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I was adding up what I currently use for ballast and I think I'll have enough with these. OR if not it'd maybe take 100-200lbs of lead.....or an average size male. LOL! I'd be willing to bet it would be VERY close to what I currently run when I surf.
My guess just by looking at them they take up all the storage space under the rear seats when filled. Also they replace the hard tanks. Even though wakemakers says I can adjust the connext to fill those bags I'm not 100% confident they're right. I plan to get these for christmas and make them work. Only really 2 things you can do about filling the bags. 1.) Add another pump and wire it into the existing pump so it fills and drains when you activate them through the connext. 2.) Wire the factory rear pumps to another switch and don't use the connext.
As I've stared at the pictures more I think you are right about where they fit. I also realized they are bags when at first I thought they were hard tanks. My questions then if that is true, is that enough weight given the location? The transom sac works well because it really sinks the rear of the boat. It makes a large wave but I would trade some of that size for length. I'm curious if the weight a bit forward like this if it would be that perfect compromise? Also realizing they are bags puts my worries at ease a bit about taking up locker space. I am very interested to see if these can be made to work!
One thing I'm thinking about is if these bags get me 90% of the way there.....what it I have like 200lbs of lead I can just set on the transom? That I can do in a matter of seconds, those bags aren't terribly huge, could easily store them about the boat, and it's no different than having one more adult on the boat. I think with both bags you'll be able to sink the rear end just as much. Just it'll be the whole rear rather than one side. Then you can tailor the wave a bit by pumping more or less into the non surf side. I think it'll get us close enough to not have to deal with the transom fat sac. Not 100% sure, but someone has to be first and I loathe the transom ballast bag enough to give it a go. I was honestly ready to ditch my boat and go tow boat, but now the market is in the shitter and we're staring down what is likely to be a gnarly recession I'm better off sticking to what little I owe left on my boat. Rather than drop 150k on a tow boat and have a payment the size of some folks mortgage.
I love the design of these bags because they do get a significant portion of the weight to the rear corners of the boat. I currently have a 3 pump(port, starboard and ski locker) custom Wakemaker ballast setup with bags(400# each) under both my back seats but their design doesn’t have the large rear “pods” like these new ones have. These bags will almost totally fill up the space on each side of the engine compartment all the way to the rear. Most average size people can surf behind my boat with what I have now. I can only imagine these bags would be so much better. This is be where my next extra $800 goes to. Anyone, need a couple 400# Wakemaker bags?
Sorry, I’ll post in the classifieds when I get a chance.
Yup I got the same information from them. I told them I don't quite think it'll work with mine. They definitely limit it. Yours looks different and maybe you can get away with it. Mine I maxed out my center locker bag when I adjusted it and it still isn't 100% full.
Basically the front I could add about 17% more than what was configured stock before it hit the limit. The rear tanks I only needed a few % so that worked fine for the stock tanks to start pissing out the overflow. I've heard a rumor that beyond the "secret" menu there's a dealer configurable setting where they could add more time. Now that was only a rumor I heard and in no way can confirm that or how they would go about doing that. Did you try to see how far you could hit the +? Wonder if 9 mins would be enough?
I just double checked mine and it let me set 15 minutes for the port side. I backed out of the menu and went back in and it was still set at 15 minutes so it appears that my software version lets you go as much as you want.Yup I got the same information from them. I told them I don't quite think it'll work with mine. They definitely limit it. Yours looks different and maybe you can get away with it. Mine I maxed out my center locker bag when I adjusted it and it still isn't 100% full.
Dude!!! That's awesome! You're set then. No way would it take your current pumps 15 mins to fill those bags. You should be good! Fingers crossed mine will let me do the same.
If you have the service manual it shows the diagram of the hard tanks. All of the walls between the engine compartment and tanks are screwed into the tanks. You are going to have to account for something to put those walls back in place. There are items in the engine compartment that attach to those panels, including the hatch strut if I remember correctly. That and all the things you mention with the battery have me wondering how feasible it is. I'm sure it can be done, but how many weekends would I spend doing it? How many trips to the hardware store with the boat torn apart? It is definately not as easy as WakeMakers makes it out to be.
I do not have that manual for the boat. Happen to have it digitally to take a screen shot of that page? I doubt those tanks provide any real structural rigidity. Those ballast tanks aren't exactly flimsy, but pretty flexible that don't think they'd provide much of any real support. Really wish wakemakers would partner with someone local that has one of these boats and does a vid of the install. It's much more involved than a tow boat where you just hook up some plug and plays and adjust timers. Which is what support makes it seem like. Which, again, is understandable as they have limited experience.
Yeah those screws don't look like more than to keep the tank in place. Kind of hard to tell by the pic. However, it's pretty clear by that the tank isn't coming out without being cut up.....unless you take down the engine bay walls. Which may not be that hard. I know the throttle linkage is there, as well as ballast pumps....but otherwise probably not a whole lot else. Definitely a VERY involved project. I hate the rear transom fatsac so much I've yet seen enough to deter me. LOL! I'll make a custom cover for the battery box out of star board, same with the electrical, and same with the ECU, as well as take apart my whole engine bay just so I don't ever have to use the fatsac again. That's how much I hate dealing with it. I figure I've got 4 months or so after Christmas to get it sorted before the season starts.Here is a pic
Yup went to purchase them last night and they're out of stock. Had them in my cart from earlier in the week, and went to check out.....boom out of stock. Someone on FB managed to get a set. I emailed them asking if they'd honor the deal once they're back in stock. It's quite the savings!