CheckmateScarab

Hey Guys,

Doing an alpha to bravo conversion, adding in a block mounted water pump (vbelt pulley). I have read a bunch of threads but there was no definite conclusion: My hull already has a transom mounted water pickup (1 1/4") and now I am adding a bravo with a low water pickup (not the side pickups) I would hate to let the transom mounted water pickup go to waste, but I also understand the drive's pickup help keeps the drive cooler. I have read some people run the drive's pickup to cool the shower, but without a pump how does it pick up the water? and regardless, I also have a drive shower installed

Basically starting from scratch with plumbing, adding a hardin marine 1 1/4" oil cooler tube (3/4" oil line + power steering line), theres no bell housing cooler. Standard setup otherwise, ~550hp

1. Is it possible to run 2 pickups? does that even make sense? would I need a Y splitter to a single pump? what about sea strainers and / or an overpressure valve?
2. Should I just uninstall the transom mounted pickup? I hate holes in the transom, especially below the water line so I would hate to have the previous owner's interesting choice go to waste

thanks for your help and knowledge

IGetWet

Easiest solution would be to remove the hose inside the transom assembly bellhousing. Water will still flow through the drive to help cool it but will then just dump at the transom assembly.

You don’t need two water pickups. The transom mount should be supplying more than enough water to the motor. Is there a pressure relief between the pickup and the water pump? If not there should be.

Water will flow through the drive just fine when you’re moving. I fed a two stage pump, basically two pumps, in the past off of just one drive pickup.

Edit: Read your post again. I would plumb from the pickup to a sea strainer with a port for a pressure relief, then from strainer I water pump.

DrFeelgood

Don't you mean to remove the hose outside the transom assembly? If you remove the inside you're going to fill your bilge with water forced in through the drive. You could fab up a simple enough blockoff plate to cover the mounting boss for the plastic connector on the inside of the transom assembly to prevent leakage.

IGetWet

Yes I meant the hose that runs through or “inside” the bellhousing, also called the helmet. Runs from the “helmet” to the outer transom plate. They do make block off plates that replace plastic connector on the inner transom plate.

DrFeelgood

Got it, I understand what you meant now. We had the same thought but the terminology was a little different.

IGetWet

Remove or even cut this hose

CheckmateScarab

Perfect, this is exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

I dont have the transom assembly on yet so I will remove that hose that you were talking about between the helmet and the assembly. Is that typically where people would run it to the shower? Any suggestions for the relief and sea strainer? Also looked at 2 stage pumps, they would be perfect here but most likely overkill and I would like to avoid that if at all possible

Thank you again, this got me on the right path and want to make sure I am using the best pickup location

IGetWet

I’ve seen some drill a hole and tap into the water passage in the upper of the drive then run a hose from there to a drive shower. Whether that’s worth it or not I think has yet to be proven. Biggest thing is to keep the water flowing through the drive.

Be sure to cap this where the that hose leads to



You really don’t need a sea strainer, they’re not cheap. You can just put an inline fitting like this one at the bottom of this link and a pressure relief off of that. Then drain it out of the boat from there.
https://www.cpperformance.com/c-121-...ef-valves.aspx
If you want to add a sea strainer, then just put the pressure relief valve in one of those ports.

boostbros

i,m not sure what you are trying to do? we run a 25 single with xr low water pickup and a single stage water pump on the engine we run north of 750 hp natural and have no heating issues .....the big issue is hull pick ups and weeds by picking up water deeper its better but i still shut it off out in the harbor and check and remove the weeds in the intake holes the thru hull pick ups plug up right at the hull forcing a swim to remove, around here the marinas become choked with weeds from mid summer on so the marina cuts them and they float its a pain in the bumm!

snapmorgan

iTrader: (2)

When using a through hull pickup, I drill and tap the side of the upper through the water passage and run a hose from there to a top cap style drive shower. Works great