Custom Ballast Install - 2000 Super Sport

[eseibold]

I just took the shrinkwrap off my boat this weekend and rapidly began my custom ballast install. I'm hoping that documenting it here will help others.
Best thing I did was work with Wakemakers.com. Over the winter I spent about $1300.00 and had them ship me every part I would need to complete a three-bag auto fill system. A fourth bag in the bow will be manually fed.
I'll have 400lbs in each side of the engine compartment and approx. 600-650 in the locker. The bow will be filled appropriately to tweak the shape.
Plenty of room to do anything you need to on this boat, a perfect canvas for ballast install. So far I've got about 6 hours in and have drilled the intakes, mounted the ball valves and installed (not wired) the pumps.
I'll keep pics coming as I progress. Hit me up with questions.

[Chexi]

Nice job so far. Are those 1" or 3/4" intakes?

You can put a 3-way ball valve in and hook up both your center and bow bags to the same pump. Just fill center, and then switch the 3-way to the bow to start filling the bow. Alternatively, you can put a T in and then put a shut-off on the bow line after the T. Just open it up to fill the bow. The 3-way is better for your application though, as that way will be faster as you will have no waste / overflow from the one bag being vented while you are trying to fill the other bag. However, what a shut-off can do for you is that if you get the timing / setting down, you can leave it partially closed all the time and it will fill the bow bag at the same time as the center, just slower, so that when you start venting on the center, you just shut off the pump and you will have a full center bag and a half (or whatever is the correct ratio) full front bag. This is cheap and much better IMHO than manually filling the bow sac.

My plan is to use pop bags under the bow seats... but I already have them, so that versus paying for another integrated bow sac made it an easy choice.

Keep the pics coming. I'll be doing my 2000 SAN shortly and will also post. I'm probably going with a 1.5" intake and cross manifold system, so it will be a good contrast to your setup.

[Chexi]

Also, I can't tell if the pump mounts are reinforced, or whether they are just going through fiberglass. If the latter, I would recommend putting in a piece of aluminum on the pump side at least (ideally on both sides of the fiberglass). The pumps have quite a bit of torque, and I could see them slowly enlarging the holes in the glass over time if not supported by metal.

[eseibold]

1" intakes. I figured the pumps could definitely support it, so I'd go 1".

My bow sac is going to be exposed, on seat. I felt I really needed the storage under the front seats and also wasn't sure if I could get the weight I needed under seat, but maybe I can.

The pumps themselves (Johnson brand) have an integrated steel plate and rubber bushings for the mount, so I was thinking that would be enough. But you could be right. I'm going to monitor it based on your input. The pumps are easily accessible so I can easily mount a plate mid-season if I see them tweaking.

[eseibold]

Just checked your pics. Saw you are using the same pumps. Nice touch with the diamond plate!

[Chexi]

I wish I could take credit for it, but Matt (Mhaaland on this forum) is who gave me the idea. Others with SANs / SS who have mounted behind the seat like that may chime in to settle whether a support plate is needed.

You generally want a 60:40 rear:front ratio for wakeboarding. With 2 full 750s in the back, that equals 1500 lbs. To get 60:40 you would need 1000 pounds in the front. You can get that with an integrated sac and a locker sac, especially if your locker sac is the seat sac. If you go with the on the top triangle sac, you don't need the center locker sac, as it is 1000 lbs.

If you still elect to go with the on top of the seats bow sac, you could plumb in a line off a T to your center where the second line has a shut-off and the fitting for the factory Fat Sac quick connection. You'd have to hide this in the locker (or somewhere else accessible when the bow sac is full). Just an idea.

That said, if you do go with an over the top sac, I would check to see if Launchpad makes something that works. Fly High makes the best sacs for integrated ballast, but I hate them for manual filling. You always get some water in your boat when manually filling a Fly High. I much prefer the Launchpad check-valve factory fitting. I have kept 1 Launchpad sac for manual filling for this very reason. I don't know if Launchpad makes a triangle sac though.

[ers906]

I actually used the flyhigh connections and 1" tubing and attached a ball valve from home depot, works great to fill up some of the surf sacs I use and no water in the boat. I will take a picture and post. Just an idea if you still want to manually fill.

[wake_fun]

I'm probably going with a 1.5" intake and cross manifold system, so it will be a good contrast to your setup.

Sounds familiar

[DReynolds]

Hi Eseibold,

I hate to open this up so long after you originally posted but I am preparing to install the exact same ballast system in my 2001 Super Sport. Afew questions for you:

1. I am going to locate my through haul water inlets in the same place you did. Did yours work out OK?
2. Where did you vent your bags? Since the SS does not come with factory bags / vents, did you have to drill new vent holes and if so, where?
3. Overall, are you satisfied with all of your results or would you change anything?

Thanks in advance!

[eseibold]

[wake_fun]

I went with one intake on the bottom of the boat, then split it three ways to each pump.

[DReynolds]

Hi Wake Fun,

How did that work out? It seems that having only one inlet would severly resrtict flow. How long does it take to fill the 3 sacks?

[Chexi]

Not when you use a 1.5" inside diameter thru-hull it doesn't. You could easily run 4 pumps off that size without losing a thing.

[wake_fun]

Hi Wake Fun,

How did that work out? It seems that having only one inlet would severly resrtict flow. How long does it take to fill the 3 sacks?

Works great! I turn all three pumps on at once and they all start filling. I've never timed it, but it's just a few minutes. The rears fill up first because they are smaller, then only the center pump is running and finishes the center bag. I did this back in 2004 and it's still working great!

I like to think CC copied my design when they saw it

[Chexi]

With the 3 thru-hulls and no 90 degree elbows, do the hoses get in the way when changing the raw water impeller?