TIGE BALLAST SYSTEM

[Surfdad]

The second picture with the bench seat open, shows the extension of the sac. Again, it's all one sac.

[talltigeguy]

Great picture! I never considered a bag with that wierd of a shape before. To make sure I understand, the bag is about 1 foot deep under the seat, but the full depth of the locker? I assume it is the same width throughout. Thanks so much for the suggestion, I think that really fits my needs pretty well.

[Lucky 275]

Rival Install

here's a few pics of the manifold in my 22v, Lee did the install. Fly High now makes a bag for under the front cushions of the bow.

[Lucky 275]

another

[Lucky 275]

front sac

[Surfdad]

Hey Tall, you've got the idea. I actually ordered the bag a little big all the way around so that it would fit into all the nooks and crannies. So the extension that fits under the bench seat is about 20 inches tall by 30 inches wide. The back is...oh shoot, 42 inches tall by around 30 inches wide. The excess sort of mushes into any gaps and fills that with ballast.

[talltigeguy]

Great pics, Lee. Thank you very much. What is that large rectangular black piece?

I spoke to Kevin at Rival yesterday and he was very supportive of do-it-yourselfers, and was very helpful. I'm leaning that way right now.

Surfdad, does the wall next to the engine bow inward when your sack is full? Because I've now damaged my back wall by overfilling the compartment with sacks, it no longer articulates with the back portion of the wall separating the storage locker and engine compartment, so I worry about putting too much pressure on it.

[Lucky 275]

That's the main gate, so you can open it up and fill the bags while under way (fills much faster) and then close it once you get the ballast set up how you like it. We used the 4 available switches one the right side of the dash to control the ballast (1 main gate, 1 front, 1 rt rear, 1 lt rear)

[lee]

The black unit is a electronic gate/valve that controls the flow of water into the system. To fill just open gate then start pumps or just drive down the lake and the force will fill the tanks/bags on their own. When bags are full, close gate and turn off pumps. Takes about 5 mins to fill and 5 mins to empty complete system. Lucky 274 has our combo unit with hard tanks in the back and U shaped bag in the front.

[Surfdad]

Hey Tall, yes I had the same problem also with the plywood wall bowing in towards the engine and also the guides pulling out. Long before I got this new Fat Sac I had a buddy replace the guides and make an aluminun wall to replace the plywood one. I honestly don't know anything more about the materials or how he made the parts. It took care of the problem, though.

[Paublo]

The hydraulic pressure from bags can be pretty significant. I remember a thread on wakeworld a few years ago where someone overfilled an oversized bag that then cracked the top deck on a Skier's Choice boat. If I remembe right, warrantee was denied as it was not a design or manufacturing issue, but a user issue-overfilling an aftermarket bag.

I have some pretty big bags in the back of my 22V, but have not had a problem with them pushing out the dividers next to the engine.

Surfdad, I would be very careful about the bag that you are using. By having a portion of the bag that is higher in elevation to the lower finger that extends to the front of the boat, you have the potential to do some damage. If the bag is properly vented, you should be ok. But think what pressure you might have if the bag gets filled to the max, the vent gets pinched, and someone heavier (like me) steps on the portion in the back locker. I would hope that the bag would split before pushing out a panel or boat section of seating- but who knows?

I have the Rival system and as I have said before, it is great. I have had a little problem with the RV style valve though. Maybe it is the AZ heat, the water or whatever- but the valve tends to get stuck afte a few months. After two replacements, I have gone to a manual fully ported ball valve, so there is still the same flow and no restriction. I hooked up cable wires to the handle to open and close the valve by just opening the engine hatch. Now after some more thought, the guys at Rival are going to cut a small hole about 4-6" dia. under the seat cushion, directly above the valve to make access easier.

I know that everyone else has had good luck with the elec. valve, but I'd rather not replace another one. This winter my next project is to add a fifth bag (another one in front under the bow cushion) and use the swithch location on my dash from the valve to control the additional two pumps. The pump manifold will also acomodate up to 5 pumps. Sorry for the long rambling.

[Lucky 275]

Boat Ballast Pressure

Paublo, I followed that thread pretty closely. There was a defect in the vent of the bag and didn't allow for the water to escape when it became overfilled. Skier's choice did cover it as a defect.

[talltigeguy]

Main gate

The main gate has to be opened for water to enter the manifold, right?

Someone said that the system fills faster with the boat moving...is that because the water can enter the manifold more quickly, or can the pumps be turned simply by the water pressure entering the manifold? Will the bags fill if you were to accidentally leave the main gate open, but don't turn the pumps on?

Paublo, did yours get stuck open or closed?

[Lucky 275]

I normally will get within a few minutes of where I'm going to ride. Open the gate, turn on the pumps and it's full by the time I get there.

It'll fill without the pumps on, if you are under way and the gate is open. It shouldn't fill if you are sitting still. The bags/hoses are above the waterline.

Not sure if it's any faster to have the pumps on while underway or not. I just do it, cuz the pump switches are right next to the manifold switch, on the dash.

[Bog]

it will fill faster as you move because water is forced throught the scoop intake in your hull. It is nice that it works that way so if your pumps malfunction your system will still fill. Empting is another story