If I wanted to add an MTS to my prostar - could i use my existing shower pump???

[bbeach]

So maybe its the coffee this morning but last night it was just me and a buddy out skiing and I didn't have enough weight to level my 1990 prostar out. And that got me to thinking about the MTS system that MC offers. I did a search on here and found a few threads about installing your own MTS system by H2OSkEEFREek in his 85. That's all well and good but what if I wanted to use my hot water shower pump, rather than go through the trouble of buying another pump and plumbing it. I know crazy right!

So here's what I'm thinking. Currently my setup is this DIY shower I built. I've got a hot water shower pump mounted under the observer seat - hot water comes off the lower petcock on the block - cold water is T'd off of the raw water intake hose on the engine - both water sources flow into a brass T fitting with adjustments all located inside the bilge. The water is then plumbed up into the bilge access panel under my observer seat to the pump - from the pump to the shower hose in the passenger side gunnell.

Here's the question (if you're even still reading! ha):
Can I tap into my water source on the output side of my shower pump (going to the shower at the back of the boat) with a two way ball valve plumbed into a hard plastic tank also mounted under the observer seat area (up under the bow) to get the fill for the MTS system? Really the only two issues I see are the water will be "hot" going into the tank - does this really matter? and two - how do I empty the tank when I need to get rid of some weight? Could I also plumb a line to use the shower pump to pump the water back out of the tank when I want to through the shower hose at the back (granted it won't be hot anymore but who cares!)? Then in a sense I'd be using one pump (which I already have mounted and wired) and simply add my new tank and a few new plumbed hoses.

Thoughts - ideas - comments?

Again I haven't really mapped this out yet - just thinking out loud here this morning.

[bbeach]

maybe i'm overthinking this... If I have to get into the storage area anyway to flip the T-Valves in order to fill the tank... Why not just mount a 25 gallon tank under the observer seat with a screw on cap - then plumb a drain line into the bilge with a T-Valve when I want to empty the tank.

When I need the weight I simply open the cap - turn on my hot water shower and fill it up to the necessary weight to level out the boat - then when I'm done with it, just open the valve and drain the water into the bilge and use the bilge pump to send it on its merry way!?

thoughts?

[BrianM]

Sounds like you could make either of those ideas work pretty simply. Or do what I did and fill two canvas bags with lead tire weights.

[bbeach]

If I needed the weight all the time I would use lead weights - but sometimes there might be 3-4 of us out skiing and sometimes its just myself and a driver.

If I plumbed the whole thing to work with my shower pump the major hurdle would be adding a vent through the hull (that'd be a PITA and I'd have to drill a big hole in the boat!)...

Do you think a 25-30 gallon tank would be sufficient? That's 172-200 lbs right?

[corey]

You might be able to find a hard tank that someone took out of an X-1 (common with ballast upgrade kits) This tank should fit up under the observers seat, plus they are taller than wide so it wont rob all of your storage.

If you are going to go through all the work of installing this I'd recommend installing a dedicated water pump, it will fill and drain faster and better. The Jabsco pumps are the way to go but if you are cheap like me you can go down to the ole' Fleet Farm and get a Simer Pump for about $75

[bbeach]

Corey my boat already has a Shurflo 2.5GPM pump installed for the shower. Why would I need a second pump? (third actually if you include the Rule bigle pump)

[jwroblew]

I'm with BrianM on this one, get some shot bags, throw them in and out in 30 seconds, insteed of 30gal / 2.5 gal/min = 12 min. If you trailer your boat keep them in your garage and throw them in before you go out, if its only going to be you and a driver. Or if you keep your boat parked by a dock, like me, keep them in the boat and throw them on your dock if you and a bunch of other people are going to go out. Also I wouldn't think you would need 200lbs of ballest, I only use 75 in my boat and it seems fine.

[bridomine99]

bbeach,

I took the mts out of my boat because I wanted the storage space and unless Corey advises me to keep the tank / pumps so I can put them back in when I trade the boat into him someday; I could possibly be talked into selling the whole setup. I don't know what it is worth, but would entertain the idea if you were interested.

Brian

PS: I'm in the twin cities area and Corey I really do want to hear your opinion on this. I will never want it in there, but have been hanging onto it for the "next owner".

[corey]

Brian, Hook the guy up! I won't bag on your boat for not having the MTS. My wife and I ran a 190 a couple years ago and since we don't live on the lake I prefered the added storage of not having one.

bbeach, 2.5gpm is pretty slow in the grand scheme of things, as someone that uses ballast frequently I think long term you would appreciate faster fill and drain times. Also the simer and jabsco pumps are reversable making them a nice clean install for fill and draing situations.

[agua4fun]

If you go the DIY route, you will need some sort of vent to let the air out of the tank when filling.

[PolarBear]

This is a ways back in my memory (6 years ago) but the guy I bought my boat from used to use a pump he would plug into the 12V acc plug. He would put the hose in the lake and pump it into a fat sack (he had quick disconnect fittings on the pump and fat sack). I think he had a way to reverse the pump (or use it in the opposite direction) when he wanted to pump it out. Then no plumbing or major electrical work.

[bbeach]

PM'ed you Brian... thanks

[Patrick Hardy]

bbeach, your idea sounds great, but a lot of work. In my 190 i do just what PolarBear above said. I have a Fat Sac and a Fat Sac reversible pump to add around 100 to 300 Lbs. at any time. Here is a site with a few options..www.barefootcentral.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=28
The Pro X Series Fat Brick (with handles) looks like it would work good. Just my 2 cents.http: