95 sport ballast help.

[Jordanh]

I'm going to be purchasing a 95 sport on sunday if all checks out. I have started pricing out my auto ballast system. I have come to a dead end on some of the finer details of the system. I have been trying to figure out what to do with my thru-hulls.

I want to run 3 bags. 2x 400's on each side of the engine box with one bag in the ski locker. I will be running 3 jabsco pumps. From what I have read I will most likely only be able to fit two thru hulls (3/4" or 1"??) in the boat. That is fine with me. Saves money, and I dont need a 5 min ballast system. 10 min fill is fine by me... which it looks like I will be under. My question is how to tee the thru hulls. I was going to machine a 2 into 3 manifold. I wanted to run both thru hulls into the manifold then out to each of the three pumps. In theory this would even out the water flow. Will this actually work as well as it sounds, or could it starve a pump?

Maybe running a thru hull to the first pump, then a thru hull split to the other 2 pumps is the way to go?

I have read it is difficult to fit 1" thru hull's with a ball valve in the bilge. Would 3/4" thru's with 3/4" hose through out be enough? Maybe 3/4 thru's then run 1" hose throughout?




What can a person get for bags in the bow of this boat? It would be nice to get each pump filling 500lbs if possible. I was also considering running a bow bag inline with the ski locker bag if that is even a possibility given the room? I dont have the boat yet so I can't dig around.


also, should i run all three pumps under the gunnel under behind the rear seat... or is the center sac pump better off in the ski locker? pros...cons?


and.. last but not least... on my vent lines do I need check balls?

[brttkrz]

I have a 95 sport nautique as well. I have the 300lb utilisac up under the bow and the 370lb tube sac in the ski locker. Both of those seem to fit good to get weight in the front of the boat. Currently i have an old 600 lbs fat sac in the back behind the engine compartment, need more weight than that in the back but haven't figured out what sac to put in the back yet. I an just using manual pumps yet, but would like to transfer to an auto system. I am curious how you are going to do yours, pictures would be great.

[Jordanh]

When I do get around to doing it I will definitely be posting up alot of pictures. To be honest it will probably be a early spring project beings I will collect parts this winter. Could you get some pictures of your sac in the bow? Which sac is it exactly?

[Tom351]

Check out the chart on this page at Wakemakers:
http://www.wakemakers.com/bronze-mus...ll-intake.html
The GPH from a pair of 3/4" should be plenty for 3 Jabscos (at 640GPH each)...or a single 1" has a capacity of 2200GPH while the 3 pumps will pull 1920GPH max....by those numbers a single 1" would do the job.

[Jordanh]

Dang I need to quit reading between the lines. I've looked at that page so many times and never caught the deal at the bottom stating the GPH of each fitting. Thanks for pointing that out. I think I'll still go with 2X 1" thru hulls just to be safe though if there is room for it. Wake makers suggested I run one thru for pump 1, and another thru for pumps 2 and 3. From research in this board several members have dean 3 pumps from one thru hull before with what seems like good success. I don't really plan on filling while moving either. Maybe at a slow pace like 5-6 mph

[Chexi]

I used to be a big advocate of 1 big hole and a manifold. It works. However, it is more complicated with aerator pumps to do it that way. Also, it is often more expensive than 2 or 3 smaller holes. It is also easier to find room for 3 smaller holes with small ball valves than 1 large hole with a large ball valve and a manifold. I did my current boat with 3x 3/4" holes for 3-5 bags.

[Chexi]

If you want to save on pumps and don't mind a little longer fill time, you can go to Home Depot and buy their high capacity garden hose Y splitter (it's metal and looks like its galvanized). It has two mechanical on/off switches so you can vary the amount of water that can get through each. You then just use 3 wakemakers hosebarbs and screw them into the Y splitter and connect to your hoses. The through-put is not that bad. I used this setup to fill my bow and interior side surf sac.

This would allow you to use 2 pumps instead of 3.

[Jordanh]

I have thought about that. That would put me at almost a ten minute fill. I was also considering trying it, then if I was to impatient I would add the third pump in later. I may just stick with my initial plan though as I would rather have control over each bag. I'll be piecing the system together over the winter so it would not be a huge expense at once. Although I do want a cargo bimini and PP before next year also... We'll see. I machined the parts for my manifold today for the **** of it, so I'll get pictures of that as I get it assembled.


How are drain times generally affected with a below water like drain? I would imagine the pumps would be fighting some external water pressure on the thru hull as its pushing out water?

[Chexi]

So minimal it is insignificant.

[Tom351]

So minimal it is insignificant.

Agreed, no more than the resistance of filling a bag from a port on the bottom.

[Tom351]

So minimal it is insignificant.

Agreed, no more than the resistance of filling a bag from a port on the bottom.

[brttkrz]

The one in the bow is the Straight Line Sumo Utilisac (300 lbs) It fits nicely and allows for some storage on the left side. The right side is filled in by some box they put in there that i have no idea what it is for. I will try and get pictures tomorrow.

[kylem03]

I installed a 4 bag 4 pump auto ballast system in my 94 sport this spring. All pumps are simer reversibles. I have 2-.75" thru hulls and 2 pumps run off each thru hull. Bags are 2-400 lb v drive sacks on either side of the engine, a 600 lb bag in front of the back seat, and a 370lb locker sac in the swim locker. System fills and drains in about 7 minutes. 3 of four pumps are mounted on carpeted wooden brackets i made to fit under the gunnels adjacent to the back seat basically behind the combing pad. The 4th pump is in the rear of the swim locker. Thru hulls to a 90 street elbow, ball valve and .75 to 1" hose barb adapter are located a.) just starboard of the ski pylon and b.) port side of the boat just forward of the rear engine mount mid way between the oil pan and stringer. I can reach both valves without moving sacs out of the way. From the valves I ran 1" hose to a PVC 3-way wye with hose barbs (either .75 or 1", cant remember) as a sort of manifold. From the pumps the lines are all .75". I made a 4-switch bracket out of an aluminum sign and mounted it under my dash just below the stereo on the right. No regrets. Will be adding another y valve after one of the pumps and putting a long hose with a fly high quick connect fitting so to be able to move a side sac ar add another when I want to surf. I could take some pics next time I have the boat out if u want.

Kyle

[brttkrz]

So I was having issues shifting out of neutral and into neutral the other day. Emptied the sumo sac (600lb) that is round that i put between the back seat and the engine compartment. Didn't have any issues with the shifting. I looked closer and can see that when the sac is full it puts enough pressure on the engine compartment to push the muffler forward onto the shifter. Anyways now i ordered the fat seat (1100lb) and i will let you know how that works. That should be a total of 1770lbs with 670 toward the front. Has anyone else tried this combination?

[brttkrz]

Kyle

could you post pictures of how you mounted your pumps? I tried out the fat seat in the back this week. Made a really nice size and shape to the wake. The boat does handle differently as the bow sits higher now. It does turn harder than it did before.
Thanks