myself I rather save the time and money.

My dealer lost the Sundance line and then went out of business.  A larger company tried to take over the area and went out of business within the year.  I guess the Detroit area isn't a good place to try and sell hot tubs.  Go figure.

[clover]

I did have the motor and the pump rebuilt about a year and a half ago....I was thinking about taking it back to the same pump shop and having the seals replaced, but if it is something I can do myself I rather save the time and money.

Well, if you had the pump rebuilt, and it lasted 18 months to be at this point in time, you could pull it and take it back to them again.  The question might be, is the condition of the pump compromised and will the new repairs last as long or longer. They will do the same repair probably for the same or similar cost.  

Or, you can do as I suggested, pull the pump out, open the wet end, remove the impeller, now, you’re looking at the pump seal.  Simply replace it and reverse the procedure.  Although this may sound simple enough to accomplish, that can only be determined AFTER you have successfully accomplished the repairs.  

As for the time and money, by the time you add the cost of the previous repairs, the time it will take you to accomplish this repair, get the right parts for whatever is needed to complete the job, the period of time your tub is out of service, it just may be cheaper to call your dealer and have him accomplish this for the cost of a trip charge, the new pump, and probably 30 to 45 minutes of labor for him to get the job done.