Loosing Prime After Fill

[bait28]

I have a 2013 Z1 with Pro-Ballast and just finished a week out on the lake. I have a priming issue (right rear so far, sometimes rt front) often during the first attempt to fill from the lift or after a fill and surf and I attempt to add back water that has drained out. If I remove the pump from the housing and put the pump back in, that often fixes the issue (rear or front). Is this normal? Is there something I should check?

Pumps are Tsunami with red plastic check valves, and the exits from the pumps are 90 degrees. Any help would be great

[bait28]

Here a two pics
IMG_3236.jpgIMG_3235.jpgIMG_3237.jpg

[chpthril]

Id be surprised if all 3 of those dont air lock from time to time. SB has a downward loop in the hose and the other 2 are oriented with the outlets down.

[freeheel4life]

Im fighting this battle with a customer that is four hours from dealer right now. About to just put in two reversibles on full side and up fuse in medallion, but will most likely chase same problem as well (same vintage design on a z3). His outlet and hoses are definitely leaving uphill so not going to say that is issue. Driving out next weekend to try and figure it out while I also change out manifolds due to overheat.

[bait28]

Id be surprised if all 3 of those dont air lock from time to time. SB has a downward loop in the hose and the other 2 are oriented with the outlets down.

I have read a few other similar threads and it seems the idea is to remove downward loops and turn the pumps so exit is level or upward sloping? Is it realistic to turn each pump as now the hoses are too short or rerouting that runs into the upper floor?


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[chpthril]

With the 2 side by side on the port side of the keel, puts the outlets downward. In a perfect world, they would be best rotated about 180*. However, as you pointed out, the hose length is likely going to be a factor. Hose is not overly expensive, so swapping those short runs would be mostly time consuming. With that said, Tige has been known to use an adhesive on those threaded connections. Turning them could result in a broken pump, ball valve or slight leak after words.

[IDBoating]

I have read a few other similar threads and it seems the idea is to remove downward loops and turn the pumps so exit is level or upward sloping?

"Think like an air bubble." Imagine yourself as a bubble of air in the pump body. You will naturally rise through water. The pump's outlet and the hose connected to it should allow an air bubble to naturally rise out of the pump and well downstream in the hose. Thus when the pump starts up, it is always guaranteed to be full of nothing but water and have a water column at its output against which it is pumping.

Conversely, if you have the pump outlet oriented downward, an air bubble will want to get trapped within the pump itself (since the interior of the pump is higher than the pump outlet). As aerator pumps are not self-priming and don't make an airtight seal, this will prevent the pump from priming properly. Likewise, if the hose just beyond the pump goes up and then down, a bubble will get trapped at the "high spot". That is what ChpThril referred to WRT the "SB" pump, you can see its output hose go up and then loop down under the pump. I would expect a bubble to get trapped just about the spot where that ziptie holds the green wire and wire loom to the hose.

[IDBoating]

Also, I'm not too enthusiastic about those bullet connectors on the "SA" pump. Those are not waterproof connectors. Granted if the water gets that high you have other problems too, but that's precisely when you need your electrical system working so your bilge pump(s) can be helping to get RID of such deep water. Hopefully you'd only pop a breaker or fuse on that one circuit, but you never know....

[chpthril]

Those are not waterproof connectors.

They look to be heat shrink, so i would guess that Tige used the gel filled heat shrink. If so, they are waterproof and proven to be as good as an uncut wire.

[IDBoating]

If they're gel-filled heat shrink, then I agree. But at first glance they look like those male-female bullet connectors with the soft rubbery insulators that are common in marine applications, and those are definitely not waterproof.

I also didn't see those connectors on any of the other pumps, which made me wonder if that pump had been replaced after initial factory shipment.

[bait28]

Ok I rerouted the hoses and moved the SA to the SB and SB to SA. (See Pics). It actually looked like someone may have switched them?

I also switched the head units so the tige touch controls the correct pumps. Now the SA (the troublemaker) has a constant rise and the SB and PB no longer have a dip. How does this look?
IMG_3242.jpgIMG_3241.jpgIMG_3243.jpg

[bait28]

I just now read you reply thank you. Something isn't quite right. I looked closer at the connectors and they are not filled with gel. Also the hoses were mis plumbed it seems ( I have now replumbed them sell below) and the white screw on collars to the tsunamis have the "pipe wrench effect" seemingly from someone working on them.

[lancehon]

They're totally heat shrink connectors so you're good

[IDBoating]

They're totally heat shrink connectors so you're good

Only if they're gel-filled. Otherwise, no guarantee of watertightness.

I try to install pumps by using the full length of their own leads (which are connected in a waterproof fashion) to get them as high as possible as quickly as possible, then making connections to the main wiring. Solder (do NOT rely on crimps in a high vibration environment), then gel-filled heat shrink.

YMMV, just my $0.02, standard disclaimers apply, etc.

[bait28]

Only if they're gel-filled. Otherwise, no guarantee of watertightness.

I try to install pumps by using the full length of their own leads (which are connected in a waterproof fashion) to get them as high as possible as quickly as possible, then making connections to the main wiring. Solder (do NOT rely on crimps in a high vibration environment), then gel-filled heat shrink.

YMMV, just my $0.02, standard disclaimers apply, etc.

Out this week and the rerouting worked pretty well especially the SA side. Need to work a bit more on SB PB. Thanks for the advice guys.


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