www.iFourWinns.com

Seems the previous owner manually left the front bilge pump on for me and it of course ran dry (panel switch was on when I got the boat). Since I cannot buy the same model any longer (Attwood v1250), I will need to replace it will a new one and will need to screw the new one into what looks like a mounting plate in the bilge.
Frankly this scares me a bit as I would not like to drill new holes in the bottom of the boat. Can someone who has done this before please let me know the process? Is it as simple as pre-drilling and screwing it in?

Steve.

_________________
1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

When you take the screws out of the old one, save them and fill the holes with caulking. Then use these screws or screws the same length, you know they are short enough not to go though anything important.

The forward bilge pump is usually not mounted directly to the hull. If you need to predrill, use some tape on the drill bit to set the depth a little shorter than the old screws

_________________
2008 V358 Two-tone Blue V/P Dual Prop 320 HP
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

That and some bilge pumps have a bracket designed to screw into the side. This way the pump sits as low as possible while being clipped into a bracket alongside.

Just about any brand pump will work, just get one of similar or greater capacity. You will very likely have to make new wiring connections. It's best to use watertight connectors for the job. Or at the very least an inline splice that's watertight. DO NOT use wire nuts as they're not physically secure nor are they water tight. For something crucial like a bilge pump you want it done right.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I replaced all of my bilges when I bought my boat just for the sheer fact that I didnt know when or if ever they were replaced. the advice given above is great. I found my forward bilge pump had a slight raise in the floor where it sat where there was some extra thickness to drill into. As mentioned above, use the existing screws as a guide so you know how far to go. One more peice of advice, mount your connections (either with zip ties oir wire brackets) as high up as you can so they would never be sitting in any water. I also used water tight connections but then also silicones around them to be sure water would not get to them.

_________________
1999 298 Vista [color=#FF0000]Sold!!!
twin Volvo 5.7GXI

Woody: Pour you a beer, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: Alright, but stop me at one...make that one-thirty

I added an extra pump to my boat. I used ones that had a base, that if the pump itself needed to be replaced, it could just snap out of it. As in some of the Atwood pumps. I too hate to drill into the hull, I used 4200UV, it is fast curing. Don't use 5200, it is slow curing and a more permanent bond. I would use butt connectors, the type with heat shrink tubing. Even plain butt connectors, than use a little caulking at each end to seal it.

Bill is right on the wire nuts, but if you're in a bind. I full them with caulking, this will make it water tight and give the nut a better hold on the wires. If it helps, I have used 1" of heat shrink tubing every 8 to 10" on the wires from the pump. Acting like tape or wire ties to hold them toghter.

I've bought a 1500 to replace the 1250, I think I will be able to drill new holes in the plastic base to match the existing holes in the boat so that should be easy. Now I'm trying to trace the wiring, it seems the previous owner has changed something because I only see 2 wires into the existing pump, and it's only the manual trigger, no auto or direct from battery. Also the wires at the pump look like 18 AWG or so and the new pump requires 16AWG. In the wiring schematics it shows 14AWG and I've verified this at the breakers so that's good. Just need to change out the 5A breaker for a 10A and make sure all the wiring is at least 16AWG to the pump.

Steve.

_________________
1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD

It sounds like you bought a pump with the float, in other word, an automatic pump. the third wire should be for the auto mode going to the float switch. So you should the ground wire to the NEG side of the battery. The the other wire, to manual turn the pump. Which you have found. Now take that third wire (auto mode) use a in-line fuse, about 3 amps & connect it to the POS side of your battery and you're done.

I would always have more than one pump! If one fails, you have the other one to fall back on and wire it to the 2nd battery. If you have more than one.