RightStuff
Jetboaters Admiral
- Messages
- 1,043
- Reaction score
- 1,021
- Points
- 282
- Location
- Twin Cities, Minnesota
- Boat Make
- Moomba
- Year
- 2023
- Boat Model
- Other
- Boat Length
- 23
So I finally got most of the install for these projects done. Really happy the way this sounds over the stock speakers, can't wait to test it on the water (come on Mother Nature!). I have some audio tweaking to still do to make it sound as good as it can, but right off the bat it sounds really nice, even without a sub. I might add one later, but my main goal was to hear the music when underway.
So here's a list of components that I installed and most of the things I needed to actually do the install. Long post, so here it goes!
Once that was complete I started on the speakers. The 4 in the stock location were just simple drop ins, couldn't have been easier (unscrew and throw stock ones, connect and install Polks). The other 2 I added mid-cabin involved a bit more 'effort'. I used the Dremel to cut the hole needed. I went thru two Dremel side cutting blades for this step. The port side is easy to look behind thru the storage compartment, the starboard side under the throttles is a bit more difficult. There are wires/cables running behind there, so there were a few things I had to tie up and out of the way to make sure I didn’t hit while cutting. It’s also not very easy to access, so yeah… good luck. Ran the port side wires thru the back side of the storage closet and under thru the floor locker and back up the ‘tunnel’ into the helm compartment (right side on the bottom looking in that area). Starboard side is right there, so easy to pull that over to the rest of the wires for the stereo and head unit.
The helm wire harness is just a mess and it’s hard to work in that area. Once you find the wires for the 4 speakers and the remote wire from the head unit’s harness just cut them. I labeled mine for reference later. Using some shorter pieces of speaker wire, I simply butt connected them to the ones coming off the boat’s wire that lead back to the speakers, and one for the remote wire. Connected those to the amp’s channel inputs and then connected the remote wire so it turns on with the head unit. Then connected the RCA cables to the line out RCAs that were hanging back there, I also needed to turn on the fader setting on the Clarion, it’s buried in the settings. I also needed to tweak some of the options and make sure the balance and fade worked correctly, had to move some RCAs around to make that happen.
I mounted my amp board to the right side wall of the helm compartment. I used Liquid Nails construction adhesive to mount 2 – 1x4 strips (about 2’ long), reversed some clamps to apply pressure while the glue cured. Also cut, painted and carpeted a 1x10 board to mount the amp and busbars to. I screwed that board (with the busbars attached) to the strips that I glued to the wall and screwed the amp to it last. I had hoped to mount the amp to the board and then have everything mounted before attaching it. But I frankly didn’t layout the strips that I glued to the wall that well for screwing in after the amp was mounted, so really didn’t have a spot to screw to the strips with it all in place. So that’s one thing I would try to do slightly differently, it would have been easier to work with outside the compartment and on the work bench. There are a couple options to go with in that cabinet so lay this out as best you can, that right wall seemed to be the easiest for me to keep it off the floor.
I pulled power and ground wires for the helm and attached that to the busbars on the amp board. I used the tunnel that the steering cables (and other wires) go thru. I used the wire loom to cover the entire length of the wires to protect it from rubbing. I zip tied that wire along the way back under the floor hatch on the top side of the gas tank. It was really easy to pull the wire thru and to the back, plenty of room to wrap the wire and pull it all together in one shot.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone plan their own upgrade at some point in the future. I can answer any questions or take more pics if anyone needs them. It’s all pretty fresh in my mind right now…
Here are the pics, sorry I didn't take any during install these are all more after I was finished.
So here's a list of components that I installed and most of the things I needed to actually do the install. Long post, so here it goes!
- 6 - Polk MM651UM speakers
- 1 - MB Quart na540.6 - 6 Channel amp
- 1 - Kicker single AFS Fuse holder w/ AFS fuse
- 1- Blue Seas 120A Add-A-Battery kit - # 7650
- 2 - Blue Seas Common 150A busbar - # 2300
- 1 - Blue Seas Common 150A busbar - # 2303
- 1- Group 24 battery
- 2 - battery boxes
- Battery cables - 4 awg Royal/EXCELENE welding wire from wireandsupply.com, approx. 30 ft of each black and red (60ft total)
- Battery lugs - 4 awg size, I needed some with 1/4 hole, some with 3/8
- 3 - 6ft RCA cables from MyCableMart.com (local company for me, so no delivery charge)
- 30ft (approx.) 14 awg Speaker wire
- 25 ft - wire loom (picked up at auto parts store)
- 5 pack of 1" conduit/pipe anchors
- Dremel 678-01 circle cutter w/ side cutting blade
- Misc. amounts/sizes of stainless steel screws
- Misc. wire butt connectors
- Misc. sizes of heat shrink tubes
- A bunch of zip ties
- Misc. wood pieces/Carpet/Staples/3M 5200 adhesive/Liquid Nails adhesive (amp board)
Once that was complete I started on the speakers. The 4 in the stock location were just simple drop ins, couldn't have been easier (unscrew and throw stock ones, connect and install Polks). The other 2 I added mid-cabin involved a bit more 'effort'. I used the Dremel to cut the hole needed. I went thru two Dremel side cutting blades for this step. The port side is easy to look behind thru the storage compartment, the starboard side under the throttles is a bit more difficult. There are wires/cables running behind there, so there were a few things I had to tie up and out of the way to make sure I didn’t hit while cutting. It’s also not very easy to access, so yeah… good luck. Ran the port side wires thru the back side of the storage closet and under thru the floor locker and back up the ‘tunnel’ into the helm compartment (right side on the bottom looking in that area). Starboard side is right there, so easy to pull that over to the rest of the wires for the stereo and head unit.
The helm wire harness is just a mess and it’s hard to work in that area. Once you find the wires for the 4 speakers and the remote wire from the head unit’s harness just cut them. I labeled mine for reference later. Using some shorter pieces of speaker wire, I simply butt connected them to the ones coming off the boat’s wire that lead back to the speakers, and one for the remote wire. Connected those to the amp’s channel inputs and then connected the remote wire so it turns on with the head unit. Then connected the RCA cables to the line out RCAs that were hanging back there, I also needed to turn on the fader setting on the Clarion, it’s buried in the settings. I also needed to tweak some of the options and make sure the balance and fade worked correctly, had to move some RCAs around to make that happen.
I mounted my amp board to the right side wall of the helm compartment. I used Liquid Nails construction adhesive to mount 2 – 1x4 strips (about 2’ long), reversed some clamps to apply pressure while the glue cured. Also cut, painted and carpeted a 1x10 board to mount the amp and busbars to. I screwed that board (with the busbars attached) to the strips that I glued to the wall and screwed the amp to it last. I had hoped to mount the amp to the board and then have everything mounted before attaching it. But I frankly didn’t layout the strips that I glued to the wall that well for screwing in after the amp was mounted, so really didn’t have a spot to screw to the strips with it all in place. So that’s one thing I would try to do slightly differently, it would have been easier to work with outside the compartment and on the work bench. There are a couple options to go with in that cabinet so lay this out as best you can, that right wall seemed to be the easiest for me to keep it off the floor.
I pulled power and ground wires for the helm and attached that to the busbars on the amp board. I used the tunnel that the steering cables (and other wires) go thru. I used the wire loom to cover the entire length of the wires to protect it from rubbing. I zip tied that wire along the way back under the floor hatch on the top side of the gas tank. It was really easy to pull the wire thru and to the back, plenty of room to wrap the wire and pull it all together in one shot.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone plan their own upgrade at some point in the future. I can answer any questions or take more pics if anyone needs them. It’s all pretty fresh in my mind right now…
Here are the pics, sorry I didn't take any during install these are all more after I was finished.
Leg cramps, heart racing a bit, a few of scratches, and few bruises, but I finally got back out of the hole (luckily no fiberglass slivers this time). Afterwards my wife was mad that I didn't tell her that I was doing it, she wanted a picture... 
