PDA

View Full Version : Fuel tank bilge pump



jmvotto
05-14-2011, 02:04 PM
I have my floor out and have water in that center hole. any pros cons in putting a bilge pump in that center.

thanks in advance

scoot_gt
05-14-2011, 02:31 PM
My 2010 has a drain plug at that low spot mid-gastank-ish area.

jmvotto
05-14-2011, 08:40 PM
Thanks, but that doesn't really help me does it.;)

newty
05-14-2011, 08:47 PM
A lot of other maufactures have a second auto bilge in that spot.
Probably not a bad idea! Let me know what you decide. I may do the same.

jmvotto
05-15-2011, 06:48 AM
I have concluded this water should drain with proper tilting to the stern drain plug or to the bilge pump..

Newty there is a bracket in of those hles that the fuel tank sits on, so a normal bilge won't get all the water. i used a hose will a drill pump to remove the water why i continue my mods.. just bugged me, plus it smelled musty.

mmandley
05-15-2011, 08:16 AM
I was thinking if i ever pull the floor out i am going to run a line down there, then Y it into one of the rear Sac drain pumps with a on and off lever. So i can switch the suction on the punp to that line. Then at the end of the day i can switch the rear pump to the center area and drain that hole before i go home.

I think it will work pretty well. I am just not going to pull my floors out just to do that mod.

moombadaze
05-15-2011, 12:31 PM
I think it will work pretty well. I am just not going to pull my floors out just to do that mod.


Mike, its only 7 phillips screws holding the 2 floor panels down-very simple to remove if you have not pulled them before

cab13367
05-16-2011, 01:00 AM
I have my floor out and have water in that center hole. any pros cons in putting a bilge pump in that center.

thanks in advance

Joe,

I have thought about doing the same thing but I have no found and bilge pumps that discharge straight up - they all discharge horizontally and I don't think there is enough room to put in an elbow. I have not looked into it that much though.

And at least on my boat, that water does not drain out to the back no matter how steep a hill I drive up.

mmandley
05-16-2011, 01:10 AM
I know its not that hard to remove the floor just don't want to unless I really need to lol

kaneboats
05-16-2011, 09:45 AM
And at least on my boat, that water does not drain out to the back no matter how steep a hill I drive up.

I have never gotten more than a few drops out of the rear drain no matter how steep. The bilge pump will come on and drain it down below the level where anything will come out. I don't understand why the pump is not located at the lowest point or a drain provided.

jmvotto
05-16-2011, 09:56 AM
:confused: newer ones have a drain plug right below the fuel tank:mad:

wolfeman131
05-16-2011, 10:15 AM
JV - guess you need to drill another hole while putting in the new ballast system.

cab13367
05-16-2011, 02:08 PM
I was thinking if i ever pull the floor out i am going to run a line down there, then Y it into one of the rear Sac drain pumps with a on and off lever. So i can switch the suction on the punp to that line. Then at the end of the day i can switch the rear pump to the center area and drain that hole before i go home.

I think it will work pretty well. I am just not going to pull my floors out just to do that mod.

Mike,

The problem with that is the drain pumps won’t pump air and the hose down to the hole in the tank would most be filled with air. You will need a pump down in that hole to pump the water up and out of there.

I guess you could try putting in a wye that you can open both legs on at the same time. There might be enough of a suction effect when you drain one of your ballast bags to siphon water thru the hose to the pump and if so, that would work. It’s worth a try. If it doesn’t work you are only out a wye and a little bit of hose.

Al



I have never gotten more than a few drops out of the rear drain no matter how steep. The bilge pump will come on and drain it down below the level where anything will come out. I don't understand why the pump is not located at the lowest point or a drain provided.

Must not be very steep in FL. On my way home, I always stop at this one neighborhood where there is a pretty steep grade. I will park there for about 5 minutes while a steady stream of water comes out of the drain hole that the bilge pump did not get out. I am guessing this water is what is some of what is under the gas tank but not all of it gets out.


:confused: newer ones have a drain plug right below the fuel tank:mad:

That would be the best solution but it also requires cutting an access holes in your floor as well as the drain hole in the middle of the hull.

kaneboats
05-16-2011, 02:25 PM
You would not need an access hole if you put in a plug that you remove from the outside-- like the one in the rear now. You would have a small protrusion unless you found a plug that would sit flush though.

cab13367
05-16-2011, 02:28 PM
You would not need an access hole if you put in a plug that you remove from the outside-- like the one in the rear now. You would have a small protrusion unless you found a plug that would sit flush though.

True but you would have to crawl under the boat each time to get it out and put back in. That would be a deal breaker for me. Not very convenient but you're right, you wouldn't have to put in the access hole that way.

cab13367
05-16-2011, 02:32 PM
:confused: newer ones have a drain plug right below the fuel tank:mad:

FYI, here is what that looks like on the newer boats. It's the square access hole. The round one is for access to the fuel pump.

Funny, I was thinking that it would look tacky to put a big, plastic deck plate in the floor instead of the nice, carpeted square access hole but this is exactly what Moomba did on the new boats to access the fuel pump :)

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg276/cab13367/4a741f58.jpg

kaneboats
05-16-2011, 02:34 PM
Hmm. I guess at that lowest spot you're not just going to reach your arm under there and get it are you?

kaneboats
05-16-2011, 02:36 PM
That square one looks like a little neater job that what I would likely end up with.

brain_rinse
05-16-2011, 03:01 PM
I still don't get that deck plate above the fuel pump. How many times do you really need to get at the fuel pump anyway? And for those times you do, are the 3 phillips screws that hold the floor panel down really that big of a deal?

For the drain plug it makes sense though, and the carpeted access point looks much nicer. You probably could add one that threads from the bottom, but I really like the t-handle design that you can get to from the top. I doubt you'd ever need to use the one in the back, and if you forgot the plug (cmon, it happens to a lot of people) you can thread the plug in without seeing your life flash before your eyes. I don't think you could retrofit a center drain in the factory location though because I believe the gas tank is redesigned.

kaneboats
05-16-2011, 03:23 PM
Yea, I think you're right and I think the capacity changed by a gal or two as well.

cab13367
05-16-2011, 03:43 PM
I still don't get that deck plate above the fuel pump. How many times do you really need to get at the fuel pump anyway? And for those times you do, are the 3 phillips screws that hold the floor panel down really that big of a deal?

For the drain plug it makes sense though, and the carpeted access point looks much nicer. You probably could add one that threads from the bottom, but I really like the t-handle design that you can get to from the top. I doubt you'd ever need to use the one in the back, and if you forgot the plug (cmon, it happens to a lot of people) you can thread the plug in without seeing your life flash before your eyes. I don't think you could retrofit a center drain in the factory location though because I believe the gas tank is redesigned.

Dan,

You are right - the opening is rectangular as opposed to round, but I think it is big enough to get your arm in there and remove and reinstall the plug. And I think you can drill the hole from under the boat so installation should not be a problem. Am I missing something elese?

This is something I am going to look into more closely next winter.

Al

brain_rinse
05-16-2011, 03:57 PM
Dan,

You are right - the opening is rectangular as opposed to round, but I think it is big enough to get your arm in there and remove and reinstall the plug. And I think you can drill the hole from under the boat so installation should not be a problem. Am I missing something elese?

This is something I am going to look into more closely next winter.

Al
No I think you are right on. With no fuel pump in the way that center hole could work out great. Would you need to offset the drain plug slightly to avoid the center spine?

jmvotto
05-16-2011, 04:35 PM
Al, I think this might fit, with the 3/4 balast hose

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=automatic+bilge+pump&cp=13&rlz=1W1GGLD_en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&wrapid=tljp1305577872079018&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15259601696186568980&sa=X&ei=n4nRTd-kFoLa0QHBo8GQDg&sqi=2&ved=0CGUQ8wIwAQ&biw=1899&bih=896#

I would think this may work in the under ski locker hole (access panel)

james yarosz
05-16-2011, 05:07 PM
I don't have a V drive,I have a 2003 Outback LS.One of the first mods I did was add a second bilge pump as far back and as low as I could get in the boat.The original pump mounted in the center of the boat just doesn't get all the water out.With the pump in the rear whenever I take off the water rushes towards the back of the boat which kicks the rear pump on and keeps the bilge pretty dry.This is my third inboard and I've added rear pumps to all of them.I've never had to change a steering cable and my bilge stays clean and dry.

cab13367
05-16-2011, 05:11 PM
Al, I think this might fit, with the 3/4 balast hose

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=automatic+bilge+pump&cp=13&rlz=1W1GGLD_en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&wrapid=tljp1305577872079018&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15259601696186568980&sa=X&ei=n4nRTd-kFoLa0QHBo8GQDg&sqi=2&ved=0CGUQ8wIwAQ&biw=1899&bih=896#

I would think this may work in the under ski locker hole (access panel)

Joe, as I posted earlier, this is a side discharge pump and I don't think there is room to add an elbow, or bend a 3/4 hose in there. I could be wrong though.

WaterBullDawg1980
05-16-2011, 06:34 PM
This is my third inboard and I've added rear pumps to all of them.I've never had to change a steering cable and my bilge stays clean and dry.

Out of curiosity bc I have never had to replace one. What will make a steering cable go bad? Does a wet bilge make them fail?

Is there something I should be looking for as far as a sign for one is going bad? My steering has always been very responsive and I have never experienced anything I would classify as odd, so hopefully I am not missing anything.

jmvotto
05-16-2011, 07:39 PM
Joe, as I posted earlier, this is a side discharge pump and I don't think there is room to add an elbow, or bend a 3/4 hose in there. I could be wrong though.
Al look at the dimensions, its pretty slim.

jmvotto
05-16-2011, 07:41 PM
Joe, as I posted earlier, this is a side discharge pump and I don't think there is room to add an elbow, or bend a 3/4 hose in there. I could be wrong though.
Al look at the dimensions, its pretty slim.
2 3/8 x 2 3/8

mmandley
05-17-2011, 10:55 AM
Maybe instead of trying to pump this water out we stop it from going in. Theres been talk of plugs for the ski locker. How about a plug for this? Then the water drains right over it and never fills it up?

brain_rinse
05-17-2011, 11:22 AM
Maybe instead of trying to pump this water out we stop it from going in. Theres been talk of plugs for the ski locker. How about a plug for this? Then the water drains right over it and never fills it up?
It's not that water is getting in through the top, it's just drainage from the ski locker, from around the sides of the hull, and from the bilge. Said another way, it's not just an enclosed area that you can seal off. It's more a continuation of the bilge area that just so happens to have a point lower than the factory bilge pump.

kaneboats
05-17-2011, 11:45 AM
In other words the only way to keep water from getting in there is to leave the boat on the trailer-- and NONE of us are willing to do that! :)

jmvotto
05-17-2011, 02:34 PM
It's not that water is getting in through the top, it's just drainage from the ski locker, from around the sides of the hull, and from the bilge. Said another way, it's not just an enclosed area that you can seal off. It's more a continuation of the bilge area that just so happens to have a point lower than the factory bilge pump.

Dan, Nicely put