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Tank location?


TheHardWay

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I just stepped up from a I/O Crownline and purchased a new (to me) 2003 23 XTI. It seems to me that something is a amiss with the starboard factory MLS ballast. I don't think that the tank is emptying completely because 1) the boat still rides low on that side after 'emptying' it. 2) it overflows in about half the time it takes for the port side to fill when filling and 3) takes about half the time for the starboard side to drain as it does for the port side.

The other night, I quickly just pulled the rear seat to see if I could see anything. Of course, there is the gas tank, and I didn't see any bags/tanks. So where exactly are the factory MLS ballasts at? Do I need to pull the gas tank because they are underneath? Heck, are the rear ballasts plastic tanks or are they the bags?

I am new to this forum, but not forums in general. I did search thing, but couldn't find what I was looking for. I also contacted Malibu, but they aren't being very helpful. Any insight as to how to get to the rear ballast would be greatly appreciated.

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You want to see your tanks? In my boat, you open were the ski hatch thing would be in a ski boat. Its a little thing you can lift out of the floor beside the driver seat. The tank in the front should be your mid ballast, and the tank behind it is your gas tank.

Not sure if its the same with that design though.

Edited by '07VLX
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Hmm....you have an XTi. So, you have a direct drive....not sure how that affects tank placement. Then again, you do have a Wakesetter. Which, I believe, has the same tank locations regardless of engine location.

Here's where the tanks are on my LSV...and I do have the optional bow ballast. From the front:

-Bow ballast below seat cushions. Can be found be removing all the bow cushions and the hard plastic cover on top of the tank

-There are two physically separate tanks that comprise the center ballast. One in front of the 'ski hatch' and another behind the 'ski hatch'

-In the rear storage compartments, there was a hard plastic tank on each side of the boat. Although, in the XTi configuration, I'm not sure where these tanks would fit.

You didn't say where you were looking to see whether the tank was full or empty. I'm going to guess front/mid. Here's why....on my boat the vent on the starboard side is full WAY before the vent on the port side because the vent on the starboard side is the for the front tank (300lbs) and the vent on the port side is for the middle tanks (500 lbs). Both tanks are controlled by the same switch (ie, I can't fill the middle independently of the front), so assuming the same flow rate for the pumps, this makes sense.

And the opposite is true for the drain. The starboard side always finishes draining way faster than the port side.

You might want to look into the tank locations for the rear of your boat. Otherwise, I'd say the listing is 'normal'

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Hmm....you have an XTi. So, you have a direct drive....not sure how that affects tank placement. Then again, you do have a Wakesetter. Which, I believe, has the same tank locations regardless of engine location.

Here's where the tanks are on my LSV...and I do have the optional bow ballast. From the front:

-Bow ballast below seat cushions. Can be found be removing all the bow cushions and the hard plastic cover on top of the tank

-There are two physically separate tanks that comprise the center ballast. One in front of the 'ski hatch' and another behind the 'ski hatch'-In the rear storage compartments, there was a hard plastic tank on each side of the boat. Although, in the XTi configuration, I'm not sure where these tanks would fit.

You didn't say where you were looking to see whether the tank was full or empty. I'm going to guess front/mid. Here's why....on my boat the vent on the starboard side is full WAY before the vent on the port side because the vent on the starboard side is the for the front tank (300lbs) and the vent on the port side is for the middle tanks (500 lbs). Both tanks are controlled by the same switch (ie, I can't fill the middle independently of the front), so assuming the same flow rate for the pumps, this makes sense.

And the opposite is true for the drain. The starboard side always finishes draining way faster than the port side.

You might want to look into the tank locations for the rear of your boat. Otherwise, I'd say the listing is 'normal'

Are you sure about that? Where is your fuel tank?

The rear tanks are a hard plastic but they're carpeted, look for a carpeted box with hoses connected to it. Since it's an XTI, there's not much room back there, is it possible they're under the floor?

Edited by Ndawg12
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Yeah, I was thinking that maybe they are under the floor since the only thing I saw when I pulled the rear seat was the fuel tank.

I don't have the bow tanks (unless there is a tank under the floor).....just a mid-ship ballast bag, and it operates on its own switch.

I emailed Malibu and they told me that they couldn't disclose any information on ballast due to liability reasons....WTF is that all about??????? They can build them into a boat, but can't talk about them or give any information on location?????

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Yeah, I was thinking that maybe they are under the floor since the only thing I saw when I pulled the rear seat was the fuel tank.

I don't have the bow tanks (unless there is a tank under the floor).....just a mid-ship ballast bag, and it operates on its own switch.

I emailed Malibu and they told me that they couldn't disclose any information on ballast due to liability reasons....WTF is that all about??????? They can build them into a boat, but can't talk about them or give any information on location?????

A bag for your center ballast..?? Supposedly from the factory..?? Anyways, I think the easiest thing to do is follow your drain line from where it exits the boat back to the tank.

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A bag for your center ballast..?? Supposedly from the factory..?? Anyways, I think the easiest thing to do is follow your drain line from where it exits the boat back to the tank.

Yes the earlier Wakesetters had sacks in the ski locker for the mid ship ballast. And when the sack was empty it was a real ski locker, not just the small pump access hole that we see with the hard tanks.

The earliest I've seen the hard tank mid ship is 04.

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I have a 2003 Wakesetter and have a factory bag in the ski locker, no front ballast and rear ballast hard tanks (carpeted on each side). Each of them have their own switch.

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A bag for your center ballast..?? Supposedly from the factory..?? Anyways, I think the easiest thing to do is follow your drain line from where it exits the boat back to the tank.

Yes the earlier Wakesetters had sacks in the ski locker for the mid ship ballast. And when the sack was empty it was a real ski locker, not just the small pump access hole that we see with the hard tanks.

The earliest I've seen the hard tank mid ship is 04.

I have a 2003 Wakesetter and have a factory bag in the ski locker, no front ballast and rear ballast hard tanks (carpeted on each side). Each of them have their own switch.

Well you gotta learn something new everyday. What kind of bag is it, old fly high or something? Any issues with them leaking?

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well I called a dealer in Denver and talked to them. They told me that they have never even seen a XTI with tanks in the rear. I guess I have a unique boat. I'll just have to start taking things apart to find them I suppose.

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