Rival Ballast Install

[talltigeguy]

Jim,

Was yours brass? Where did you get it?

[xpjim1]

I bought it at www.boatfix.com
Model Number TH-1500-W / GRCTH1500W

http://www.boatfix.com/bypage2index.asp?page=655

If you go to page 657 after that they have the tail piece for the curve

[akdoc]

We have a rival system in our 24ve, it seems like our electric gate valve is still working, however I am having issues keeping the front bags full. They will fill up, I shut the valve and once underway they start to drain somewhere, yes there is some leaking around all the connections (we have tried 50 different things and still get small leaks). I have a feeling that with the valve shut the water is going back thru the fill line and ending up in the rear sacs. Does this make any sense? I just bought gate valves today that I am going to put on the fill lines to prevent the backflow, so I will see if this works. We got to the point with the quick connect system from Fly High that we PVC cemented the stupid quick connects into the bags. Needless to say under the front cushions it is always a little damp!

[talltigeguy]

Ak,

There is already supposed to be a check valve on the fill line to the bag. Maybe they missed that one. If the valve is not oriented properly, it will not close, so I would find it and see if maybe it has twisted since installation. There is lettering on it that indicates which way the flow is and which end is up. If it is mounted horizontally, there is one side that must be mounted up.

I guess if your theory is right, the water leaks back all the way to the manifold and then goes up through the lines to the rear sacks? Hmmm.

What if your gate valve is stuck open and it then leaks out the bottom of the boat?

Neither of those scenarios could occur if you had a check valve properly installed on the fill line to the front sack.

[akdoc]

Tall,

I checked the gate valve, I filled the bags, left the gate valve open and put the boat on the lift. There was a stream of water coming out of the thru hull, I jumped in the boat and closed the valve and the water stopped. So that is telling me that the gate valve is working. I think they forgot the check valves on the fill lines, they are there on the exhaust line to prevent backflow when emptying the bags.

I guess the fix will hopefully be installing these check valves on the fill lines. I was going to do it this weekend but have a sick baby so I probably won't get to it until next weekend.

Thanks for the help!!

Also, do your pro x sacs leak a little from the quick connects?

[talltigeguy]

My quick connects used to leak at the sack side, but not where they come apart. I then rubber cemented them in and have no leakage now.

Sounds like you figured it out nicely, for some reason, they did not put the valves in your fill lines to stop it from going back. That was nice intelligent work on your part, you should consider a career in medicine.

[chpthril]

More and more reasons for me to do the through transom fill, A little less convenient in the short term, but looks like less hassle in the long run

[xpjim1]

More and more reasons for me to do the through transom fill, A little less convenient in the short term, but looks like less hassle in the long run

Mr chpthril sir:

It doesn't matter where the thru hull is for this discussion. The issue is the fill lines from the manifold need a check valve before the fill line gets to the bag. Otherwise the water can flow from the bag back to the manifold and potentially out of the boat.

[xpjim1]

Also, do your pro x sacs leak a little from the quick connects?

I did not want to glue the fittings to the bag so I used that teflon putty stuff. It stopped the drips .

[chpthril]

Mr chpthril sir:

It doesn't matter where the thru hull is for this discussion. The issue is the fill lines from the manifold need a check valve before the fill line gets to the bag. Otherwise the water can flow from the bag back to the manifold and potentially out of the boat.

I agree that if you do a through transom like Tige, you will need check valves. But doesn't a gate valve between the scoop and manifold, on the Rival system, take the place of the check valves by preventing drain back?

If you still need the check valves on the Rival thru-hull scoop type system, Then my point is, I would forgo the cost of the gate valve.

[xpjim1]

Got it. You would still need the check valves because the water could drain from the bow sac and fill more in the rear sacs if the gate was closed and all sacs were not filled to capacity.

[Lucky 275]

I'd forgotten about this thread, haven't seen it in months. Nevertheless, when my 1st gate valve broke, I actually called phase4 and they sent me a new one, at no charge. They said they had an issue with the gear over extending the gate and not having enough torque to close or open it.

My replacement was supposed to fix the issue, but it has pretty much stopped working, now. I have been able to bang on it and twist the manual screw a little and it starts working. But as noted a few pages back, it's a pain in the arse.

Looks like I've got a small winter project. Tall, keep up with the trial and error, then let me know when you get it perfect, and I'll jump in.

[talltigeguy]

I am hoping that a non-scoop through hull will eliminate the need for the gate valve. Then I can just leave the manual valve open all the time, and just close it if I have a disaster.

My biggest concern is that water will still be forced through the mushroom through hull and therefore the bags will fill even when I don't want them to. The through hull is supposed to arrive today, but I am not eager to tear the boat apart again when it is 95 degrees in my garage. So this will likely be a winter project. THings should cool down before the Mead reunion, maybe I will get the gumption to do it before then.

[Lucky 275]

What if I rotated the thru hull backwards? Would that prevent it from filling while underway?

[Ruune]

that would create suction and empty your sacks. Calabria uses a rotating scoop valve (that they patented), which fills while underway w/ the valve forward and empties with the valve backwards while underway.