Trayson's 2008 XLV ballast system upgrade

[gregski]

Oh, I just remembered I found a damaged fuel line when I pulled the floor up. The layout in the XLV is different, but I would spend a couple of minutes looking for any pinch/wear points caused by the floor panels.
https://forum.moomba.com/showthread....y-floor-boards

[trayson]

Oh, I just remembered I found a damaged fuel line when I pulled the floor up. The layout in the XLV is different, but I would spend a couple of minutes looking for any pinch/wear points caused by the floor panels.
https://forum.moomba.com/showthread....y-floor-boards

Good call. and nice sleeve job. I had a bend of what is now my vent line for a rear bag that I put a sleeve of the 1" hose on the HDPE to help avoid wear. Of course I tried to smooth out the run as well.

[trayson]

No pictures (gasp) but we got the intake thru-hulls tightened down and sealed up with the 3m 5200. Damn, I wish I would have had one of those crow foot wrenches. that would have made life a TON easier. Live and learn. Luckily, we won't have to be doing that again!

I am getting close. I just have to put the check valves in the fill lines and throw the fill fittings on. Oh, and put the deustch connectors on the fill pumps.

I've also been working on swapping the carpet for hydroturf. it never ends....

[trayson]

So, tonight I connected the 1" hose to the 3 fill pumps. I installed the 3 check valves on the fill lines. And I wired the pumps to the deustch connectors so the electrical is all done.

I got the new Flow Rite fittings on the rear bags and put the flow right fittings on the fill lines. I put one of the bags in, and the other can be popped in at any time.

Some pics of the pumps with the check valves in place:

[trayson]

Tested out the ballast system on Saturday. It performed as expected overall. I have a few places I need to look at.

The 90 degree fitting that I have on my center locker fill pump has some drips coming off it when I was filling. Likewise some of the check valve to hose connections were dripping a little. Guess I need to tighten the hose clamps on those.

Thinking I might need to add one more bag under the surfside seats to make the wave a little better... We'll see how it goes.

[jester]

At least it is the hoses dripping and their is not a big leak from the holes under the boat. It is always nice to see the month long project come together and be tested.

[trayson]

No doubt. I was a little concerned about the thru-hulls (because those are the big risk) but pleased when a little tighten of the hose clamps will do it.

I also noticed that when I was draining that I could see the pumps speed up when I started the boat and upped the voltage. I just thought that was interesting.

[trayson]

So things are good so far with the new ballast system. I've been working on phase II.

I bought a Johnson impeller pump and plumbed that to the factory scupper thru-hull. the pump will live on the outside of the rear corner underseat storage locker, with most of it in the gunwale but with easy access to the front for easy impeller changes. it will be wired to the "extra" switch location on the dash.

I am plumbing it with two check valves so I have the "drain above water line" setup. I really like the audible/visual indication when the draining is done (despite the run-dry protection on the pumps).

This pump is basically going to be an "auxillary" pump. I put one of the stock rear locker bags (50x20x10 @ 390lbs) under the port seats, going from in front of the OEM cooler cutout to the base of my batteries.

Since I was at it, I added two more "zones" to this pump. Each zone has a PVC ball valve to isolate it. Zone 1 is described above. Zone 2 is another bag that will go under the Port bow seat. I figure I have the bag and it's just a few dollars in fittings, so why not have the option for another bag up there. For the last zone, the pump will go to a ball valve, then to a brass garden hose quick release fitting. I'll then have a coil garden hose that I can use for spraying down anything that needs it, for spraying kids when they challenge me to a water fight, and also (with a different hose end) I will use it to suck out any pesky remaining water that is in my bilge that the bilge pump isn't picking up.


I've got about 1/2 the install done on this pump, so it should be operational next time I use the boat.

[bergermaister]

and also (with a different hose end) I will use it to suck out any pesky remaining water that is in my bilge that the bilge pump isn't picking up.

That right there is pretty damn clever. Should work well for the basement where water always seems to end up too.

[beat taco]

That right there is pretty damn clever. Should work well for the basement where water always seems to end up too.

Hmm wonder where he saw that?