I had a similar problem on a Alumacraft Navigator. My pump was fine, but not automatic. I’ve had 2 boats swamped. One in heavy rain one night. In a covered dock. But wind blew the rain running off the roof into the boat like a funnel. The other time I believe was a old t-post along an old road bed poked a hole. Anyway I have one round access hole big enough for one arm at a time. At that point you can’t see in the hole. Lucky-unlucky. My boat was totaled in a wind storm on Rainy Lake. Unable to replace it. I negotiated to retain the boat and sent it back to the factory for a new transom. I made sure it was in bold print on the work order, to replace the pump with an automatic, while the transom was removed. Not unlike cars that you have to remove parts for 3 hours. To change a 10 minute part. But unlike a car dealership that’s happy to do it for $130 an hour. I called 3 Aluma craft dealers. One that sold it new. I bought it with less than 50 hours on it. All 3 told me if I didn’t buy it from them. They wouldn’t work on it. Guess that’s a long way of saying. Yeh, they suck to replace. Good luck!! Oh, the totaled boat was 3x. But a auto pump wouldn’t have helped!!
