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Titan I Install


Headhunter 2317

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I've been on the phone with Titan discussing how to do the self install.

Does anyone have any helpful tips?

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I've been on the phone with Titan discussing how to do the self install.

Does anyone have any helpful tips?

There was just a discussion on this topic and I think someone was going to put some pic or procedure together and post it. Hang in there, you'll get plenty of responses.

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mrothwell Posted Today, 01:06 PM

  do a search on WSR, I did this install last June.

In the interest of adding content here at TMC, and because I may be doing the same mod. in the near future, here is the post.

Jun 18 2004, 01:39 PM

It took a while, but I got the new (to me) boat. 99 Sunsetter Lxi. It was in good condition with a few little things to take care of. It needed a new steering cable, and the carpet was in real sad shape. Put the new cable in, and cleaned the carpet and it looks good. A few minor scratches on the gel that aren't deep, so they'll come out, and a few small puncture wounds in the vinyl, but only one that will need a new skin.

Overall, I'm real happy with my purchase. The boat runs and drives great. It has a better ski wake than my old Echelon, and it works well for the wakeboarders that are occasionally on board (pun intended). It was great yesterday to be out on the lake with 6 adults, 6 children and a baby, 3 pair of combo skiis (adult combo, youth combo, child combo), 2 slalom skiis, 3 wakeboards, barefoot boom, monster tube (3 seater that is huge), and all other gear (life vests, anchor, etc...). The only things on the floor of the boat were some towels behind the drivers seat and whatever vests had just been worn and still wet. We didn't feel crowed and had a great time. This is a huge difference from my closed bow Echelon.

Now, on to the Tower install -

I knew that when I got a new boat, that I would want to set it up to be an OK boarding rig along with a good ski rig. I got the T1 tower on the group buy as well as pair of low-rider racks (talk about perfect timing - thanks SkiCrave). The price was great and the tower is powder coated to match the boat - looks great. Titan was great to work with, since they are just 20 minutes away from my house, they let me pick my tower up a couple days before it was scheduled to be shipped, so I was able to install it before my out-of-town family showed up.

After getting the tower home, I read the install instructions, then I read them again, then I read the "measuring" and "drilling" steps 10 times each. Then went to HD to pick up one of the UNI bits that someone on this site mentioned. Then read the "measureing" and "drilling" steps a couple more times. I put masking tape in the area where the feet would be mounted and determined the best spot for the front feet. Interestingly, on this boat there was only about a 4 or 5 inch area where the feet could possibly mount. I then marked the center point and the holes. Then I measured for the rear feet and marked them accordingly. Then I measured from a different reference point, then another reference point, then re-measured from all reference points, then sat down and contemplated the drill sitting next to me. Went into the house and had my wife come out to verify my measurements. Then decided to take a break (ouch, my head hurts). Went back to the garage and measured one more time, grabbed the drill and drilled the first hole. I owe a great deal of gratitude to who-ever it was that told me about the UNI bit. That thing is incredible on fiberglass - absolutely no fracturing or gel chips. I then used a countersink bit to bevel the edges of the hole. It looked so good that I finished the first foot and installed it. Now I'm breathing a little easier and installed the other front foot. I then pulled the boat out of the garage to place the halves of the Tower together, just to make certain that the back mounts were marked in the correct place. They were, so I installed the back feet, attached the tower, and only had to adjust about an 1/8 inch of the front to make it line up perfectly. I put the racks together and mounted them. Looks great.

I realy like the looks of the tower on the boat. I cant say that I've always been a fan of the looks of the Titan, but have always liked the sturdyness and functionality. But color matched to the boat, I really like it.

Thanks to all on this site for help - even tho you didn't know you were giving it to me. I'll get some pix posted on the "rig" thread as soon as I get some - been having too much fun playing with my new toys to stop long enough to get pix of it.

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From the thread..........

Install advice and steps.

1. Like everyone has said before Measure twice and drill once..

2. Assemble the tower on the ground, install all mounts and hardware.

3. Using masking tape, tape over all the area's where the mounts will be

4. Using your beer drinking buddies lift the tower on the boat, with each person holding onto one mounting block. careful not to scratch the boat.

5. Determine the front mounting position, there is only a few positions for the mount to be positioned in order to stay flat on the hull of the boat.

6. Roughly mark the locations of the rear mounts.

7. Set the tower back on the ground and make sure it is on a level surface and sitting square.

8. Measuring the tower mounts on the ground, measure the distance from the front mount to the rear mount. At this time is it important to make sure the tower comes together properly at the top where they join. You can be off about 1-2 inches here if you are not careful. The two towers pieces should be joined together and be parallel with each other.

9. Mine was 81 inches from the front to the rear. I was measuring over - over, meaning from the front of the front mount to the rear of the rear mount.

10. Go back to the boat now and measuring from the center of the very tip of the bow, measure the distance to the two front mounts and make sure they are the same on each side of the boat.

11. After you are sure of the front position, using your measurement from the tower on the ground(mine 80 1/2) measure from each front mount to the rear and mark the position for the rear mount on each side. (This will be the same on each side) I had to squeeze the rear section with a ratchet tie down in order for it to fit centered on the rear hull.

12. Mark all holes using the backing plate as a template.

13. Reverse drill all holes until you get through the gel coat.

14. Now finish drilling all holes in forward, it does not take much effort to drill through the fiberglass - take your time and be easy with it.

15. Reverse drill all holes with a larger bit to chamfer the tops of the holes.

16. On the rear mounts on my boat - there is a PVC pipe for the wiring - use a yard stick, slide it in the pipe to hold the wires out of the way when drilling & cutting. You will have to notch 1/2 of the pipe out of the way in order to install the bottom backing plate and bolts for the rear mounts. I used a Dremel tool with a couple of different attachments to cut mine clear.

17. install all rubber gaskets to the backing plates and mounts and then bolt them up. Make sure to start all bolts before you tighten any of them.

18. Lift the tower again and install the front mounts first, then go to the rear. I had to squeeze the rear section in about 1" in order for the tower to fit inside the mounts.

I hope this will help other's installing this tower, as the instructions from Titan are pretty bad....

Titan Install from WSR

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