Bilge Pump (Advance guys out there)

[Mike Harry]

Since I have never had my Advance in the water I dont know the best place to put the bilge pump. (I dont know where the water begins to sit in the bottom of the boat) Any help you guys could give me? Just trying to tie up any loose ends before I start wiring.

[Joel]

Mine is located just aft and below the pylon in the center of the bilge.   Decent location and easy to get to... 

[Mike Harry]

Cool, thanks man. Thats where Im going with it then.

[daveo]

mine is in same spot

[56mulberry]

SO was mine when I removed it to do floor replace project--mounted to a strip of aluminum sheet metal that was bent and screwed to the pylon frame.  D

[Mike Harry]

Alright. I have found one thing I am not happy with since putting the boat in the water. Water in the bilge.

Who is using the newer style dripless shaft seal? Do you like it? Any Problems?

Whats happening is my pump isnt picking up the water till it gets so deep, so when I give it the throttle the water is getting thrown everywhere from the flywheel on the back of the motor. I just dont like it.

Im thinking about putting a T and a check valve with ANOTHER bilge pump at the back of the boat, so when idleing across the lake and all the water is at the back of the boat I can pump it. Anyone ever do this at all? will it work? I dont see why it wouldnt as long as the pump will push it that far.

Thanks guys

[daveo]

why are you taking on so much water? I can run for days before it gets deep enough to cause any problems. there should only be a minor drip at the stuffing box. you may want to check for shaft wear or worn out stuffing.If there is shaft wear you can move the stuffing box up by getting a longer rubber hose usually there is room enough to move it up 3/4 to 1 inch that should be enough to  seal tighter. if its the stuffing it can be repacked

[Mike Harry]

Good advice, its a few things really. Its not so much that I am taking on that much as it is swimming and getting back in....... washing the boat before I put it in the water and all doesnt come out before launch......

Lastly, I changed the packing and Ron told me to run it an hour or so before I worried to much about adjusting the nut.... so thats coming on the next trip out. To be honest I didnt even look at it after the first 2 or 3 min yesterday. I seen it was dripping "plenty" and let it go.

Thanks for the advice. Im just kind of anal about certain things. One is water in the bilge. I really wish mine came with the plug in the transom, but it did not...... its sort of a pain to get ALL of the water out of there.

[daveo]

I have a transom drain at the rear under the planing fin, I tried to put a rubber quick release plug in it but its to difficult to reach from inside the boat,and to much work to remove the floor and get under the gas tank, so I just live with the water.If you figure out something that works let us know!

[Mike Harry]

Thanks man, I will........ I think I am going to at least try with 2 pumps, a T, and a check valve

We'll see

[brandon]

Don't waste your time adding a second bilge pump.  They will not get all the water out anyway.  Fix the problem of all the water getting in the boat.  If you don't trailer the boat home a distance with the plug out, (this usually sloshes all the water around enough to get it empty), or it is on a lift, it might be the best option to install a transom plug.  It wouldn't be too difficult to install, and would be your best and probably cheapest way to drain all the water.  I'm also not sure if the bilge pump will build enough pressure to open a check valve.

[Joel]

Mike,  i gotta agree with Brandon - fix the leak or leaks.

My Advance has a "pocket" where water collects forward of the pylon - I believe its the lowest part of the hull (not underneath the engine as I initially thought).  My raw water pump no longer leaks (yeeee haaaawwww) and my packing gland only slightly drips so most of the water is coming from swimmers in / out of the boat.  The only way to get that water out is pulling the boat up a VERY steep hill and the water drains out of the bottom & the transom (I have both drains).  If the boat isnt totally dry (which usually it isnt) more water eventually migrates into the bilge and makes its way into the "pocket".   Its a pain, but I NEVER have so much water collecting where its being picked up & flung by the shaft coupling...  A second pump in the rear would probably be a waste of your hard earned $$$...  I usually hit the bilge pump a couple of times while were at idle and it seems to keep up with the water.

[Mike Harry]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think Im gonna leave it the way it is. I really need to slow down a bit. Every little thing I see I want to jump on, but its starting to work its way back together I think.

Like the carb for instance. I rebuilt it...... and Ive been playin with the dang idle for the last 2 times I was in the water because it didnt want to idle right, but tonight something broke loose or kicked in cause it sat right where I wanted it to and wasnt a pain to get into gear or anything at 700 RPM

Ive got a slightly bigger problem anyhow. Tonight, the 4 screws to the raw water pump cover came out (yes all damn 4 of them) and the cover was laying on the bottom of the bilge! Holy crap, I had to swim her half way back across the lake. Thank goodness I didnt have anything pressing to do. Thank God I got all the gauges working too, as soon as I seen that temp get above 170 I shut her down. Bilge got a workout tonight. This was a completely new raw water pump, housing and all....... needless to say Ive already got a call in with the performance shop where I bought it. I believe they can (and by that I mean THEY WILL) just get me another brand new one to replace this one, and I believe Ill be using some locktight from now on on the threads...... Ill pull them brand new and put it on!!!

[Joel]

Wow!  All four backed out (unscrewed) or they stripped out?  Either way, thats one helluva wake-up call in the middle of the lake...  Glad no permanent damage was done 

The screws SHOULD be brass and the housing should be brass - gotta be careful with soft metal cause you can eat up the threads on the pump housing pretty easily, but the screws backing out or stripping out at the same time...  WEIRD!!!  Might want to check on the size of that impeller - might be a tad too thick for the pump housing.  I think Ron addressed the proper sizes on my thread about overheating, etc...

[Mike Harry]

Backed out. Not stripped. What a pain in the rectom. I know it was all good cause it was a COMPLETE brand new pump. Ill have a new one by Thursday.