Feeding Raw water washdown pump

[Big Zeke]

I'm plumbing in a raw water pump, the boat is equipped with a 4.3 and Alpha 1 Gen 2 leg. I am not comfortable with cutting in a thru-hull fitting below the waterline in the transom (a similar hole caused me a new transom a few years back). Is it OK to feed the pump by cutting a fitting into the cooling water line from the leg into the engine (probably upstream of the power steering cooler). I'm always concerned with developing a leak in the line feeding the pump, I doubt my bilge pumps could keep up. I'm sure the leg puts out way more water than my washdown will use so no conerns of starving the cooling system. Cutting into OEM hoses (expensive ones at that) make me slightly less nervous.

Are there other alternatives?
Zeke

 

[wolf]

I wouldnt your engine needs as much water as it can get and then some. you could always run a hose on the outside down to the water line and strap hose fitting to hold it ,ive done that before

 

[gungadin]

If you have access, room and are willing to put a hole in your transom a foot above the waterline this will work. You need a plastic thruhull that you can tap the outside hole to a pipe thread size. I think a 1 1/4 will accept a 1 inch pipe, but do your homework on this as my memory is fading. Oh yes, get one with the thickest plastic so the threads don't pierce the thruhull. In any event, after installing the thruhull, install a plastic street L (home hardware ) , don' t glue it but use a teflon pipe sealant on the threads. Point the tube end towards the hull bottom and push in a piece of appropriate sized pvc pipe into it so that it sits just above the bottom of the hull. Again do not glue it in, untill you know the length is correct. On the inside of the hull run the pickup hose to your washdown pump, it helps to warm up the plastic hose with a heat gun to soften it a bit. You may need a barbed adapter and a short section of larger hose to fit the thru hull. You can also install a one way check valve to prevent wster in the lines from syphoning back into the sea, Fish Assasin did this with his setup, but I don't recall where he got it. But it sure is better than washing down the decks with a bucket.

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

put a good brass thru hull through your hull and seal it with sikaflex and connect a shut off valve to it. if youre uncomfortable doing this, hire someone.

 

[wolf]

thats what i did i know its scary to do but got 2 now a wash down one and a transducer

 

[wildthing]

is your boat running a sea water pump
then just plumb into that line i just use mine when not running the main engine
i tee'd in just before the pump
all so put in a 1" pvc splitter so i can connect the garden hose to this and flush with fresh water
saves having to try plug the raw water intake with a converted toilet plunger
i'll post a couple of pics up

 

[profisher]

My wash down draws water thru a bronze seacock drilled thru the hull as IFL suggests to do. Seems like a scary thing but not really. Just make sure you drill were you have a flat surface on the inside...coat the hole with epoxy to seal it, let dry...use the Sika bedding compound...the only thing you need a hand with is someone to tighten the nut on the inside while the thru hull is held in position from the outside. Real easy job.

 

[Hookin'up]

x2 with Pro and IFL,
use a bronze intake attached to a ball valve attached to hose running to wash down pump sealed up with sika,
its the only way, I have 4 in mine now all the same way, and is moored 11 months of the year, if done properly no worries, its just the uneasy feeling of drilling that first hole, just make sure you use a quality ball valve so you can shut it off when not in use and your golden