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Hose for integrated ballast system


Mechmaster

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I'm installing an integrated ballast system in my '98 VLX.

My question concerns hose:

Does Malibu use a flexible PVC-type hose like this:

Hose link

"Bilge hose" this this:

Bilge Hose

or the braided PVC-type?

Edited by Mechmaster
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I'm not sure what Malibu uses, but I used the braided hose from Lowes, and it worked great! If you decide to use the braided hose, I highly recommend buying a hose cutter. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration and cuts that you'll get using a pocket knife.

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I'm not sure what Malibu uses, but I used the braided hose from Lowes, and it worked great! If you decide to use the braided hose, I highly recommend buying a hose cutter. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration and cuts that you'll get using a pocket knife.

Thanks for the tip.

Your install looks good. Is there anything you'd change now that the system has been in use for a while?

Was there any problem running lines from the ski locker up to the driver's footwell area in your '99?

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I can't tell from the pic on SkiDim, but is that hose the very thing flexible plastic bilge hose? If so, it's not recommended for applications below the waterline, and I wouldn't use it here if I were you.

The hose Malibu uses is similar to the eBay link, it's a poly hose with a plastic reinforcing cord molded in.

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I took a look at the black "bilge pump" hose at my local shop and like ski crave said, I thought it was a little wimpy for my liking. I've used the braided hose before in other water line applications and it worked well. It tends to be pretty stiff though so if you have tight bends to make, it might be harder to work with. But it will definitely hold up to the task.

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I'm not sure what Malibu uses, but I used the braided hose from Lowes, and it worked great! If you decide to use the braided hose, I highly recommend buying a hose cutter. You'll save yourself a lot of frustration and cuts that you'll get using a pocket knife.

I used a combination of the 3/4 inch clear braided vinyl hose and the 1 inch clear unbraided vinyl hose from Lowes. Not sure why I went with the unbraided for the 1 inch; I think they were either out of the braided variety or it was way more expensive. Both have worked out great. I used a sharp razor blade box-cutter, and it worked great.

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Thanks for the tip.

Your install looks good. Is there anything you'd change now that the system has been in use for a while?

Was there any problem running lines from the ski locker up to the driver's footwell area in your '99?

On the front sac, since I ran a loop under the dash in the fill line, and had the drain line coming out of the same hole, I had to enlarge the existing hole so all of the hoses would fit. I just carefully used a jig saw to open up the hole where the steering cables run through.

If I had to do it all over again, the only things I would change are:

1. I would add check valves on the rear fill pumps first time around

2. Skip the loop in the front sac fill line, and just use the manual shut off valve when the sac is full and empty

3. Add the false floor on top of the front sac from the get go

4. Make sure my thru hulls don't interfere with any future plans (had to move the thru hull on the left rear last year when I installed Perfect Pass Cry.gif )

That's about it. Overall, I love my setup. It's simple and gets the job done well.

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Ouch....I assume you mean an intake thru-hull. Did you re-glass it, or some other sort of plug. What with perfect pass interfered? I'm not familiar with them, and don't have plans, but something I should be aware of.

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Yep, it was the intake, and I didn't have to mess with reglassing or plugging the thru hull. What happened was the paddle wheel for Perfect Pass that goes through the bottom of the boat needed to be exactly where I had one of my thru hulls. Apparently, it's pretty picky on the location to get a smooth constant speed. So I had to enlarge the 1" hole to accept the 2" PP module. That was a lot of work with a dremel. :( I was wiping off fiberglass dust for weeks. Moving the ballast intake 6 inches back wasn't that big of a deal, but the whole thing was just a little frustrating.

I guess hindsight's 20-20.

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I'm installing an integrated ballast system in my '98 VLX.

My question concerns hose:

Does Malibu use a flexible PVC-type hose like this:

Hose link

"Bilge hose" this this:

Bilge Hose

or the braided PVC-type?

I think the first hose is what Malibu uses for thier ballast systems, it's more rubbery. That second hose is pretty plastic like and is not that great.

Edited by 99response
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