X7 Owners - What is Factory Ballast

(elmog) · (elmog) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-24-2003, 11:48 AM

I have a 197 with a tower and I am wanting to install a ballast system. I would like it to be as 'factory' as possible so if anyone has an X7 and can describe how the system is setup, I would very much appreciate it. Specifically, what pumps are used and where are they mounted? Where does the fresh water come from and where does it exit. Is there 1 or 2 switchs for the front and rear ballast. I know the rear bag is the rectangle MasterCraft bag that goes under the seat but what do they use in the front?

Thanks again in advance!

(tlb) · (tlb) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 06-24-2003, 12:58 PM

Just sold my X-7, but I remember the set up. there is no front ballast. The x-9 has one. The only ballast the boat has is the bag in the back. It fills and drains from the drivers side. the pump is next to the gas tank, the way to access it is to lift the carpet covered board covering the gas tank. There are two hoses connected to the other side of the bag that are overflow. The switch is a 3 position switch, center is off, forward is fill, back is empty. I never looked at the pump but I assume it is a reversible bilge pump of some type. It is a very simple system, but not very effective. You have to raise the back seat to the sun deck position to fill the bag. And we always ran two 350# side sacks beside the engine box, which didn't leave alot of room. You might consider just running a fat sack there and save all the hassle. Positioning, filling and draining the factory bag wasn't much easier than using a fat sack.

(elmog) · (elmog) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-24-2003, 1:41 PM

Tom - thanks for the quick reply. Where did the water come from? Was there a intake in the back similar to the X-Star? When draining, did it exit from another bilge-type hole under the rub rail? How many total hoses connected to the factory bag?

Thanks again very much!

(tlb) · (tlb) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 06-24-2003, 3:21 PM

Grant, I can't remember exactly where the water intake is, but it's somewhere between the tracking fins and the rudder. closer to the rudder. It looked just like the raw water intake for the engine. There is a bilge type hole in the side of the boat under the rub rail in back that the water exits from, and two more on the passenger side that are right next to each other for a total of three. I'm not sure why they need three. There are three hoses hooked up to the bag. One to fill and empty the bag, and two on the opposite side for overflow. My boat was a 2002 so it had the yellow bag. The material was really thin so the bag moved around some. The new bags are a bladder inside a bag that looks more like a fat sack. They look more solid. Mine looked like yellow jello. ha ha Good luck! e-mail me if you have more questions

(ryanbush11) · (ryanbush11) **Join Date: May 2003** 06-24-2003, 4:04 PM

the water exits on the bilge type holes, on both sides on a x star

(tlb) · (tlb) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 06-25-2003, 7:58 AM

X-stars have two ballast tanks, one on either side of the engine.

(mitchm) · (mitchm) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 06-25-2003, 11:40 AM

Love MC w/ a passion, but never really liked the sac setup in the x-7. A yellow bag on the floor is stock?? I thought it was a joke when I saw it. Beautiful boat though......

(elmog) · (elmog) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 06-25-2003, 11:41 AM

Tom - thanks again for the information. If anyone else can provide some detail on the MC Ballast systems, I'd really appreciate it. I purchased the new factory bag for under the seat. Even someone with a X5 or an X9, if they could share the details of how their systems works it would be great.

What kind of pumps and where and how are the hoses routed. Thx again!