installing a threw floor water pick up
 

Hey guys i have a 06 Daytona blowen big block that i am going to put a adj. water pickup threw the floor in the very back where the drain plug is as close to the center of the boat as i can. I got it from Hardin Marine it is a very nice pickup has a o-ring to seal the pick up to the body. What is the right way to do this? Lets say the boat bottom is 3" thick with a Balsa core. You drill the 1 1/4"" hole for the pickup tube to slide in too and out the bottom of the boat.Then you screw down the top plate and seal top plate down in side the boat. Two things, One the adj tube must have space so you can move it up and down. Well that would leave the balsa core exposed to water? What do you do here? Dont want a big gap for water to slam up in to and soak the core? The 2nd thing the pick up end that hits the water has a big 45deg angle cut in it. So if i made the front of the pick up even with the bottom of the boat the back side will be down like 3/4"!! I think that will be way to much, so do i trim the angle or just adj the tube up? If i adj the tube up then the front of the tube will expose the core in the boat. I think trim her so the front of the tube is flush with bottom of the boat.

Sorry so long just dont want to screw this up!!!

THANK YOU Skydog

You have to remove the core around the hole so it won't wick up water. drill a 1/4" hole then use a 5" Hole Saw to cut out the core, sand & feather the edge and glass back over it (it is the right way)..

10 4 so you are saying that top plate bolts to just the bottom layer of the boat? So lets say from the inside of the boat out. You have glass,basla core then glass. I cut out the glass and balsa core and bolt plate right to the bottom layer of the boat? Then i seal her all up from the inside up? Any pics you know of? I can not find anything and of corse the kit came with zero instructions.

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, Cut out the inside glass and core, Then sand/taper the edge of the core and glass over it again. Cut the hole for the pickup when finished. that way everything is water tight and no chance of saturating the core.

Just make sure that the balsa wood has no possible way of getting wet otherwise you have just signed the death certificate to your boat! i know from experience what happens to a balsa wood core boat when it gets wet.

Perfect!! I got you!!!!!:evilb::coolcowboy:

Thank you

Yes buddy i know about that my frist boat was a 78 Hydrostream with a wet floor no good...:lolhit::lolhit::angry-smiley-038:

Skydog P.S. If i do it just like SpeedDoc told me know way it can get wet.:drink:

One last thing SpeedDoc you are saying i should glass over the pick up inside or just angle the balse back and just put some resin on the core? And i must use bots that go all the way threw the bottom of the boat? Do i just counter sink them so the bottom of the boat is smooth/flush and put some sealer on them like 5200?

Thank you so much!!!