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97 Sunsetter VLX rear automated ballast install with pics!

 
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the_dude
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Joined: 09 Jul 2008
Posts: 201
City: Long Beach

PostPosted: Nov 23, 2009 3:21 pm    Post subject: 97 Sunsetter VLX rear automated ballast install with pics! Reply with quote

o I bought my boat a year ago. It came with the center locker MLS sack to which I added fly high V drive sacks in the Spring of this year but have been going crazy filling and draining them one at a time with the pump over the side deal and therefore fantasizing about automating the rear sacks. I finally bit the bullet and installed them yesterday.

Including going to pick up the boat a few miles away to bring it home, a few trips to the store and a few random breaks it took me about 10 hours from beginning to end to stumble my way through the job. For my first time I guess that's not too bad.

People have posted lots of good write ups but here is another one for people. Here are the highlights of my system:
- two Tsunami 1200's for fill
- two Tsunami 800's for drain
- Single 1" thru hull to run both fill pumps
- Fill set up is 1" Bronze thru hull > 1" Bronze 90* street elbow > 1" Bronze ball valve > 1" Sch 80 PVC union > 1" sch 40 PVC Tee. 1st Tee goes to 1" x 3/4" bushing > fly high 747 adapter to Tsunami 1200 pump. 2nd Tee opening goes to 1" sch 80 to hose barb adapter > 1" braided hose looped under motor to other side of bilge > 1" Sch 80 pvc hose barb > 1" union > 1" x 3/4" bushing > fly high 747 adapter > Tsunami 1200 pump.
- 1" braided hose from both 1200 pumps to the bags
- 3/4" hose for drain and vent
- Tsunami 800's screwed directly into bags
- drain and vent Tee'd into single 3/4" thru hull at the side of the boat.

A trick I figured out for cutting down the pump intakes quickly but keeping them square/level was to screw the plastic nut on backwards to the place I wanted to cut and use a hack saw against the nut as I sawed through. It wasn't perfect but good enough with a bit of filing post cut and way better than freehand.

One of the best parts about this install is that I went wakeboarding the next day with it totally untested and it WORKED!! I did have siphoning in the fill lines so I just closed the ball valve. The one pic I have of the sac is not totally full because that is before I figured out the siphon issue. There are a couple of other minor bugs I need to work out but over all the system is working well.

Here are some pics of the installation and set up:

Marking the spot for the thru hull (note this literally could not be any closer to the gas tank or I wouldn't of been able to screw the 90* elbow on (few!)


The dremel with the flex adapter made it easy to drill the pilot holes


OMG I just drilled a hole in my boat!


Thru hull mounted


My "manifold" for lack of a better description. I asked for advice orginally in using a single thru hull for both pumps and was told to go with separate thru hulls. Not only in the end was that more money but it was a nightmare trying to fit everthing especially considering assembling the parts. I'm very glad I used the 1" thru hull instead.


My cheap method of adapting a Tsunami 1200 to a 1" hose barb on the inlet


Starboard fill pump resting on the bottom of the bilge. Haven't done it yet but I will further secure it with zip ties to the raw water hose and steering cable. It was already pretty secure to do my maiden voyage with


Port fill pump installed.


Drilling hole for drain and vent on Starboard side. I had trouble finding info on whether to locate these at the rear or up in front of the bags to account for bow rise. I went in front of the bags and am glad I did.


With the thru hull installed. Went with black plastic to be cheap and to match the existing bilge and center MLS thru hulls.


Since I had the old rotary switches and no room on the dash I mounted a panel to the right by the fuse panel. Here I am cutting a hole.


Switch panel installed. I made the panel wide enough for a 3rd bow ballast switch some day. The aluminum plate was really to thin as it distorts slightly from the foam behind the vinyl. I would like to use black ABS plastic to match the dash housing anyways but haven't found any yet.


Here is a shot of the starboard bag. I don't have a shot of it all the way full as this was taken before I realized I was getting siphon back through the fill line and closed the ball valve.


This project and the costs have given me a much improved appreciation for automated ballast in boats and the cost to implement them. I for sure did not give boats with more ballast the proper consideration for price difference when shopping boats.

In case anyone else is trying to budget a project like this here is my attempt at a comprehensive parts list. Note I totally underestimated the cost originally at $300...

1" thru hull $21
1.25" hole saw $8
Marine adhesive (4000) $15
Plumbers tape $1
1" 90* street elbow $26
1" Ball valve $36
1" sch 80 PVC union $1
1" sch 40 PVC tee $2
1" x 3/4" bushing (nylon) $3
747 x 2 $13
Tsunami 1200 x 2 $80
1" ID braided hose (14') $35
1" sch 80 hose barb to NPT x2 $5
1" x 3/4" bushing (sch 40) $1
1" female union $1
1.25" SS clamps x 6 $6
W733 x2 (1" to bag barb) $14
W737 x 2 (3/4" bag barb) $12
3/4" ID braided hose (35') $53
1" SS clamps x 12 $11
Tsunami 800 x 2 $60
3/4" Wye connectors x2 $10
3/4" thru hull x2 $9
1" hole saw $7
100' 14 gauge marine wire $65
Rocker switch x2 $40
Aluminum plate $6
water proof connectors $17
Misc wire connectors $15
10 gauge wire to supply switches $14
Thru hull tool $18
New hacksaw blade $3

Total $605

You can probably find some items cheaper if you price shop enough. A few items I estimated the cost based on memory as I didn't have the receipts in front of me.

It's funny that the bags and a single pump with accessories to throw overboard costs half of just the parts to plumb it all in.
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Okie Boarder
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Joined: 03 Mar 2008
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City: Edmond

PostPosted: Nov 23, 2009 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks good.
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brichter14
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Joined: 27 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: May 10, 2010 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

All this guys work deserves much more responses of praise. Nice job! i have that pump, tsunami 1200 aerator, use it for fill and drain tho, cause im cheap!
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petrey10
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Joined: 09 Jun 2009
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PostPosted: May 11, 2010 7:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

good job dude... i am thinking next year might be my year to install ballast in my 20i...
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Okie Boarder
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PostPosted: May 11, 2010 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did you have any pics showing the pumps on the bags?
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reellika
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Joined: 04 Feb 2011
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PostPosted: Feb 14, 2011 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why In Movies does tsunami and tidal wave look the same? When in fact a tsunami rarely reaches no more than 12in until they reach shallower water. There power is from the momentum they been carrying for X amount of miles. Usu sally created by earthquakes, or underwater volcano's and what not....
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Last edited by reellika on Feb 20, 2011 9:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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chawk610
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PostPosted: Feb 15, 2011 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks really clean... "props" Smile
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