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Fake a Lake Questions


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I've only used a fake a lake once, back in the fall, to winterize my boat. Didn't run into any issues then. I went to help a friend change his engine oil on his boat this evening and we ran into issues with getting water to come out the exhaust. I was wondering if maybe I might be doing something wrong. Seems like a simple task but obviously didn't have much luck :/

I'm assuming...

- Water should always come out of the exhaust, regardless of engine temp or thermostat status

- It shouldn't take long for water to come out of the exhaust if the cooling system isn't primed (maybe 15-30sec or so)

....Am I incorrect with these assumptions?

We...

- Hooked up the fake a lake

- Turned water on

- Started the engine

- Noticed water to come out of the exhaust for first 30sec or so (assuming water that was already in the cooling passages)

- No water came through the exhaust after

- Ensured that the FAL was centered around the raw water intake and was making a good seal to the hull

- Pressed on the FAL plunger to ensure good seal to hull

- Ran the engine for 2 minutes and still no water out of the exhaust

- Turned engine off

We started the engine for 10 sec or so a few times after. Each time, it appeared that the water leaking at the FAL decreased and there appeared to be some suction on the FAL. Turned the boat off and noticed water to drain out of the water intake upon disconnecting the FAL from the hull. This makes it seem like the raw water pump drew water into the system to prime it but didn't make it all the way through to the exhaust? Any thoughts on what I could be doing wrong?

Thanks

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Check your impeller???.

That is one of the next things I was wondering on but was wondering if I was doing something wrong with the FAL. I am assuming the impeller worked because the boat wasn't overheating or anything prior to pulling it out for the year. Planning to do an impeller change in the spring so I guess I'll check that then. Thinking I might just do a cold engine oil change with a pump connected to the oil drain hose for this season.

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ahopkins22LSV

Impeller as suggested above would be where I am looking first along with the trans cooler screen.

Cold engine oil changes aren't bad. I just let mine drain through the oil pan hose overnight. With your friends being a v-drive you may need to add an extension on the drain hose. Can be done very cheap with parts from any auto parts store.

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Impeller as suggested above would be where I am looking first along with the trans cooler screen.

Cold engine oil changes aren't bad. I just let mine drain through the oil pan hose overnight. With your friends being a v-drive you may need to add an extension on the drain hose. Can be done very cheap with parts from any auto parts store.

The v-drive hoses are long enough to drain out the transom drain plug. They only stick out an inch or so but it works fine.

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Sometimes you have to bump the throttle to increase the rpm to get the suction going.

If there is water being forced into the intake via the FAL, there is no need for the impellor to create a vacuum to suck the water from the intake into the impeller, as water being forced into the intake and the next stop is the impeller!

You do need to make sure the FAL is sealed as tight as possible against the bottom of the boat, and that the hose bib is turned on 100% open...rightie , tightie, leftie loosey.

Edited by WINEGRAPEGROWER
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Similar thing happened to me this year, boat ran great at end of season. Hooked it to a FAL a month later and could not get it to prime. Took it to the ramp and same problem. Changed impeller (which was only a season old) and installed a flush pro ( I wanted to see water running in the system). It ran great on flush pro, haven't gotten to run it on the lake this summer yet. Nothing really looked wrong with the impeller but changing it fixed the problem I was having. I would do that before anything else.

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there is no need, but it does happen. Can even happen when launching the first time each year.

It definitely happens. After burning thru an impeller from this....and the fact that the FAL can & does occasionally shift or even fall off as your jumping in & out of the boat (as the trailer springs compress), I made an adapter that goes from the garden hose to the raw water intake on the v-drive. Costs less & I can control the water flow from inside the boat.

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I have seen FAL collapse from too much pump suction vs hose water pressure and so not let enough water into system. Make sure hose is turned on full and pressure is good.

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It definitely happens. After burning thru an impeller from this....and the fact that the FAL can & does occasionally shift or even fall off as your jumping in & out of the boat (as the trailer springs compress), I made an adapter that goes from the garden hose to the raw water intake on the v-drive. Costs less & I can control the water flow from inside the boat.

Do you have a Pic of your install?

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It definitely happens. After burning thru an impeller from this....and the fact that the FAL can & does occasionally shift or even fall off as your jumping in & out of the boat (as the trailer springs compress), I made an adapter that goes from the garden hose to the raw water intake on the v-drive. Costs less & I can control the water flow from inside the boat.

I did the same thing. Cheap and easy. Not sure if it's needed but I have a Y fitting on the garden hose with one end going to the adapter and one end hung on the tower. That way the head pressure at the adapter is only about 5 feet and does not force water into the system. Some household systems run at up to 70 psi.

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Hi everyone. Thanks a lot for all the great replies! I appreciate it.

Next steps

- Do a cold oil change. I bought one of those Jabsco impeller oil changer deals. (Overkill but if I am going to be doing 2 changes every year and helping friends/neighbors it makes sense). I'm planning to get a fitting that will attach the pump to the oil drain hose.

- Replace the impeller in the spring

I hear you all on the FAL issues as well. I also had the FAL come undone on my wakesetter in the fall. Something I definitely don't want happening again. I plan to install some sort of a flush valve on my personal boat, and maybe on my buddies as well. Just need to decide if I want to go homemade or with a perko or something similar. I don't like the plastic of the perko. I also like the idea that it could be used for winterizing. Run it to temp, drain the block, then run antifreeze to be extra cautious I am guessing. Any advice there also would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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Hi everyone. Thanks a lot for all the great replies! I appreciate it.

Next steps

- Do a cold oil change. I bought one of those Jabsco impeller oil changer deals. (Overkill but if I am going to be doing 2 changes every year and helping friends/neighbors it makes sense). I'm planning to get a fitting that will attach the pump to the oil drain hose.

- Replace the impeller in the spring

I hear you all on the FAL issues as well. I also had the FAL come undone on my wakesetter in the fall. Something I definitely don't want happening again. I plan to install some sort of a flush valve on my personal boat, and maybe on my buddies as well. Just need to decide if I want to go homemade or with a perko or something similar. I don't like the plastic of the perko. I also like the idea that it could be used for winterizing. Run it to temp, drain the block, then run antifreeze to be extra cautious I am guessing. Any advice there also would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Go Homemade.A130D0CF-FC12-4E38-AB56-D76FC864233D_zpsC382E9DA-4703-4609-931C-6D8D8781E835_zps

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About 6 years on the Perko Flush Pro and still going strong. I have a hose connection on a thru-hull that is plumbed directly to the flush-pro.

I remove the FlushPro after winterizing and keep it inside with the wax and other liquids and so it doesn't see the cold of winter.

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