I have rope severely stuck inbetween pump shaft and pump housing, above where the housing tappers. Getting the grate out is not going good, bought an impact driver and no success on flathead SS screws. I need advice on my options please HELP its getting hot in bay area and kids are anxious to go out.

X2 on the knife and patience. Or, maybe you can melt it out with a torch? I just spent about an hour cutting out 75 feet of ski rope through the handhole with a steak knife. Plus I was sitting on the back of the pump to do it cuz the boat was in about 50' of water.

When I was about 10 or 11 and learning to drive my dad's old Weimann jet, I ate the ski rope. We paddled to shore, pulled the boat ass-end up on the beach as far as we could and spent the rest of the afternoon cutting that damn rope out through the access cover. It sucks to do.

The positive: since that day, I ALWAYS know where the whole ski rope is while the boat is moving or before I start the motor or engage the transmission, no matter what boat I'm driving. We haven't had to cut any ropes out of suction housings or off prop shafts in the 30 years since. Also, I always have a knife on board that can do the job and has a tether to go around your wrist.