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Installing a Titan Tower EASY ??? HELP


Renowakejunkie

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All that I have heard since I purchased my Titan Serries I tower is how easy it is to install. I would like to know if anyone had the same problems that I am experiencing now and how were they able to solve them. I have a 1999 Malibu Sunsetter LX and after I mustered up the courage to start drilling into my boat things started out pretty smooth. The front brackets went on with relative ease. My problem is the back brackets. I crawled up underneath to make sure that I had a clear shot to drill my pilot holes and low and behold I found my worst nightmare. It appears that my model has a pvc tube incased in fiberglass that runs down both sides of the boat making it impossible to get the bracket plate to mount flush underneath. Moreover these tubes house wires making it impossible to drill through without drilling through the wires.

Has anyone else incountered this problem and how were you able to overcome this delima? Am I the only one on this planet that has a bu with these channels running down the sides? The only thing that i can think of is to cut away part of the channel. I have in fact started this but after and hour of ginding away with my dremel I still do not have one side even close to being able to fit the mounting plate flush.

Any solutions are greatly appreciated at this time as I am growing frustrated and desperate.

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All that I have heard since I purchased my Titan Serries I tower is how easy it is to install. I would like to know if anyone had the same problems that I am experiencing now and how were they able to solve them. I have a 1999 Malibu Sunsetter LX and after I mustered up the courage to start drilling into my boat things started out pretty smooth. The front brackets went on with relative ease. My problem is the back brackets. I crawled up underneath to make sure that I had a clear shot to drill my pilot holes and low and behold I found my worst nightmare. It appears that my model has a pvc tube incased in fiberglass that runs down both sides of the boat making it impossible to get the bracket plate to mount flush underneath. Moreover these tubes house wires making it impossible to drill through without drilling through the wires.

Has anyone else incountered this problem and how were you able to overcome this delima? Am I the only one on this planet that has a bu with these channels running down the sides? The only thing that i can think of is to cut away part of the channel. I have in fact started this but after and hour of ginding away with my dremel I still do not have one side even close to being able to fit the mounting plate flush.

Any solutions are greatly appreciated at this time as I am growing frustrated and desperate.

Try the search function for previous discussons on the subject. Here is one that I found in short order. Hope it helps.

Titan tower install

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I just installed the Titan II on my Wakesetter VLX. I had the same problem with mine, the tubing has wires that run through it…so be mindful of that.

There are 2 ways that I found that will allow you to over come the tubing.

1. You can take a Dremel drill and notch out that section of the tubing to accommodate the bottom mounting plate.

2. You can leave the tubing in place and go to your local hardware store and get bolts that are about ¼ to a ½ inch longer, this will help compensate for the “drop down” of the tubing. You will also need to get some washer to help when you go to tighten the bolts up.

The washers are ‘key’ because the bolts only screw so far into the mount thus only giving you a small amount of thread to tighten with…but the washer will overcome this and allow the mounting plate to be as tight as you want.

I used the 2nd method, it’s been on the boat for about 2 months now and I’ve had zero problems with it.

PM me if you need some help and we can talk over the phone…

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All that I have heard since I purchased my Titan Serries I tower is how easy it is to install. I would like to know if anyone had the same problems that I am experiencing now and how were they able to solve them. I have a 1999 Malibu Sunsetter LX and after I mustered up the courage to start drilling into my boat things started out pretty smooth. The front brackets went on with relative ease. My problem is the back brackets. I crawled up underneath to make sure that I had a clear shot to drill my pilot holes and low and behold I found my worst nightmare. It appears that my model has a pvc tube incased in fiberglass that runs down both sides of the boat making it impossible to get the bracket plate to mount flush underneath. Moreover these tubes house wires making it impossible to drill through without drilling through the wires.

Has anyone else incountered this problem and how were you able to overcome this delima? Am I the only one on this planet that has a bu with these channels running down the sides? The only thing that i can think of is to cut away part of the channel. I have in fact started this but after and hour of ginding away with my dremel I still do not have one side even close to being able to fit the mounting plate flush.

Any solutions are greatly appreciated at this time as I am growing frustrated and desperate.

Send me a PM with your phone# and I can walk you through it!

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It'll be a PITA, but I would grind the tubes away so that you can mount the backing plates flush. I have those tubes in my 2000 Escape, but luckily they were not in the area where my tower mounts went (I guess Malibu fixed the issue). Put a yard stick in the tube to hold the wires to one side and grind away. It will be tough work, but well worth it in the end. Titans products rock and you will love your tower. Rockon.gif

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Hey Renowakejunkie-

I'm sorry you're having trouble installing your tower. It wasn't until after 1999 that Malibu shortened the length of the PVC wiring guide that is fiber-glassed into the boat to help route the boat's wiring during manufacturing. That guide serves no functional purpose, so you can remove it without any concern for the structural integrity of the boat.

The easiest way to remove that section of PVC is to use a ruler or other flat, thin board to push the wiring up under the gunnel and protect it from damage. Then use a grinder or cut-off wheel to remove the fiberglass over the pipe. Once that's gone you can cut out the pipe and remove it.

Use care when installing the backing plate so that you don't trap any wires between it and the deck and you should be set.

It's very important that you remove that section of the pipe so that the backing plate sits flush against the deck of the boat. If you don't do that there is a much higher likelihood that you'll end up with stress cracks in the gelcoat of the boat.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks,

Jason

Titan Wake Accessories

(916) 858-1178

[email protected]

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All that I have heard since I purchased my Titan Serries I tower is how easy it is to install. I would like to know if anyone had the same problems that I am experiencing now and how were they able to solve them. I have a 1999 Malibu Sunsetter LX and after I mustered up the courage to start drilling into my boat things started out pretty smooth. The front brackets went on with relative ease. My problem is the back brackets. I crawled up underneath to make sure that I had a clear shot to drill my pilot holes and low and behold I found my worst nightmare. It appears that my model has a pvc tube incased in fiberglass that runs down both sides of the boat making it impossible to get the bracket plate to mount flush underneath. Moreover these tubes house wires making it impossible to drill through without drilling through the wires.

Has anyone else incountered this problem and how were you able to overcome this delima? Am I the only one on this planet that has a bu with these channels running down the sides? The only thing that i can think of is to cut away part of the channel. I have in fact started this but after and hour of ginding away with my dremel I still do not have one side even close to being able to fit the mounting plate flush.

Any solutions are greatly appreciated at this time as I am growing frustrated and desperate.

Send me a PM with your phone# and I can walk you through it!

That sounds like the best way - Letting the wires drop out before the mounting area. Mine has the same thing.

Q. - Can you post pictures when your are done - would like to see the tower mounted up.

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Hey Renowakejunkie-

I'm sorry you're having trouble installing your tower. It wasn't until after 1999 that Malibu shortened the length of the PVC wiring guide that is fiber-glassed into the boat to help route the boat's wiring during manufacturing. That guide serves no functional purpose, so you can remove it without any concern for the structural integrity of the boat.

The easiest way to remove that section of PVC is to use a ruler or other flat, thin board to push the wiring up under the gunnel and protect it from damage. Then use a grinder or cut-off wheel to remove the fiberglass over the pipe. Once that's gone you can cut out the pipe and remove it.

Use care when installing the backing plate so that you don't trap any wires between it and the deck and you should be set.

It's very important that you remove that section of the pipe so that the backing plate sits flush against the deck of the boat. If you don't do that there is a much higher likelihood that you'll end up with stress cracks in the gelcoat of the boat.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks,

Jason

Titan Wake Accessories

(916) 858-1178

[email protected]

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Hey Renowakejunkie

thank you so much for the reply the yard stick worked awesome. my dremmel made quick work of tha pvc. once out of the way the rest of the job went very smooth. After it is all said and done, I think the hardest thing was getting the balls to start drilling. By the way the tower works awesome and looks great too. I promise to post some pics soon. Thanks to all that responded you guys are great.

I'm sorry you're having trouble installing your tower. It wasn't until after 1999 that Malibu shortened the length of the PVC wiring guide that is fiber-glassed into the boat to help route the boat's wiring during manufacturing. That guide serves no functional purpose, so you can remove it without any concern for the structural integrity of the boat.

The easiest way to remove that section of PVC is to use a ruler or other flat, thin board to push the wiring up under the gunnel and protect it from damage. Then use a grinder or cut-off wheel to remove the fiberglass over the pipe. Once that's gone you can cut out the pipe and remove it.

Use care when installing the backing plate so that you don't trap any wires between it and the deck and you should be set.

It's very important that you remove that section of the pipe so that the backing plate sits flush against the deck of the boat. If you don't do that there is a much higher likelihood that you'll end up with stress cracks in the gelcoat of the boat.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks,

Jason
Titan Wake Accessories
(916) 858-1178
[email protected]

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