I need a drill for tight spots...

[talltigeguy]

It is a long story, but my MC ballast system was both designed and built on a Friday afternoon at 4:30. So I decided to fix it. It has turned out to be a much bigger project than intended, just because you can't just pop hoses off that have been in place for 4 years. So anyway, after much tugging, pulling and standing on my head to reach this crap, I am about done. I suspect the ballast was completely installed as one of the first items on the boat, because trying to do it now is a reach.

Anyway, I have to drill a couple of holes to get the pumps to stay in place and reaching them is a bear because it is in a small area behind the engine on the back wall. A simple drill won't work because there is not even close to enough space. I asked at Lowe's and the guy suggested this small gear doohickey that attaches to the end of the drill and then makes a 90 degree angle. Then I could drill it that way. But then with my drill more than a foot long, I have space issues to the side as well.

There are tons of little screwdrivers that would fit in a very small space, but no drills that I can find. I have about 4 inches in front of the area that needs to be screwed and almost a foot to the sides. Roto zip makes an attachment that is flexible and about 18 inches long. That might be the only way I can go, but wondered if anyone else knows of a tool that would work.

Help!

[wallacmc]

Tall,

I thought I read on a thread somewhere you are a doctor. Why not "borrow" some kind of surgery device that you guys have. Or, maybe you have dentist friends???

[dougpaper]

attachment for the roto tool is what i use, go to sears and check them out

[thtrog]

Our maintenance departments uses this for light duty work....we've had it several years now.
http://www.google.com/products/catal...wAg#ps-sellers

[talltigeguy]

Tall,

I thought I read on a thread somewhere you are a doctor. Why not "borrow" some kind of surgery device that you guys have. Or, maybe you have dentist friends???

I don't do much drilling...the dental stuff is probably out of my price range.

attachment for the roto tool is what i use, go to sears and check them out

The attachment is like $30 at Lowe's. Might be my best bet.

Our maintenance departments uses this for light duty work....we've had it several years now.
http://www.google.com/products/catal...wAg#ps-sellers

Something like that is just right, but didn't want to spend $120.

Good ideas so far guys, thanks!

[zad0030]

I thought you could rent tools from Home Depot or Lowes.

Maybe thats just heavy duty stuff...

[Guapo]

I have a right angle drill like that...come on over...you can borrow it...

[chpthril]

A right amgle air drill, common in body shops, is what you need, but it will take a 60 gal/90 cfm compressor to get up enough rpm's.

[ajholt7]

X3 on the right angle air drill. Harbor Freight has some for about $50

[Dan and Christy]

Larry, pull her on down to Henderson. My buddy, and neighbor, is a Snap On rep. I am sure we can borrow whatever we need.

[dom w. forte]

It is a long story, but my MC ballast system was both designed and built on a Friday afternoon at 4:30. So I decided to fix it. It has turned out to be a much bigger project than intended, just because you can't just pop hoses off that have been in place for 4 years. So anyway, after much tugging, pulling and standing on my head to reach this crap, I am about done. I suspect the ballast was completely installed as one of the first items on the boat, because trying to do it now is a reach.

Anyway, I have to drill a couple of holes to get the pumps to stay in place and reaching them is a bear because it is in a small area behind the engine on the back wall. A simple drill won't work because there is not even close to enough space. I asked at Lowe's and the guy suggested this small gear doohickey that attaches to the end of the drill and then makes a 90 degree angle. Then I could drill it that way. But then with my drill more than a foot long, I have space issues to the side as well.

There are tons of little screwdrivers that would fit in a very small space, but no drills that I can find. I have about 4 inches in front of the area that needs to be screwed and almost a foot to the sides. Roto zip makes an attachment that is flexible and about 18 inches long. That might be the only way I can go, but wondered if anyone else knows of a tool that would work.

Help!

What are you doing to your ballast?
On the MC we work on at are shop one of MC mistakes in my opinion, is they mount the pumps with the impeller on top for easy service , but this cause pump failure when the pump leaks into the motor so we have changed the pumps around for more durabilaty.

[talltigeguy]

What are you doing to your ballast?
On the MC we work on at are shop one of MC mistakes in my opinion, is they mount the pumps with the impeller on top for easy service , but this cause pump failure when the pump leaks into the motor so we have changed the pumps around for more durabilaty.

They have changed ballast setups multiple times in recent years.

In 2006, they did it like this: There is a large check valve after the inlet and then a manifold with 5 outlets. 1 outlet for each tank (3 of them) and then the other 2 are for discharge. This is connected to 3 Jabsco pumps. It fills great. The thing that bothered me was the discharge. Regardless of which pump was running, the discharge goes back into the manifold and then out both the right and left side. I have this OCD thing with the right should drain out the right and the left out the left and the front out the front. So I re did all the piping to achieve that.

The pumps are mounted behind the engine and there is not enough space for them. If they put them all together, they would be too close and the pumps can't fit because the hose coming off the pump runs right into the next pump. So they put one pump upside down to make them fit. Guess which pump went bad on me in the fall? The one that was upside down. $200+ design flaw there for sure. I also moved the front pump to a location near the front of the boat now...so the rear pumps can be rightside up and so can the pump near the front.

The current (2007+) MC setup does not have a check valve and just simply discharges under the boat through the inlet. That is way unacceptable to me. Then you don't know when the pump has emptied the tank...plus it just reminds me of how a girl pees, instead of a man over the side of the boat

My boat ain't no kind of wussy girl that pees out the bottom.

[helmut]

Tall I have the same issue as far as the discharge lines going back to the manifold. I think the manifold thing is dumb on my year model you can't fill all three at the same time which SUCKS. So thinking of adding two more through hulls to bring water in. How did you bypass the manifold on the way out? I too am an evil MC owner. Down the road will probably be in a Tige once this X2 killer comes out.

[talltigeguy]

Tall I have the same issue as far as the discharge lines going back to the manifold. I think the manifold thing is dumb on my year model you can't fill all three at the same time which SUCKS. So thinking of adding two more through hulls to bring water in. How did you bypass the manifold on the way out? I too am an evil MC owner. Down the road will probably be in a Tige once this X2 killer comes out.

I don't know of any setup that makes it so that you can only fill one ballast at a time, unless it was some homegrown setup. The whole purpose of a manifold is to divert a single fill line into several smaller ones that can fill simultaneously.

What year is your boat?

Maybe post up your issue on www.TMCowners.com and someone with your year and model will probably chime in with help. They are not as awesome as the Tige folks unless you have a 1985 direct drive...then they are all over it...but they are still pretty good nonetheless.

[helmut]

Its a 2002 X Star so very early on in the ballast building for boats. When you run 2 or three pumps it starves the thru hull which I think is only a 1 inch. Thats why its a problem. I have had discussions Dom at Fortes he looked at it and its just not built well. I would assume your manifold the through hull is MUCH larger than mine. Others have the same problem with my year model. Most are doing new thru hulls. Was curious since your bypassing the manifold on sending the water out how you were doing that? Would agree Tige owners are much better with stuff like this.