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2009-2014 ish era wakesetter ballast switches


isellacuras

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I have a 2012 VLX and I'm looking for some pictures of where people have mounted switches for custom ballast projects. I'm hoping to get started next week and want to narrow down the location of the switches. I think it was BrettB that had them located in the open compartment behind the throttle but I use that compartment quite often so that is out. I'm sure I will be cutting up my panels or dash but just don't know where yet. I will be mounting 3 switches for L, Bow and R. Thanks in advance. 

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I'll have to get a picture from a family members boat, but he put the switches in a small plastic project box and mounted that to the bottom of the dash (below the 7" screen) and it stays out of the way and didn't require cutting in to any upholstery. I may be able to get a picture in the next day or two, but I know I'm going to be on the road. I'll post something by Friday.

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If you have this space open it works great. If not this is the WM multiple switch assembly with the pre-wired plug in wire heads on the back of the switches. You could place the switches pretty much any where you want, but I would shy away from upholstered areas unless you have worked with upholstery before. 

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You can get those switch plate sections just about anywhere that sells the common Carling style .75 x 1.5 rocker switches. You just need to ends and then how ever many middles you need for the number of switches beyond 3. 

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This is how I did my 2011,13,15 VLX's.  I always liked this spot, it was easy to access the switches and there was plenty of space to work with behind the panel.  It is very easy to cut the hole for the bezels.  There are plenty of options out there.

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My install isn't really really worthy of its own thread so I'll just post a few pics of my install here. For the most part, I am taking ideas from what I have seen on the forum and building my own. Lots of copying of @Brett B and Fman. For now, I am only installing the lockers and will add a pump for the bow down the road. First of all, a big shout out and thank you to @Fman .  While he's waiting to take delivery of his new LSV, his giant, beautiful shop sat empty so he offered for me to do my install there instead of in my driveway. What a blessing this has turned out to be on this first 1/2 of a day of the couple day project. Way better than working on the boat late into the evening, outside on my cold, damp driveway. Thanks to @jalama and Eastburn for passing me tools, cold beers and providing moral support as I drilled my first 1 5/16" holes under the boat. 1" through hulls went in easier than expected. I have dedicated through hulls for each pump. I use my drain plug for oil changes so I didn't want to tie up the 3/4" drain for a pump inlet. Both through hulls are on the port side of the motor. I mounted my switches in front of the throttle ala Fman and others. So in the first 4 or 5 hours, both thru hulls are installed, rough plumping is done except for vent lines (which will run to the opposite side of the boat). All the pump wiring has been pulled though the gunwales and power wires pulled from switches, under the helm, behind the bow tank and through to the blue seas distribution block that will be mounted on the back wall of the observers comportment. I'm not real good at documenting my progress but here's a couple pictures. 

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5 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

3 switches, 2 through hulls.  Where's the third?

Going to the front but I have to pace myself financially. Figured I'd cut the switches in once. When I add the bow pump, I will use the mid ship drain plug since I never pull that one. Today was full of challenges.  After installing the thru hull last night, I spun the ball valve onto the thru hull and the thru hull spun in the boat. Guess we didn't get it right enough last night. Will need to re install when I can get someone out to give me a hand. Not much room to work down there for a big guy like me. When I ordered from wakemakers they suggested going with 3/4" vent hose and hardware to tie into the factory vent. Turns out I have 1" so I had to order all new stuff along with some extra hose since I was about 2 feet short to make my final run. And then there's the blue seas distribution block.....  the wakemakers pre wired kit has baterry terminal and fuses on them. I was torn on using the block or just wiring to he battery. I decided to use the block so I will have double fuses. Anyone know off hand what size power and ground is recommended for the blue seas distribution block block? Gonna stop at frys on my way back out there tonight. Other than a few little hiccups, things are going well  

 

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The answer to the question about the wire gauge into the block depends on (a) how much power you plan on running through the block at one time (its rated for 100A), and (b) how far your power (and ground?) runs to the block are.  

If you are pulling power and ground from the battery, I'd do 4awg. If you are pulling it from the starter/block you could get away with 8awg I'm sure.  I'm pretty sure each pump is running on 10awg?

On the through hulls, what I have found works best is to coat up the bottom of the mushroom with sealant of choice and have someone spin on the through hull from the bottom (usually you can wedge something like a pair of needle nose pliers in there to turn it) and then hold the backing nut with a crescent wrench from in the boat and get it tight.  then while the helper is still down there, spin on the ball valves while the helper holds the through hull still, just so you don't do what you did.  I don't know if that's the "pro" way to do it but that's what I've done after having encountered the exact "not tight enough" scenario you describe.  That way the ball valve is already on when the 5500 is setting up, so you shouldn't really ever need to rotate the through hull again for a while.

Ugh re the parts.  haha I've got a whole box of random spares because of snafus like that.

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So I'd like to pull power from my perko switch so the pumps would be dead with de activation of the perko  but the terminal for my amp power is so thick that there was barely room for that and the boat stuff. I could pull it from the amp distribution block but I'm afraid of introducing an engine noise source (should I be?) so I am leaning toward direct connection to the battery. I won't be running much more from the block other than 3 pumps (2 for now) and maybe some LED's down the road. If I pull from the battery, it's a short run. I had never thought of pulling power from the starter. Is that a good source?  Kinda feel like I don't have many good options and battery is looking best. 

Edit: they suggested the Atwood sealant. I trusted their judgement. Should I not have?  What's even worst is I got my confirmation email from them and it show all the WRONG stuff before I edited my order. I even told them that I was concerned it was gonna get messed up. I was trying to make calls from Fmans pad but if you read his booster thread, it's no joke. Cell service sucks out there. 

Edited by isellacuras
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Another questions for you @shawndoggy or other electrical guys.  Since I'll be using the blue seas fuse block and the WM kit comes with inline fuses, should I run the double fuses and keep the 30A inline and put a bigger fuse in the blue seas or should I just bypass the inline fuse and cut the plugs off harness and wire directly into the blue seas block?  If that's the case, the WM wiring kit will prove to be a big Waze of money. I already have to cut the plug off at the pump side since the kit is made to use with their pumps. The regular johnsons don't have the plug. They are going to be making a plug for the kit but they won't be ready for another couple weeks at least. 

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pulling power from the starter is fine.  That's where malibu pulls power for surfgate.  The main engine block grounding point is close by too.

Remember you have to fuse the power run to the blue sea distro box whether you get power from the perko, the battery or the starter.

"double fusing" the power runs to the pumps isn't going to matter.  It doesn't add anything and it's (IMHO) cleaner if you don't fuse twice, but it's not going to hurt anything either.

Sealant doesn't really matter (again IMHO) as long as it's marine and rated for being under the water line.  

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I got lazy and cheap. I didn't want to pull power from the starter so I went directly to the battery. I may change the stereo terminal which is super thick so I can add the blue seas block to the perko but for now it'll do. Pumps are powered up and working. Now I just have to wait for round two of wakemakers order. 

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26 minutes ago, isellacuras said:

I got lazy and cheap. I didn't want to pull power from the starter so I went directly to the battery. I may change the stereo terminal which is super thick so I can add the blue seas block to the perko but for now it'll do. Pumps are powered up and working. Now I just have to wait for round two of wakemakers order. 

09D0E7CC-FC05-496A-8FF3-3996E27CCEFC.jpg

OK man I gotta say it but I really don't like using black wire for positive.  Whew, I feel better now.

You could still make that box switched by the perko if you want, by adding a big solenoid relay on the power feed between the battery and the blue sea fuse box.  You'd just energize the relay (make it close) with a positive input from the breaker.  I have one in my spares box if you want it.

Actually come to think of it I am sure I have some short runs of red wire from some power wire upgrades over the year if you want them.  I would sleep better at night. ;-)

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I like where mine are mounted. I don't want anything mounted below the dash so I can have as much knee room as possible. I'm 6'5" so it decreases my knee room. That's why I mounted my ZLD in the dash rather than below it. 

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Just now, isellacuras said:

I like where mine are mounted. I don't want anything mounted below the dash so I can have as much knee room as possible. I'm 6'5" so it decreases my knee room. That's why I mounted my ZLD in the dash rather than below it. 

I like your switch location better too.

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5 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

OK man I gotta say it but I really don't like using black wire for positive.  Whew, I feel better now.

You could still make that box switched by the perko if you want, by adding a big solenoid relay on the power feed between the battery and the blue sea fuse box.  You'd just energize the relay (make it close) with a positive input from the breaker.  I have one in my spares box if you want it.

Actually come to think of it I am sure I have some short runs of red wire from some power wire upgrades over the year if you want them.  I would sleep better at night. ;-)

Ha!  Bad lighting. The power is blue and the ground is grey. It's leftover exile 4 AWG power wire. 

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currently debating how to mount switches. what did you use to cut the hole for the switches those of you that mounted in front of the throttle. This is harder for me than drilling a hole in the boat for a through hull intake.

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I used a razor blade to cut the vinyl and backing foam and a dremmel to cut the plastic. The problems I had with dremmel was that I used a fully charged cordless which didn't have enough power so it kept shutting off. The other issue was as the cutting wheel cut through the plastic, the plastic got so hot around it and melted back together. And when i say "I", I mean a friend did the cutting as I fed wires up on the gunwales. As Jalama mentioned, Fmans shop made it real nice to work on the boat for 3 long days and late nights. Here's a couple pics of my boat in his shop. 

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