Which water pick ups should I buy?
 

The set up- 35 Lighting single step, 500 EFIs, sea strainers, Bravo 1s with low water pick ups. So I have owned the boat for just over a year now and these ****** low water pick ups have caused 3 different problems. The crap that they pick up and send thru my cooling system has ticked me off to no end. So I was thinking about installing thru hull raw water pick ups during the off season and getting rid of the low water pick up lowers and maybe even going as far as installing extension boxes and shorties. I was wondering if there are any Fountain owners out there that have completed any of these type modifications and what headaches or successes that they have had.

Does the boat have sea strainers?

Says so in the first sentence...........^^^^^^^^

Thru hull water pickups will cost you speed over the bravo low water pickup.

Maybe try putting some house screen cut into the shape of the inside of the strainers to help keep finer debris out?

You're never going to keep everything out of there. It's amazing what's floating around and getting sucked up. Without the strainers you'd probably never know. Even in the cleanest water you or somebody rubs the bottom your transom pickups will suck it up as well. If you weld up the lowers you get trapped water that can be bad for winter without removing lowers or drives. Wait till you see what the Imco's can suck up.

I went with imco adjustables. I have strainers also. They are a nice piece. I put block off plates on the inside of the transom assemblies. As far as boxes go I know some have used them on 35s but from a lot of reading they don't seem to help. No one has done boxes only without other mods I've found but speeds reported of various boats over the years the boxes seem lower than those without. I would avoid that for now or try that and nothing else and see what benefit you find. We already have a nice notch which gives our props cleaner water.

I'm curious what sea strainer you run. I just ordered one to stop the debris from getting in. I hope it's not the same one I ordered. LOL

Hardins

Thanks

I just order a Hardin. Hopefully i got a different model.