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Ballast for a '06 VLX


Dave K

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We went from a '06 Tige24V to a '06 VLX late last year.
Now that I have the VLX (2 hard tanks in rear floor and 1 center/bow), we quickly found out the MLS ballast wasn't near enough (Kind of a joke). we needed more ballast. For some reason my son doesn't like using the (manual) wedge. I put 2- 400 # er's (W713) in the rear and a 500# sitting on the front seats, in addition to the stock ballast in the boat, and that seemed to produced a wake big enough that my son liked.

What I absolutely hate is a bag sitting on the front seat, It gets in the way, pain in the a$$, lose the seating, you have to fill/empty manually, etc etc.
Any recommendations on a sac for the bow of the VLX thats not in the way all the time (under seats) or ??????
Space is pretty tight under cushions is it not??
Also, this may sound dumb, but what is the point of pulling out the hard floor tanks, when you can supplement, with a additional rear bags?? Hard tanks are under floor, and that leaves a ton of locker space. Am I missing something????
or ...should I dare say.... sell the boat and go back to a 24 ft boat???


Thanks
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Dude that boat can put out a monster wake some people say the best. On my phone or I would send you all the links. First leave the hard tanks add a plug and play. You can get it at Bakesonline.com. Get some 1100s. May not need it all for wake boarding. But that boat loves to surf so you need to let her play from time to time. Do you have a center ballast if so you can get a plug and play for that and add a sack up front it will fill about 60% I think the X2s now sack fits best. Many. Just add lead up front. That boat is a bow hog it likes like 500lb up front. So 300lb in sack and200 lead. Also the boat come with I believe a 537 prop to really do the boat some good you may want to go to a 1235. Find a crew member in your area with that boat and ride one sacked out its a beast.

Edited by Bradley Thornton
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Hey Ryan/Bradley, Thanks for the info. I was thinking of the intergrated sac but I was unsure if it would fit under seats and what capacity it would hold. If need be I can plumb fill/empty pumbs, vents, wiring etc. I am kind of thinking that I have only a center tank, that runs from between console and goes forward. From what I remember there is only 3 displays for 3 tanks.

Brad, your right about the 500#'s up front. We filled the 3 extra sacs (2 rear & 1 sitting on bow seats). My sons and his friends said the wake on the VLX was as good or better than the Tige we had. I'm not overly crazy on bags of lead though, not sure what the alternative is besides under bow seats?

I wouldnt have a problem with a expensive Jabsco pump for the bow sac... seems to be simpler and easier.

I would think I would only have to install 1 vent originating from the top vent at the front of theat sac?

Also would I have to split the fill/empty lines so the intergrated sac would empty properly? I'm thinking with only 1 line fill/empty line 1 leg would never fully empty??

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Do a search on ballast you will find many diagrams and different ways to do it. I like a over flow and and a check valve on the inlet with a line reverting it to the overflow so I can see when it is empty. I added 2 reversible pumps one thing to know is mount them impeller down.

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This boat does make a monster wake with the right weight in the right spots. It loves nose weight. If u don't have the bow tank that's about 350# u absolutely need plus a 400# in the walkway. So try and get about 750# total up front. Fill all stock ballast plus I have 565# plumbed In rear lockers. Mine is really nice but I'm thinking of adding another 3-400# in the nose. Definitely need a 1235 or u won't plane out for awhile...

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We went from a '06 Tige24V to a '06 VLX late last year.

Now that I have the VLX (2 hard tanks in rear floor and 1 center/bow), we quickly found out the MLS ballast wasn't near enough (Kind of a joke). we needed more ballast. For some reason my son doesn't like using the (manual) wedge. I put 2- 400 # er's (W713) in the rear and a 500# sitting on the front seats, in addition to the stock ballast in the boat, and that seemed to produced a wake big enough that my son liked.What I absolutely hate is a bag sitting on the front seat, It gets in the way, pain in the a$$, lose the seating, you have to fill/empty manually, etc etc.

Any recommendations on a sac for the bow of the VLX thats not in the way all the time (under seats) or ??????

Space is pretty tight under cushions is it not??

Also, this may sound dumb, but what is the point of pulling out the hard floor tanks, when you can supplement, with a additional rear bags?? Hard tanks are under floor, and that leaves a ton of locker space. Am I missing something????

or ...should I dare say.... sell the boat and go back to a 24 ft boat???

Thanksed-bow-sac.html

Leave the hard tanks and add bags.

I would go with this sack for the bow. It will give you about 300lbs or so.

http://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-integrat

Plumb it in to a Jabsco pump. Totally hidden, and no manual filling/draining.

I had that exact sac for sale but I just sold it today. W711
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I'm curious....

Does this love of nose weight fall back to my year as well? (2001) I'm about to drop 750#'s in each rear locker. I have the ski locker bag already and no wedge.

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werd. I was planning on putting a w711 under the seats in the bow. i would like to keep the seating open for people. we usually have people sitting up there.

You can nose over in your boat with any thing over 300 on a rough day. Plum it I'm under but give extra slack in all your hoses. The fact is the only time you will need more than that you will be very heavy weighted and will probably just be the boys out then just disconnect put on top of the seat and reconnect and fill to 500.

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Hey Ryan/Bradley, Thanks for the info. I was thinking of the intergrated sac but I was unsure if it would fit under seats and what capacity it would hold. If need be I can plumb fill/empty pumbs, vents, wiring etc. I am kind of thinking that I have only a center tank, that runs from between console and goes forward. From what I remember there is only 3 displays for 3 tanks.

Brad, your right about the 500#'s up front. We filled the 3 extra sacs (2 rear & 1 sitting on bow seats). My sons and his friends said the wake on the VLX was as good or better than the Tige we had. I'm not overly crazy on bags of lead though, not sure what the alternative is besides under bow seats?

I wouldnt have a problem with a expensive Jabsco pump for the bow sac... seems to be simpler and easier.

I would think I would only have to install 1 vent originating from the top vent at the front of theat sac?

Also would I have to split the fill/empty lines so the intergrated sac would empty properly? I'm thinking with only 1 line fill/empty line 1 leg would never fully empt

Yup, just one vent. Don't quote me, but I think you could use a Y fitting to send the water to each leg. I would ask the guys at Wakemakers first, to be sure.

http://www.wakemakers.com/hose-barb-wye.html

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You can nose over in your boat with any thing over 300 on a rough day. Plum it I'm under but give extra slack in all your hoses. The fact is the only time you will need more than that you will be very heavy weighted and will probably just be the boys out then just disconnect put on top of the seat and reconnect and fill to 500.

I think I will end up with a intregated sac and a smaller sac I can put underneath the bow insert cushion. I'll probably configure a shut-off valve so I can fill/empty that bag with the same pump that will do the 711 under the bow seats.

Does anyone know how much weight will be in the 711 under the seats. I wouldnt expect too much I guess?

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Do a search on ballast you will find many diagrams and different ways to do it. I like a over flow and and a check valve on the inlet with a line reverting it to the overflow so I can see when it is empty. I added 2 reversible pumps one thing to know is mount them impeller down.

I also like the idea of the discharge coming out of side. Is this what you are referring to?

wakemakerdiagram_zps2a46c46c.jpg

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1. It seems the Jabsco is the choice for pumps over the Johnson?

2. These pumps are self priming correct, so they can mounted above water level?

3. Can 2 Jabsco's work of off 1 intake?

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1. It seems the Jabsco is the choice for pumps over the Johnson?

2. These pumps are self priming correct, so they can mounted above water level?

3. Can 2 Jabsco's work of off 1 intake?

Yes they can be mounted above the water line. I wanted to run 2 pumps of one intake also, wakemakers advises against this. While it will work, they told me it will cause the pumps to burn out.. The Jabsco is a better pump and also comes with a switch, the Johnson does not. So after you buy a switch they are almost the same price.

Edited by wheelman
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If a reversible Jabsco pump is used for a bag, could it be rigged with 1 hose from a thru hull in the bottom and be used for not only intake but discharge also? I guess the question is "is there any passive water flow when pump is not activated?

ie would the bag drain automtically.

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If a reversible Jabsco pump is used for a bag, could it be rigged with 1 hose from a thru hull in the bottom and be used for not only intake but discharge also? I guess the question is "is there any passive water flow when pump is not activated?

ie would the bag drain automtically.

Yes you can use the same under hull intake to discharge the bag, there will be no passive drain with a properly installed check valve. The only reason I didn't drain through under hull is you do not know when bag is finished emptying, unless you are listening for the change is sound of pump(stereo always on so no way gonna hear) with over the side of hull drain you can hear the water stop or look and see if it has stopped coming out. impeller pump do not like to be run dry and even though they have run dry protection i want to shut my pumps off as soon as the bags are empty

Edited by wheelman
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Yes you can use the same under hull intake to discharge the bag, there will be no passive drain with a properly installed check valve. The only reason I didn't drain through under hull is you do not know when bag is finished emptying, unless you are listening for the change is sound of pump(stereo always on so no way gonna hear) with over the side of hull drain you can hear the water stop or look and see if it has stopped coming out. impeller pump do not like to be run dry and even though they have run dry protection i want to shut my pumps off as soon as the bags are empty

If your draining out the bottom, you dont need a check valve. The pump will act as a check valve. But I agree with you, to drain out the side. Much bettter way of doing it.

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I also like the idea of the discharge coming out of side. Is this what you are referring to?

wakemakerdiagram_zps2a46c46c.jpg

Yes this is the way you also can add a check valve to the over flow and run the drain out the same as the overflow.

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