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starting on trailer


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I ran the boat for 5-days last week at Lake Mojave. The boat ran great except that the heater core (in the foot well) was severely leaking. This was mostly just an inconvenience as the engine stayed at 160 degrees and the bilge would slowly fill--until the bilge pump came on. So, when I got home, I removed the entire heater unit and put a union connector to connect the two hoses (in the foot well where the heater was).

I went to try out the 'new' connection...set the fake-a-lake plunger in place, turned the water on, and started the boat. No water was coming out of the exhaust!! I ran it for just a few minutes varying the water pressure on the hose, yet still no water came out of the exhaust. Also, the exhaust manifold(s) were really warming up. And just a week before that, the water/plunger worked just fine.

Has anyone experienced this? If the boat was running perfectly well a week ago, what would make it not pull water through the hose/plunger tool? Please advise. Thanks!

Frank

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I've had an impeller not prime twice before. Both times were after water was drained from the engine, leaving more air in the system. You may have torched your impeller in the mean time so check that and your tranny cooler screen first before trying again, and when you're ready to fire it up again, get the hose on pretty good and after it starts, give it some gas, maybe 1200 - 1500 for a second and that should very quickly prime the system.

Some people don't like the fake a lake but I think they're fine IMO.

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I've had an impeller not prime twice before. Both times were after water was drained from the engine, leaving more air in the system. You may have torched your impeller in the mean time so check that and your tranny cooler screen first before trying again, and when you're ready to fire it up again, get the hose on pretty good and after it starts, give it some gas, maybe 1200 - 1500 for a second and that should very quickly prime the system.

Some people don't like the fake a lake but I think they're fine IMO.

Thanks...I will definitely check the water intake system (screen, impeller, etc). I guess I got lucky this last weekend.

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I'm one of those that doesn't care for the Fake-a-lake. I've had it not prime before. And I've had the hose water pressure blow it off the bottom of the boat. And frankly I just don't care to climb around under the boat if there is an easier method.

I made this hose adapter from pieces I picked up at Home Depot. I pull the fresh water intake hose off the v-drive, put this adapter on it, close the valve, turn on the hose, open the valve and when I hear water pouring from the exhaust, I start the engine. Then when I cut the engine I can close the valve to stop the water.

CIMG1600.jpg

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I don't understand how the impeller can't prime if you're forcing pressurized water through the intake system.

Wether it be from a fake lake or Bill's method. Both of these are doing the exact same thing, forcing water into the intake system.

Can someone explain this please?

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I'm one of those that doesn't care for the Fake-a-lake. I've had it not prime before. And I've had the hose water pressure blow it off the bottom of the boat. And frankly I just don't care to climb around under the boat if there is an easier method.

I made this hose adapter from pieces I picked up at Home Depot. I pull the fresh water intake hose off the v-drive, put this adapter on it, close the valve, turn on the hose, open the valve and when I hear water pouring from the exhaust, I start the engine. Then when I cut the engine I can close the valve to stop the water.

CIMG1600.jpg

Rube Goldberg would be so proud! Thumbup.gif

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I'm with ya Pete. It doesn't matter how the water is getting to the impeller (garden hose adapter or fake-lake), water pressure is water pressure. The water has to be going somewhere. Is there an on/off valve inside the bilge near the fresh water intake to attach a hose? If so, is it in the off position? Was your bilge filling with water? What about a kink in the hose or the fake-lake being so tight against the boat it was blocking the flow. If water is getting to the boat it has to be coming out somewhere even if it's where the fake-lake meets the boat.

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It would seem easier (or at least plausible to me) that if you were to lower your boat straight down into the water horizontally (i.e. on a boat lift), then you could get an air pocket. But, other than that, I don't see it happening.

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I don't understand how the impeller can't prime if you're forcing pressurized water through the intake system.

Wether it be from a fake lake or Bill's method. Both of these are doing the exact same thing, forcing water into the intake system.

Can someone explain this please?

What if the intake hose collapsed they are made with inner and outer layers.

The hose after your Y could of seeh hot water coming back from the heater.

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What if the intake hose collapsed they are made with inner and outer layers.

The hose after your Y could of seeh hot water coming back from the heater.

The hose that runs from the thru-hull to the raw water pump is wire reinforced to keep it from collapsing. Human error is the only reason a "fake-a-lake" wouldn't work. It's a plunger on a stick, not a whole lot of technology involved. :Doh:

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What if the intake hose collapsed they are made with inner and outer layers.

The hose after your Y could of seeh hot water coming back from the heater.

The hose that runs from the thru-hull to the raw water pump is wire reinforced to keep it from collapsing. Human error is the only reason a "fake-a-lake" wouldn't work. It's a plunger on a stick, not a whole lot of technology involved. :Doh:

The hose is rubber tape rapped on a mandrill. They wrap one layer then the wire then second layer opposite lay .The they back it in a steam autoclave.The two layers can separate inside layer gets sucked in. It might not be the problem can't hurt to check.

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The hose is rubber tape rapped on a mandrill. They wrap one layer then the wire then second layer opposite lay .The they back it in a steam autoclave.The two layers can separate inside layer gets sucked in. It might not be the problem can't hurt to check.

Six years in the commercial marine biz in the port of L.A. and I never saw it happen even once but I guess anything is possible even if very highly unlikely. The amount of "hot" water (if it is still high enough in temperature to even call it "hot" after passing through the heater core) re-entering the raw water line (if he has a low-RPM Y fitting) is so small I believe it is extraordinarily unlikely that it could cause a compromise in the integrity of the water hose. The return hole inside the Y fitting is approx 1/8" diameter, not a whole lot of water going through that size opening. But you're right...he could check it...

I think it's more likely he has one of the inline valves on his garden hose that he forgot to open. :Doh:

:lol:

EDIT: Either that, or he had the fake-a-lake on the wrong thru-hull fitting and was filling a ballast tank.

Edited by NorCaliBu
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I don't understand how the impeller can't prime if you're forcing pressurized water through the intake system.

Wether it be from a fake lake or Bill's method. Both of these are doing the exact same thing, forcing water into the intake system.

Can someone explain this please?

Maybe something to do with the Fake-a-lake's connection on the hull? The one time it happened with me I had tons of water coming out of the Fake-a-lake, and none coming out of the exhaust. I tried starting it for a second, no difference. I took the garden hose off & jammed it way down inside the intake hose, and had tons of water coming out of the exhaust in just a few seconds, before I even started the engine.

The time I had the Fake-a-lake come off the hull, I wasn't aware of it for a some time, while the engine was running. I was inside the boat tinkering with things, with the engine running & the Fake-a-lake in place. I could hear water running under the boat but couldn't tell if it was coming from the exhaust or the Fake-a-lake. So the fact that this hose adapter is a more positive connection to the engine's water source gives me a much better feeling while running the engine on the trailer and I'm sitting inside the boat. And the fact that I don't have to climb under the trailer is icing on the cake.

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I've had it not prime once on fake-a-lake and once floating, both times after the motor was drained, so there was air in the system. I do have a Y adapter between the thru-hull and the impeller, and no little leaks anywhere in the system.

I can't explain it, just know it happened, and I know it primed immediately when I gave it a little rev. I'm not really that worried about it but I make sure to goose it a little bit when I start the boat after draining the block which takes any guess work out of it.

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I don't understand how the impeller can't prime if you're forcing pressurized water through the intake system.

Wether it be from a fake lake or Bill's method. Both of these are doing the exact same thing, forcing water into the intake system.

Can someone explain this please?

Maybe something to do with the Fake-a-lake's connection on the hull? The one time it happened with me I had tons of water coming out of the Fake-a-lake, and none coming out of the exhaust. I tried starting it for a second, no difference. I took the garden hose off & jammed it way down inside the intake hose, and had tons of water coming out of the exhaust in just a few seconds, before I even started the engine.

The time I had the Fake-a-lake come off the hull, I wasn't aware of it for a some time, while the engine was running. I was inside the boat tinkering with things, with the engine running & the Fake-a-lake in place. I could hear water running under the boat but couldn't tell if it was coming from the exhaust or the Fake-a-lake. So the fact that this hose adapter is a more positive connection to the engine's water source gives me a much better feeling while running the engine on the trailer and I'm sitting inside the boat. And the fact that I don't have to climb under the trailer is icing on the cake.

That's exactly what happened to me last spring after it sat dry for the winter. I never thought that the garden hose pressure wouldn't prime the pump using the fake-a-lake. I had it jammed nice and tight against the hull and the pressure it was creating from the overflow water coming around the seal of the fake-a-lake was pretty high. No water out the exhaust until I did what Bill did and pulled the raw water hose and shoved the garden hose up into it. Dontknow.gif

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I found the problem...the impeller was practically gone! there was only 2 tiny stubs left of the twelve original vanes on the impeller. The guy at west marine couldn't believe that the boat had been getting any water to begin with. I threw in a new 12-vane Jabsco and MY GOD....did that thing pull water! The hose (with the fake a lake) had to practically be on full blast to keep up with the demand. I now know the difference...and it had nothing to do with the fake a lake.

I had assumed that the previous owner had changed the impeller...as the boat was maintained and winterized each season by a boat shop in Big Bear. We all know what 'assume' means, and it could have cooked my monsoon. That would have been the ultimate $40 vs. $5,000 lesson!

As I have only owned the boat for 2-months, how often does the 'BU crew' recommend to change the impeller? I've heard every 2-years and some say every year.

Also, what is the name and brand of the 'in-line' hose connector (flush) system? I'll either build one like the picture in this link above, or buy one. Thanks!

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Fanthonyv,

Make sure you follow the hose just upstream from the impeller. Likely it runs into trans cooler which will have a grate/screen at its intake. Good chance you'll find the remains of the impeller there...that should be removed.

With regard to your question. my impeller was new this year. Looked real good when winterizing (65 hours this season). I removed it, packed it in vaseline, and put in an air tight sandwich bag, and will re-use for another season. I will have a backup on board.

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There are lots of opinions on how often to change the impeller - annual, every 2 years, every 100 hours...

I think since i have it out anyway to winterize, i am going to replace it each spring and keep the old one as a spare.

Cheap insurance.

The in line you are talking about is Flush Pro. There are several threads on here about it. I installed one on a 21LSV and it took less than an hour.

I posted a few pictures and others have done that also.

It really depends on where your water intake is as to how big of an install it is - i had plenty of room because i dont have any ballast pickups.

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  • 1 month later...

I actually had the blades on the impeller get forced the opposite direction from too much water pressure through the fake-a-lake; needless to say it never primed and I had to take the impeller out and reinstall with the blades pointing the right way.

Now when I put the fake-a-lake on I barely turn on the water just enough to keep the impeller wet and let the engine idle till it gets to normal operating temperature then slowly turn the water faucet on till water starts coming out of the exhaust, it takes a couple minutes.

Hope this helps.

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Personally I replace the impeller every year. I remove it during winterization, pack it in vaseline and put it in glove box with screwdriver to use as a spare. For the $40 or less it is worth the investment to change it yearly. Is it overkill, probably. It is peace of mine for a $40 vs/ $5000-10,000 engine replacement.

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Personally I replace the impeller every year. I remove it during winterization, pack it in vaseline and put it in glove box with screwdriver to use as a spare. For the $40 or less it is worth the investment to change it yearly. Is it overkill, probably. It is peace of mine for a $40 vs/ $5000-10,000 engine replacement.

I believe it's been said on this forum to not to use petroleum based jelly on any rubber products due to the breakdown it causes. I do the same with my old impellers but I just put them in a ziplock baggy & call it good. And I replace it every 2 years.

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