WakeWorld - Help please with FAE install on SV211

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- Archive through December 15, 2008 (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=655460)

- - Help please with FAE install on SV211 (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=649213)

Since it looks like a challenge, there’s five things I’d like a better idea about before installing an FAE (fresh air exhaust) on an SV211. The basics are, that the SV211 has a swim platform mounted by removable brackets. These brackets are two pieces and resemble (but are not exactly like) these other models of CC removable (swim-platform) brackets. [See picture posted, in next post.] Again, these removable brackets are two pieces, with unknown names, but I’m calling one a ‘hitch base’ and the other a ‘removable hanger,’ which has a vertical slotted-sleeve for seating onto a hitch post of the hitch base. The hitch base is bolted onto the outside of the boat’s transom (the removable hanger bolted/screwed to and underneath the swim platform). The SV211's swim platform is supported by three such removable brackets. Hence there are three hitch bases bolted on the outside of the transom:– namely, a left, right and center one. The center hitch base is mounted by six bolts, which extend through the hull, and are secured by nuts tightened from inside and at the very rear of the engine compartment. TAKING THINGS APART. 1 - What is the best way to get at the (six) nuts for taking off the center ‘hitch base?’ Some suggestion somewhere was to pull out the left (passenger-side) ballast tank. Really? Eek. Access to the nuts has me reaching around at an awkward angle of attack – and behind – a large, cross-wise, horizontal pipe (about 12" OD x 48", I’d guess, and raw water heat exchanger, I’d guess again). As it is for me, those six nuts are at the furthest end of my reach, and my wrist is at no comfortable angle to apply twist. 2 - Does the ‘backing hardware’ for the center hitch base come loose after the six mounting nuts and bolts are removed? I can feel that the nuts are not tightened directly against the inside of the hull’s transom, but against some stress-distributing hardware. I’m calling it ‘backing hardware’ in my questions here. 3- What does that ‘backing hardware’ look like? (If not known, then what’s the best guess.) PUTTING THINGS BACK TOGETHER. 4 - Is it tricky to get the center hitch base back into correct alignment when re-mounting it (except this time together with the FAE-specific bracket) to the rear of the transom? It appears if the center hitch base has to be aligned fairly accurately such that its hitch post is contained in a vertical plane parallel with the vertical planes containing the left and right hitch posts. In other words, the three hitch posts appear to need to align on parallel axes or else the three removable hangers won’t seat properly. 5 - After the (a) center hitch base and (b) FAE-specific bracket are together bolted/re-bolted back onto the transom, does the FAE-specific bracket interfere with the seating of the (center) removable hanger? It appears that it might. Thank you. (Message edited by John211 on December 04, 2008)

Call the guys at FAE, they are super helpful.

... and Larry reads this site too. So, anybody who helps me here will be helping Larry as well.

I would be a little worried about the platform not seating onto the transom easily. Being an ex-Nautique dealer, the platforms always slid onto the transom brackets snugly and I would think if you added a mounting bracket in between the fiberglass and transom bracket, it would move it far enough that the platform may not go back on. Now I'm not sure how big the mounting hardware is for the FAE and that could be the difference between it working and not. The other remedy could be to add shims to the left and right transom mounting bracket so that all the brackets have been moved back the same amount.

The FAE-specific bracket mounts flush on the transom 'hitch base.' So, the transom 'hitch base' is not truly being displaced (by mounting FAE). However, the six mounting bolts have to come out in order to get the FAE-specific bracket not only flush on transom 'hitch base' but also so that the bolts can be inserted in holes in the FAE-specific bracket. One of my concerns above is, once the transom 'hitch base' is taken off, how readily is it returned to its original position -- or is this not critical if it is a bit askew? (Indeed, FAE supplies replacement, longer bolts to do the job.) (As an aside, 08/09 CC models appear to have provided hollow rectangular fixture between the transom and hitch plate. That way, permanently-installed bolts hold the fixture to the transom (hull) and other bolt-and-nut sets that are wholly and readily accessible from outside the boat hold the hitch base to this new fixture. It seemed evident that, the provision of this fixture was intended to make FAE install easier -- but that's just a guess.)

hopefully someone who has done it will have the answer for you. otherwise, you could put the hitch base on finger tight...put the platform into place resting on the outer brackets that are firmly secured, and tighten the middle hitch base screws down.

I hope that someone who has actual experience responds, like ??? In a day or two I'll search names and send PM requests to respond. I want to do a careful job, as in the past. <a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/586986.html" target="_blank">http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/586986.html</a>

thanks salt. that's a good idea.

I just noticed that that the CC removable brackets shown in the picture are opposite to mine in this way. On mine, the hitch bases carry a solid post (and not a slotted sleeve as shown) and thus the removable hangers are provided with the slotted sleeve that slides over the hitch base's solid post until seated.

sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words... <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/649555.jpg" alt="Upload"> <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/649556.jpg" alt="Upload"> <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/649557.jpg" alt="Upload"> <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/649558.jpg" alt="Upload">

Installing the FAE on the 211 is a moderate job, just takes time and patience but it's not that tough. 1. Remove the starboard ballast tank 2. Vacuum out the storage area and hull at the rear of the boat. 3. Remove the 6 bolts from the center platform support (don't be surprised if they shear off) 4. Replace the 6 bolts with longer bolts and reinstall the center support with 5200 sealant (it helps to have a friend outside the boat to keep the bolts from spinning, rigging a wrench or using vice grips to keep them from spinning works too). 5.Install the big hose on the exhaust and insert the FAE. 6. Cut the upright square bars to length (better to error on the long side and cut twice than to error on the short side) 7. Bolt the FAE up sandwiching the square bars between the FAE support and the platform bracket. 8. Replace ballast tank Without too much head scratching time you should be able to do it in one afternoon. The platform bracket clearance between the FAE support arms is pretty tight but it fits nicely. Even if it is an interference fit it works because the platform is heavy. I suggest you wear long sleeves and thin gloves when working inside the boat, there can be fine strands of sharp cured fiberglass that you will bump against. I ended up with a couple small cuts.

Thank you! You’re very generous to do as you did. (For sure, you’ve already spread some holiday cheer.) Well, if a ballast tank must move, then it must – but glad to know it can be the starboard side. Work should be more comfortable from there. Also glad to be prepared for the existing bolts to shear off. Unexpected things like that can provoke doubts like ‘...am I about to make a mess (of, say, this expensive boat) or would this happen to anybody else who’s trying to be reasonably careful?’ Even though I can’t get to this until early next year, I’m likely to come back and post some more pics and remarks about the experience, for the benefit of anybody I suppose, and not just other 211 owners. (California looks nice this time of year. My helper and I will be working in an un-insulated boat locker in which my space heater might not do a lot of good. We’ve had plenty of below-freezing days already. Psyched because ... always manage to scrape off a knuckle or two in temperatures like that.)