• Welcome to Jetboaters.net!

    We are delighted you have found your way to the best Jet Boaters Forum on the internet! Please consider Signing Up so that you can enjoy all the features and offers on the forum. We have members with boats from all the major manufacturers including Yamaha, Seadoo, Scarab and Chaparral. We don't email you SPAM, and the site is totally non-commercial. So what's to lose? IT IS FREE!

    Membership allows you to ask questions (no matter how mundane), meet up with other jet boaters, see full images (not just thumbnails), browse the member map and qualifies you for members only discounts offered by vendors who run specials for our members only! (It also gets rid of this banner!)

    free hit counter

2007 Ar230 how to run wire in tower?

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
upper-tower-1.png front-tower-mount-1.png I see a lot of posts and they drill a hole in the side of the boat and then run the cable thru the upper tower hole. I would like to know if their is a better way. What about running wire thru the starboard-forward tower, but drill a hole thru the metal plate. (see front tower mount picture). Once wire is feed thru forward tower bar, then make hole and feed wire thru upper tower hole (see upper tower pic)...has anybody done it this way? Does any know if it will work? I don't want to put a hole in the side of the boat, id rather have the wire hidden.

thanks for feedback
 

woodard1983

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
313
Reaction score
88
Points
107
Location
Polk City, IA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
tower isn't hollow at that point, you need to go through the hull
 

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
What about drilling a hole thru the plate and tower into the hollow portion, then use a fish to pull the wire thru?
 

woodard1983

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
313
Reaction score
88
Points
107
Location
Polk City, IA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
short answer, yes it can be done....

w/that being said, I wouldn't do it....there is a reason that point in the tower is solid and why they are like that in other towers as well....that is the most stressed point, drilling two holes to intersect each other that go right through the bolt holes that are already there are going to make a large impact on structural integrity.....
 

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
mount.jpg
Is anybody 100% sure (no speculation) that the rounded portion to the weld is solid?
 

justason

Jetboaters Admiral
SWAG Forum Lead
Messages
1,785
Reaction score
2,238
Points
287
Location
27574
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2009
Boat Model
X
Boat Length
21
the welded joints have a plug that goes to the inside dia of the tower rack a little over an inch deep

edit: a cut-n-paste from a post I made elsewhere...

I finally got around to installing the tow point navigation light this weekend. The assembly and instructions from Aaron are excellent. I wanted to add a few more details that may help anyone else doing it in the future.

I drilled the 3/4" diameter hole directly under the Navigation light. The end result looked nicely centered, but the angle of the drill to make a hole in the tower tube itself (inside) was a difficult angle. I drilled a 1/4" diameter which was too tight to snake the 4 wires thru, I followed it with a 5/16 diameter which was at risk of breaking thru the top weld. I would consider making the 3/4" hole more aft, making the secondary hole easier, possibly larger.



The next set of holes are drilled at the pivot point.



I wasn't sure how far in from the weld to drill that would allow me to clear the "plug"
The top hole was drilled 1 3/8 from the weld and cleared nicely., The lower hole I chanced it at 1" even and nicked the end of the plug...





This image is the final drill from the tower tube to thru the deck. I found a watertight feed thru that dressed it out nicely.


One thing to note: The run I made from the tower thru the boat should have been tighter to the mtg point, The mooring cover pulls on the wire more than I'd like.

To snake the wires thru the tower: a piece of tissue, fishing line and a vacuum worked nicely (tip from a member here). I did break one wire on the sharp edge of the inside hole, upon completion of the wiring I squeezed in some silicone to try and prevent movement or wear against those edges later.
Some of this may be redundant but I felt it important to identify the distance from the weld point, a misplaced drill bit could be dire.
All this was done on the Yamaha factory wake tower.

the feed thru : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009TSAW2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=Q1RSMFFN0RMG&coliid=I35D5JEBMVC4FB

light to plug the hole
http://www.amazon.com/Maxxima-M09300WCL-White-Courtesy-Marker/dp/B00L51ZYE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418407006&sr=8-1&keywords=3/4" led light maxxima white
 
Last edited:

Scottintexas

Jetboaters Admiral
Staff member
Messages
5,792
Reaction score
6,353
Points
482
Location
Corinth, TX (DFW)
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
@Julian can this go in the tips sections, maybe as tower wiring,
 

justason

Jetboaters Admiral
SWAG Forum Lead
Messages
1,785
Reaction score
2,238
Points
287
Location
27574
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2009
Boat Model
X
Boat Length
21

Big Shasta

Jetboaters Captain
Messages
1,884
Reaction score
1,529
Points
227
Location
Panama City Beach, FL
Boat Make
Boatless
Year
NA
Boat Model
Other
Boat Length
NA
Absolutely do the shop vac and string trick. Suck the string through and then use it to pull the wire in....works like a champ. I went over to a buddies house and he and his wife were about to get a divorce because he couldn't get the wire fished through with her helping....I got his shop vac and some string and we had the wire through in about 15 minutes.....he still says I saved his marriage.
 

KXCam22

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
1,084
Reaction score
907
Points
257
Location
Kamloops BC
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2008
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
Tying a bit of plastic shopping bag to the fishing line also helps the vacuum grab it. Cam.
 

Julian

Jetboaters Fleet Admiral 2*
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
18,358
Reaction score
20,434
Points
1,082
Location
Raleigh, NC 27614
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2016
Boat Model
242X E-Series
Boat Length
24

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
Here is an update, my wire is ran through the tower, here are some pics. the vacuum and yarn is a must.

wire1.jpg wire2.jpg wire3.jpg wire4.jpg
 

maboat

Jetboaters Captain
Messages
1,070
Reaction score
626
Points
227
Location
Lake Ray Hubbard, TX
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2006
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
Nice clean install :thumbsup:

But that wire looks skinny. o_O What wattage are you running?
 

PaulyB

Jetboaters Commander
Messages
711
Reaction score
475
Points
187
Location
Bumpass, VA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2008
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
Just a FYI the tower mount is hollow where it mounts the the boat.... I ran my wiring through the foot of the tower... The only place you see my wiring is at the connection from the bottom of the tower to the top....
 
Last edited:

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
@PaulyB , I was wondering the same things, as you can tell by my posts, but was told its solid. After drilling a hole an inch up from the weld line, I think I hit the solid material, definitely more material inside. ( but I don't know for sure)

I see you have a 2008, does the mount look the same (I'm sure it does). Can you post a pic from underneath to show wire going thru the mount. Or maybe it is solid to a certain point but is can be drill thru fairly easy? ( my hunch)

I think this will be very helpful for any other 07-09 AR230 owners running wiring thru the tower.
 

PaulyB

Jetboaters Commander
Messages
711
Reaction score
475
Points
187
Location
Bumpass, VA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2008
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
I dont have a pic. I took both sides of the lower tower mount off of my boat and looked for myself... You can actually just unbolt the four bolts on the front and lift it up enough to see under it. The hole is about 3/8 of an inch and is directly in the middle of the mount. I had to enlarge with a 1/2 in drill bit so the tower wiring could fit inside of it.... I wouldnt suggest doing this without removing the tower off the boat first. I am taking the boat out today and will try to get pics of the wire coming down through the tower mount...

Your tower mount appears to be exactly like mine....
 

PaulyB

Jetboaters Commander
Messages
711
Reaction score
475
Points
187
Location
Bumpass, VA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2008
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
pics...

photo 1.JPG photo 2.JPG photo 3.JPG photo 4.JPG
 

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
@PaulyB - thanks so much.

This forum should be posted on helpful hits link for the next person trying to run the wire in the the tower of 07-09 AR230.
 

aarons1k

Jetboaters Lieutenant
Messages
318
Reaction score
125
Points
152
Location
Campton hills Illinois
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2017
Boat Model
X
Boat Length
21
I'm looking into my next mod and this is it , how do u run wires around the first hinged point ? What siZe hole ?
 

Blazin14

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
114
Reaction score
87
Points
147
Location
Elkton MD 21921
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
@Aaron Stammet . The upper tower has a factory hole. I only drilled a hole for the size of wire I used for the lower tower ( maybe a little larger). I used wire that had a quick disconnect so I could remove the top tower if needed.

I strongly recommend using a vacuum to pull yarn thru tower first. If you see my pictures it should help. Let me know if you have any questions, I'm glad to help as this was a challenge because I could not find any information. (I worked at a car stereo shop for 10 yrs, about 15 yrs ago, and this was still a nice challenge - not straight forward)
 
Top