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| I bought a 2001 Ranger Fisherman 681 VS this winter and got it wet for the first time last week down on Cave Run in Kentucky. I love the boat, but would like to use some of the livewells for DRY storage. The front baitwell and rear musky livewell filled with water when I ran the boat with the switch in both the "empty" and "recirc" postions. The only other position left to try is "auto". Do you think this is operator error (If so, how do I fix it?), or do I have a valve problem that needs to be checked out? Thanks! |
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| jlong read your post, pretty sure it works this way,you will always get water in live wells on empty and auto. With lever on recirc you will still get a little bit of water. There is a way to stop it,unscrew the screen and replace it with a cork or plug from a boat. This should keep all water out. Remember not to change your recirc to auto or empty. Recurc only. |
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| Mike,
Thanks for the tip. I would still like to use the large livewell on occasion so do not want to block the intake line on the transom. The front livewell will occasionally be used as a cooler and I will need to be able to drain it on occasion as well. Got any ideas on how to plug the vertical standpipe (where the water comes in when the boat is traveling in reverse)? I suppose a cork would work... but not sure where to find a wine bottle large enough to steal one from (ha ha). Anyone have a suggestion on how to cap it off? |
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| Well, you're a handy guy, so here's my suggestion, which almost certainly sounds simpler than it is: get a threaded cap for it. It probably isn't threaded now, so you might have to look for some compatible PVC or other plumbing pipe to replace the one that's in there. I'm unfamiliar with the Ranger livewells, but I know my Crestliner wells drain via unscrewing the pipe. Just find an item of matching diameter and thread, cap it, and screw it in there. |
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| Tuffy also uses the Flow Rite system. I would not try to use any of the wells for storage at all, the valve is not 'perfect' enough in it's settings to guarantee a dry well. The setting that should seal the well is Recirc, but it may not be a totally tight seal. As an aside, the overflow may also allow water into the system under some conditions, so look to that, and seal it with an expandable plug.
The only way to guarantee a dry well is to block the intake at the transom, and the overflow at the hull fitting. The livewell fitting may not be accessable for a really good dry seal, so look to the hull fitting.[:blackeye:] |
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| Steve,
If I had a 20 foot Tuffy, storage would not be a problem. Unfortunately, the Ranger 681 has three friggin livewells and only one dry storage area. Thus, you can see my dilemma. I'm gonna try capping the standpipe... and if that doesn't work.... I'll just have to get out my trusty tube of epoxy and seal the damn thing tight (Just kidding). |
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| I have used my live wells for dry storage in 2 Tuffys and a Stratos with good success. However, this was possible only after I plugged the drains, the overflows and the intakes. After removing the screens, I put small corks into the intakes on the transom and then replaced the screen like baskets. I think that the screens will help keep the corks in place.
If you do not want to pull apart the interior of the livewells to look for all of the drain and overflow openings you can simply put a cork plug of the appropriate into each exit opening in the side of the hull and push it flush to the hull. If you ever need to use the wells again it is a simple matter to pull the corks and fill them with water. The only down side might be the cork in the exit hole looks a little odd but the extra dry storage more than makes up for this. If you do not plug the overflow discharges you will take on just enough water to get everything wet. This seems to happen most often in windy and wavy conditions.
Ray
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| Well, after further review.... I have decided to PUT A CORK IN IT. We'll see if that fixes my problem without inconveniencing me when I need to use the livewell for what it was intended for. Corks are in place... now I just need to find the time to float my boat. |
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