Installing Faria Depth Gauge & Air/Water Temp

[Joeprunc]

Well I've finally decided to add a depth gauge to my old boat, and splurged to get gauge that has the air & water temperature readings as well.

I have a 1995 2000SLM Comp boat for reference. The depth gauge transistor is the transom mount kind, but I am going to epoxy it to the hull (probably somewhere close to the packing box, or maybe rudder). I'll have to tinker with it out in the water to make sure it reads accurate.

The air temp sensor I am going to mount under the dash. But the big question is where to mount the water temp sensor...? I've read about people using the speedo tube hole to run the sensor wire and mounting the the transom. I figure that water temp will be a little skewed as the exhaust / water outlet is right there. But maybe it will not make much of a difference. So I'm thinking that location would require the least amount of drilling...but how do you access that speedo tube hole? Do I have to pull the gas tank out to gain access? Or pull the side flooring up? Will I have to enlarge that hole to accommodate the speedo tube & sensor wire?

Has anyone installed one of these on an older direct drive ski boat? What did you do, how did it work out?

Another thought was the hull of the boat should be the same temp as the water...could I epoxy down the water temp sensor to the hull and cover with some insulation?

[whitlock87]

If you want to mount the water temp sensor to something in the boat, I would connect it to water pick-up. On my boat, this part is brass and a good conductor of heat. I would connect it with a hose clamp and then wrap it with some insulation tape (rubber tape used on pipes)

[Iwndr]

NHarp did a excellent write up on a Z1 install

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...=depth+sounder

[Joeprunc]

That is a nice write up. I wish I got that style transducer, but it was a gift, so I feel quite bad returning it. I guess the biggest question I had was access to the transom. It looks like that's where NHarp put his water temp sensor too.

[NICKYPOO]

Pulling the tank would be the best way to access the transom if it is anything like mine. I like the "using the fresh water intake" idea.

[Joeprunc]

I do like the fresh water intake idea too. If it doesn't work out well, no harm done. I really wanted to get this done before the weekend, and unbolting and moving a FULL gas tank doesn't sound like fun.

[NICKYPOO]

I do like the fresh water intake idea too. If it doesn't work out well, no harm done. I really wanted to get this done before the weekend, and unbolting and moving a FULL gas tank doesn't sound like fun.

Ya, empty? Not that big of a deal. Full? Hell no! Good luck and let us know how it worked out.

[Joeprunc]

Well I've been spending nights after work to slowly install this sucker. I'm a bit frustrated with crappy weather we have been getting, so motivation is a little under the weather.

I'll post pictures later, but I think it will work out great. It was a bit of a PITA to run the wires as the access for a closed bow to the bilge is very very limited. I ended up running the wiring in back of the fuel tank and along the starboard side next to the, there was plenty enough room wires on the sensors. I ended up taking some advice and moving hour meter and putting the depth gauge in that hole.

Also my plan for the water sensor may be ghetto, but we will see if it works. I plan on tying the sensor to the brass water inlet fitting (maybe using aluminum foil to maximize the surface area to that fitting. Then warp it with 2" wide pipe insulation wrap (to keep the engine temps from providing a skewed reading. And finally taking a 2" to 4" PVC reducer and clam shelling it over the insulation (should keep it all together and look a bit cleaner)....wish me luck.