Alternative Gauges and Dials

[paddock]

I have a 2001 Super Air and am getting ready to pull the hard tanks, put in some 1,100 v-drive sacs and a 650 ski locker sac. The stock ballast system is plumbed with an overflow and some funky dial valves....see picture



First how do these work? Second, do I need them if I pull the hard tanks?

Being somewhat of a perfectionist...if I don't need these valves, any suggestions on what to put in these spots...It will drive me nuts to have dials on a boat that don't do anything.

In similar fashion...when the stock tanks come out, I won't be able to use my ballast gauges...see picture



So what do you recommend doing with this panel? (The prior owner pulled the clarion system, but left the control pannel...as shown in the picture...drives me crazy.)

Any advice to help me deal with my obsessive nature would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[wcherashore]

get some meds and spend more time in the water than the boat

That being said, I have the same housing and have a temp and depth gauge... they are in there next to the ballast gauges so it might be a perfect replacement

[ers906]

an analog clock? the depth and temp readings? or buy a new piece and drill ur own holes

[DanielC]

You have one pick up on the bottom of the boat for both tanks. There is a metal valve that you can shut on or off. You have two pumps, one fill, one drain, and the pumps are hooked output to output. The inlet of the fill pump connects to the through hull, the inlet of the drain pump hooks to a "T" fitting, and then a hose goes to the bottom of both tanks. The fill pump pushes water through the drain pump, and the drain pump pushes water throught the fill pump
The controls you pictured are just valves in the vent line for each tank. If you want to fill the tanks, you open the vent valves, turn on the fill pump, and water pushed air out of the vent valves. If you only want to fill one tank, you leave the other tank valve closed, and air pressure builds up in that tank, and wont let much water come in. Likewise, if you want to drain only one tank, you can open the air vent valve on that tank, and turn on the drain pump, and a slight vacuum builds in the other tank, and water will not come out of it much.