What are these?

(jwmustangin) · (jwmustangin) **Join Date: Jan 2009** 03-16-2009, 5:15 PM

There is a knob that is just below the cd player on my 2000 air warrior elite v-drive. The knob says on the face of it "pull to close"? The knob pulls a cable that opens/closes a valve under the rear middle seat where the v-drive tranny is.

I see that it is a valve to control the waterflow into the center ballast.

WHY? what is the purpose? Doesn't the fill/empty switch on the dash do this? Is this some safety B.S.?

Something else I wanna know.... The grill that is directly in the center of the hull under the boat. What is that? I know that it isn't the intake for the engine water and that it is not the intake for the factory center ballast. I would check it out myself but Im lazy and I dont feel like laying in wet driveway. It has been raining here for the last couple of days.

(krbaugh) · (krbaugh) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 03-16-2009, 6:51 PM

The kind of fill pumps that are used wont keep the water in the tank you have to close the valve to keep the water from running out of the bottom of the boat. I am pretty sure that that "The grill that is directly in the center of the hull under the boat." is the fill for the ballast.

(treycleaton) · (treycleaton) **Join Date: Mar 2005** 03-16-2009, 8:07 PM

Actually, check for a screened through hull near the exhaust vent in the transom. If it is present, this is the ballast intake and the grill that is directly under the center of the hull under the boat is the water intake for the circulation pump. At least this is the build on my '02 Centurion Hurricane.

(jwmustangin) · (jwmustangin) **Join Date: Jan 2009** 03-16-2009, 8:14 PM

There are two cupped intake ports side by side about 12 inches apart in the bottom of the hull. These can be accessed through the rear middle seat. This is also the V-drive tranny compartment. I know that one is the intake for the fill pump for the factory center ballast (the only factory ballast). The other I know is the engine cooling water intake. The port I am questioning is toward the front from these two ports. It is in the center of the bottom.

(krbaugh) · (krbaugh) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 03-16-2009, 8:44 PM

cosmocat (treycleaton)
2002 and 2000 had different ballast systems

I am not sure why there would be 3 under the boat

(jwmustangin) · (jwmustangin) **Join Date: Jan 2009** 03-17-2009, 6:45 PM

bump...

(mikes) · (mikes) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 03-17-2009, 7:07 PM

don't know what the screen is, but the valve is a safety item. I believe that any thru hull fitting that is below the waterline must have a manual valve for emergencies,unlike the older inboards where it wasn't required

(bulletlines) · (bulletlines) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 03-17-2009, 8:25 PM

I had an 2000 Elite Air Warrior with the same valve. The only thing that it is for is so the ballast does not fill up on it's own from water pressure when moving. Leaving the valve open with pump off does not empty the tank.

Ken Land
Bullet Lines
www.bulletlines.com

(krbaugh) · (krbaugh) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 03-17-2009, 8:56 PM

Hmm fill, empty I am always getting those two confused

(krbaugh) · (krbaugh) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 03-17-2009, 9:36 PM

"don't know what the screen is, but the valve is a safety item. I believe that any thru hull fitting that is below the waterline must have a manual valve for emergencies,unlike the older inboards where it wasn't required"

That is true for new boats but he is talking about a 2000