Filling ballast sacs

[btodd]

I have a 2003 outback lsv with grav iii system this boat is new to me so i have a few questions about filling the ballast bags
i took the boat out this weekend and tried to fill ballast and they wouldn't
i can hear something running when i flip the fill switches but no water comes in
i didin't try very long just a few min
just wondering if i need to prime the system some how or wait a little longer to let them fill

[wolfeman131]

Yep. On that model year, they use aerator style pumps. I always needed to run up to about 20 mph and then hit fill to get the pump primed and water flowing. Try that next time. Easy way to check is to open the center locker, unhook the fill hose from the bag and wait for the water to flow. Then, shut off the pump, reconnect and fill the bags.

[kaneboats]

You get her moving and it'll force the air bubbles out and get the pump primed. Works every time. Also helps to squeeze all the air out of your bags before you start filling or you get air pockets. I added vents to my bags.

[bzubke1]

Get up to about 20-25mph and switch one of the bags on to prime the fill pump. Mine would do the same thing after trailering the boat. My normal routine was to unhook the fill line for the ski locker, with the ski locker door open get up to 20-25mph, hit fill on the ski locker switch once water came out I quickly shut the switch off, reconnected the ski locker bag then fill the rest of the bags. Since there is only one pump for the system you only need to turn one of the bags to fill for the pump to prime.

[squeeg333]

Certainly necessary to prime the system, but no real biggie. I've been able to prime mine with the boat just in gear - but getting to 15 or 20 makes things quicker.
ONe other thing to check would be the main fill ine ball valve. It it connected between the thru-hull scupper on the bottom of the boat and the fill pump. This would make all this prime talk a mute point if the valve is closed!

[btodd]

Thanks for the input guys will try it this weekend !
By the way this past weekend was the first time for surfing it was a little tough with no water in sacs but had enough people in the boat to do the trick it was awesome !!!

[pogofx]

Definitely check the ball valve like squeeg said. Won't fill at all if that's closed. I had to use the ball valve as a manual fill option for a while since my sprinkler valve wasn't working right. I'd open up the ball valve, drive around to fill the ballast, and then close the ball valve until the next time I needed to fill up. Finally got around to replacing the sprinkler valve.

[sully12980]

I have a 2010 LSV, last year first time out my front and goofy side bags would fill but not my port side. I was not sure what the issue was. I tore into the back of the boat to check impellar, it was fine then I poured water down that hose until I heard it run out of the bottom of the boat. So really I did nothing and it worked great the rest of the year. This year same thing happened, everything works except the port side. I have not worked on it yet but was wondering what is causing that and is there an easy fix? My dealor is 4 hours away so if there is something simple that I can do myself I want to do that first. This is my first v drive with sacks, I owned an I/O for 12 years before this one so I admit I have a little bit of a learning curve to go through.