Installing a heater on G23 2017

[G23 GonZaga]

can a heater be installed on the 2017 G23 easily or is it better to have the dealer install it for me? I am pretty handy but dont want to mess up my brand new boat,

[charlesml3]

Yes, you can most certainly do it yourself. That said:

- At some point, you're going to have to get up the nerve to saw 3 fairly large holes in a $130,000+ boat.

- You will need the dealer code to get into the LINC and set HEATER=YES.

Outside of that, it's just basic mechanical tools. You'll need some pipe tape, zip ties, a few other things but it isn't rocket surgery. If you do decide to DIY this, let me know and I can help you out with a few "gotchas."

-Charles

[G23 GonZaga]

Thanks Charles, I will let you know.

[nyryan2001]

No reason to even bolt it in if you're not comfortable drilling. Don't create a false imperative.

Lay it in the bigle and plug it in. Pull it out when you go to use the boat.

[LakePowellMan]

The 550 motors are a bit tougher. After looking into it I determined not to proceed. If you have the 550 motor and you proceed I'd love to hear how it goes for you.

[swc5150]

I've done 2 heater installs in Ski Nautiques, and the hardest part was fishing the send and return hoses from the engine to the heater. With that said, maybe someone here will know if CC now installs a PVC tube conduit to make things like this, and a steering cable swap, easier? That's one awesome and unseen touch from MC. They put a nice, fat conduit from the helm to the engine bay.

[charlesml3]

The 550 motors are a bit tougher.

Just out of curiosity, what makes the 550 tougher?

-Charles

[scottb7]

I've done 2 heater installs in Ski Nautiques, and the hardest part was fishing the send and return hoses from the engine to the heater. With that said, maybe someone here will know if CC now installs a PVC tube conduit to make things like this, and a steering cable swap, easier? That's one awesome and unseen touch from MC. They put a nice, fat conduit from the helm to the engine bay.

Lol. Yeah, not as of 2014.

[swc5150]

Bummer...seems like such an obvious thing to add. Not just for the DIY'er, but the dealer techs too. Pulling heater hoses sucks, and I only had to fish maybe 5'. That's some serious distance in a G23.

[Wayward]

The 550 motors are a bit tougher. After looking into it I determined not to proceed. If you have the 550 motor and you proceed I'd love to hear how it goes for you.

Not sure who told you that...... but the 550s are a breeze. Ports are already there, with valves already installed, and super easy to access. Simply remove the plugs from the valves, hook your new hoses up, and turn the valves on.

To the OP- I would HIGHLY suggest doing an install with a circulation pump. It will quadruple your heat output at idle, and light throttle. I ordered my '16 with a heater, and it was a joke, so I swapped the heater core to an Elite 300, and added another hot tube, and a circulation pump. The difference was unbelievable. On my 17, I ordered without a heater, and installed the whole system using another HeaterCraft Elite 300 with circ. Pump.

That said, installing an Elite 300 is not easy if you have a pocket door. If you don't have a pocket door, I think you can use that heater core without much issue. I have a pocket door, and couldn't install the heater in the factory location. I had to mount it to the inner hull shell off to the side of where they install the factory heater. It is a very cramped area and not easy to work in there. Plus you have to make sure to not interfere with the main hull of the boat, so you have to be very careful drilling, and with screw length.

if you want to skip all of that scariness, and you have a pocket door, just use the smaller heater core (heatercraft 200??). It will install in factory location, and work pretty good as long as you install a circulator pump.

on the circulator pump- it is additional wiring, and you will need to install an a relay to turn the pump on, when the heater is activated. You will also need to make doubly sure your coolant flow is the right direction. It should go from the top port on the motor, through the pump (arrows on pump), then through the heater core, and back to the lower port on the front/side of the engine (near the belt driven engine circulation pump.)

other than that, you will have to remove the helm seat, and the floor panel, and run your heater hoses up through. Be careful on routing, so they don't get crimped or cut. I would also suggest using a stiffer/higher quality hose than what comes with the heatercraft kit. Most auto stores will carry a good stiff hose. The plug for the heater zip tied to the harness behind the helm, near where the factory heater is installed. You'll only be using the ground and high wire from the heater core. If you have a closed cooled motor, make sure to run it up to full operating temp with the heater on, and then refill your engine coolant.

the job took me around 5 hours, but at least half of that was spent trying to mount that bigger heater core doing a twisted handstand in a difficult location, and making up a wire harness for the circ pump relay and wiring to the pump. The rest is a 1 hour job.

[Wayward]

Bummer...seems like such an obvious thing to add. Not just for the DIY'er, but the dealer techs too. Pulling heater hoses sucks, and I only had to fish maybe 5'. That's some serious distance in a G23.

Floor comes out of the G, in less than 5 mins. It's pretty easy to pull the hoses.

[Wayward]

Technically, I did the 360 in my 17, but it is the same core as the 300.

i found a pic of where it is installed, in case you are interested.

i used starboard for a backer, and mounted to the inside hull (hull liner/stringer structure) with 3m 5200 (to dampen vibration transfer to the core), and screws. Then mounted the heater to the starboard.

not a great pic, but it gives you an idea. Mounting the core in this location had my swearing like a trucker, and crying like a girl, by the time I was done. Glad I did it though. This heater is incredible. I installed 2 hot tubes, defrost ports, one port blowing on my feet at the helm, and another blowing at my midsection at the helm.

[xrichard]

Have you looked at retrofitting a seat-heater instead? I have both the heatercraft (blower) heater and seat heaters...seems like everyone on my boat finds the seat heater more effective especially at speed. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with the seat heaters.

[swc5150]

Floor comes out of the G, in less than 5 mins. It's pretty easy to pull the hoses.

Oh nice! Easy install then.

[charlesml3]

Have you looked at retrofitting a seat-heater instead? I have both the heatercraft (blower) heater and seat heaters...seems like everyone on my boat finds the seat heater more effective especially at speed. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with the seat heaters.

How did you retrofit a seat heater? Is a kit or something?

-Charles