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2009-2014 ish era wakesetter ballast switches


isellacuras

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2 hours ago, jalama said:

By the way, sweet shop @Fman. Nice Land Cruiser too!

Great meeting you....I am glad Brian was able to use the shop, would be a bummer to not being taken advantage of.  He did a great job on his install, it's fun to see how everyone puts a little of there own ideas in each install.

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Ugh!!!!  I hate this stuff!!!  So originally I ordered 3/4" vent hose and hardware (fittings, check valves and y's) but realized my factory stuff was larger diameter so I re ordered 1" stuff. Turns out the factory stuff is 1 1/8"!!!!!  I guess I'm placing another order tomorrow. It looks like the elbow quick connects are 1" and 1 1/8" compatible. Am I seeing that right?  I was considering just getting the 1 1/8" y's and heating the hell out of the 1" hose to make it fit but after reconsidering, what's an extra $80 or so to do it right with 1 1/8" stuff?  Looks like I will have a big return going back to WM. Too bad they don't take hose back. Anyone need 20' of 3/4" hose cheap?

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7 minutes ago, isellacuras said:

Ugh!!!!  I hate this stuff!!!  So originally I ordered 3/4" vent hose and hardware (fittings, check valves and y's) but realized my factory stuff was larger diameter so I re ordered 1" stuff. Turns out the factory stuff is 1 1/8"!!!!!  I guess I'm placing another order tomorrow. It looks like the elbow quick connects are 1" and 1 1/8" compatible. Am I seeing that right?  I was considering just getting the 1 1/8" y's and heating the hell out of the 1" hose to make it fit but after reconsidering, what's an extra $80 or so to do it right with 1 1/8" stuff?  Looks like I will have a big return going back to WM. Too bad they don't take hose back. Anyone need 20' of 3/4" hose cheap?

Do you have both 3/4" and 1" hose, or just 3/4"? I need some 1" hose if you have it.

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3 minutes ago, mikeo said:

Do you have both 3/4" and 1" hose, or just 3/4"? I need some 1" hose if you have it.

I have 35' of 1". I figure I will need 15-20'  of that for plumbing in my front bag down the road. I could spare 10-15' if that could get you by. Not sure how often you're up in Sacramento but you can have it if you pick it up. 

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Brian imo save the $80 and use a heat gun....it won't make a bit of difference for performance.  With a heat gun you can definitely make it work.

Edited by Fman
  • Like 2
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4 minutes ago, Fman said:

Brian imo save the $80 and use a heat gun....it won't make a bit of difference for performance.  With a heat gun you can definitely make it work.

I tried to get the 1" on the stock hard tank fitting and I had all kinds of struggle with it. I was using my wife's high end blow dryer (she's a stylist) but I know that's no where near the heat of a fancy $10 harbor freight heat gun. I would much rather do that if I can get it to work. I would only need to get 1 hose onto the 1 1/8" y fitting at the vent through hull on each side. Sorry @mikeo, looks like I might give it a shot with the 1". 

Edited by isellacuras
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@isellacuras seriously agree with @Fman here -- go to harbor freight and get one of their $8 heat guns.  THat 1" stuff will get soft and gooey and fit on 1 1/8" fittings no problem.  Heat gun is WAY hotter than a blow dryer.  WAY hotter.

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Just now, isellacuras said:

I tried to get the 1" on the stock hard tank fitting and I had all kinds of struggle with it. I was using my wife's high end blow dryer (she's a stylist) but I know that's no where near the heat of a fancy $10 harbor freight heat gun. I would much rather do that I I can get it to work. I would only need to get 1 hose onto the 1 1/8" y fitting at the vent through hull on each side. Sorry @mikeo, looks like I might give it a shot with the 1". 

no problem, here's a tip instead of a heat gun: either in the kitchen or near the boat with a camp stove, boil a small pot of water and heat the ends in the water. You don't have to get it all the way to boiling, but it's much more even heat than a heat gun.

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I agree. The dryer worked perfectly well to get the right size hose on he right size fitting. I figured with a real heat gun I could make it work. I did worry about the structural integrity after heating tho. Now I just need to order 2 x 1 1/8" y fittings. Thanks guys. 

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The trick with the heat gun is to only heat it until it gets soft, but before you get it (literally) smoking.  Basically get it just to the point that it gets gooey.  Once you do it a time or two it's real easy... basically the end of the hose gets "shiny" and then it's flexible.  I understand @mikeo's preference for the boiling water method, but that's a big pain (IMHO, YMMV, etc etc).  The heat gun takes about 30 seconds.... don't have to haul out the stove, boil the water, etc.  Heat gun is also good to have for heat shrink for your electrical stuff anyway.  Great investment for this kind of project.

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I will figure it out. I know I should get a heat gun for home. I am also sure I have access to one or many at work. At the same time, I may use mikeo's suggestion, only because I can do it in the kitchen since I only need to do two connections.  I can put the 1" to the y in the house (pot o water) and slip the 1 1/8" on in the boat (blow dryer). Now that I know it will work, I will figure it out. Should be easy from here. As always, I appreciate the help. 

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2 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

@isellacuras seriously agree with @Fman here -- go to harbor freight and get one of their $8 heat guns.  THat 1" stuff will get soft and gooey and fit on 1 1/8" fittings no problem.  Heat gun is WAY hotter than a blow dryer.  WAY hotter.

And be careful setting it down once you heat it up!  it will put a burn in anything real quick! especially vinyl or flooring....

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37 minutes ago, Fman said:

And be careful setting it down once you heat it up!  it will put a burn in anything real quick! especially vinyl or flooring....

or your forearm!

(I now bring a small scrap of plywood to set it on just for this purpose)

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7 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

or your forearm!

(I now bring a small scrap of plywood to set it on just for this purpose)

LOL, seriously I am glad I am not the only one who burned there forearm....yeah it happened to me last year:( Great idea using a piece of plywood for a landing zone!

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I'm venting to the opposite side. Is it better to put the check valves closer to the bag or closer to the thru hull?  Or does it matter?

Edited by isellacuras
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40 minutes ago, isellacuras said:

I'm venting to the opposite side. Is it better to put the check valves closer to the bag or closer to the thru hull?  Or does it matter?

Do you need a check valve? If you are venting opposite side that should eliminate a siphon. 

The check valv would just prevent water coming into the bag from the thru-hull and I don't see that as an issue 

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Just now, Stevo said:

Do you need a check valve? If you are venting opposite side that should eliminate a siphon. 

The check valv would just prevent water coming into the bag from the thru-hull and I don't see that as an issue 

The check valve lets you suck the bag flat and get more water out of it.  Not necessary but nice.

  • Like 2
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1 hour ago, isellacuras said:

I'm venting to the opposite side. Is it better to put the check valves closer to the bag or closer to the thru hull?  Or does it matter?

It would only impact the amount of standing water you could have in your vent line. If you are not worried about water coming in through your through hull, then you could place it wherever along the line as performance should be the same in both scenarios. If you are using a "y" connection and draining out the same through hull above water it would have a larger impact on placement.

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Due to sharing a vent line, I am going far from bag, close to vent. I figure that's the high side too so water should drain into bag, even though 10' of 1" hose isn't a lot of volume. Almost done. Got it all plugged in, wired up and functioning. Waiting on 1 1/8" y fittings and it'll be done. For now I just put the check valve on the end where the y is gonna go and I'll throw that overboard when we fill. Going out tomorrow for a few sets. Gonna be 70* here. Will take pictures soon. May need to make a couple changes based on where the end of hose fittings go into the bags. I'm happy with the looks and tomorrow we'll see about function. Thanks for all the help. 

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Would putting the check valve closer to the thru hull be better? I was thinking if the check valve is down by the bag, doesn't that leave more water in the line between the check valve and the thru hull that cannot be removed? Since the bag will be deflating and getting lower relative to the thru hull as the bag drains wont this "capture" water in the vent hose?

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40 minutes ago, lonestar said:

Would putting the check valve closer to the thru hull be better? I was thinking if the check valve is down by the bag, doesn't that leave more water in the line between the check valve and the thru hull that cannot be removed? Since the bag will be deflating and getting lower relative to the thru hull as the bag drains wont this "capture" water in the vent hose?

I don't think you are going to get all of the water out with a check valve on either end, unless you get air to enter to break the vacuum.  The bag "raisins" because it is compressible.  The ballast hose won't get compressed from suction.  Think of a straw dipped in a glass of water with your thumb over it.  

really I don't think it matters much.

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I agree that it probably doesn't matter. I also thought of the straw scenario. If you introduce even a tiny bit of air, you loose that suction and the water drains out. Even if air is introduced from the bottom, sometimes that straw will empty. Just thinking that maybe the bouncing of the boat may break the suction from the bottom/bag side of the hose, draining it out. My logic is fuzzy tho. 

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