Live Well Pumps

[blackmax135]

I have a 94 procraft bass boat.  I bought the boat 2 years ago and only one live well worked and 6 months ago the other went out I have to get them fixed for a tournament.  the light turns on when I go to switch them on but they don't do anything.  I've tried getting to the motors on the transom and it is extremely hard to get to.  they are held on by a metal bracket and I can't figure out how to get them off.  The model number and maker labels are not readable or at least not were they are placed.  Any advice or anyone that's had to deal with this would be awesome.  Or should I just suck it up and pay someone.

[Fishes in trees]

I don't know about you, but my approach to solving problems that I'm not extremely knowledgeable about is to throw money at them.   I don't know how to work on boats and my time to learn how to work on boats is probably come and gone.  I am not that limber and some of the positions that you have to contort yourself into to get to different sections of the boat underneath the deck, console and rear deck hurt.  So if it was me, I would just bite the bullet and pay some one.

 

Just as an aside, I try to be very timely about the boat maintenance that I can do, so any problems get noticed sooner rather than later.

 

Last spring, when I brought my boat to the dealer to get tuned and ready for spring, he pointed out that my bilge pump was bad.  Not a very expensive fix, but, what caused it to go bad was that I had failed to drain the bilge properly prior to winter storage and water in the bilge pump froze and broke the plastic.  That is probably what happened to yours - it only takes once for that to happen.

[gulfcaptain]

first off are you sure the pumps are bad?  Could one of the wires going to the pumps be corroded or broke causing it not to work?  Depending on how much trouble shooting you have already done and how long you have to get it fixed before you need it then it might be easier to have someone work on it.  But I would check the wiring first to make sure you're getting power back to the pumps before I would look at replacing them.

[blackmax135]

first off are you sure the pumps are bad?  Could one of the wires going to the pumps be corroded or broke causing it not to work?  Depending on how much trouble shooting you have already done and how long you have to get it fixed before you need it then it might be easier to have someone work on it.  But I would check the wiring first to make sure you're getting power back to the pumps before I would look at replacing them.

Yea the wiring is good to go.  The wires actually looked new to me but I don't know that it might have just been taking care of.

[blackmax135]

first off are you sure the pumps are bad?  Could one of the wires going to the pumps be corroded or broke causing it not to work?  Depending on how much trouble shooting you have already done and how long you have to get it fixed before you need it then it might be easier to have someone work on it.  But I would check the wiring first to make sure you're getting power back to the pumps before I would look at replacing them.

Do you know if there are fuses or anything of that sort normaly for those pump because I don't see anything but a reset button

[Skeeter Dan]

You should have an in line fuse before the pump . Check it first! before you get the pump changed out.

[gulfcaptain]

Look up under your dash, trace wires.  Welcome to boat maint.  You should learn EVERY inch of your rig and what does what.  

 

Bust

Out

Another

Thousand

[blackmax135]

Look up under your dash, trace wires.  Welcome to boat maint.  You should learn EVERY inch of your rig and what does what.  

 

Bust

Out

Another

Thousand

I think I checked all the wiring maybe I missed something. the dummy I bought the boat from thought he knew everything and could fix anything and I've been fixing all his bull he thought he was making better. Even when I asked him if the tilt and trimmed worked he said I don't know what that is but it works.  the pump was working when I was fishing one day and it wasn't working right, then It quit on me completely so that's what makes me think its the pump.

Yea my dad kept telling me that before I bought the boat but I couldn't resist, but with the 2 years I've had it. I've only put 200 in it. that was batteries.  I guess im just going to pay someone cause im to fat to get behind the gas tank with less than a 2ft gap.

[wnybassman]

I have a fuse block for everything electrical in my boat.   When a fuse blows for a pump, the lighted switch for the pump still lights up.   I would have thought the fuse would be before the switch, but apparently it is not.   But, even if it is just a fuse, you still may be having problems of some kind.   Something caused it to blow.    Most of the time for me it is crap in the impeller, or the motor wearing out to the point it is drawing too much juice to operate.

[slonezp]

Buy yourself a multimeter.

[Ski213]

^ take that multimeter you buy and make sure the pump is getting juice. You're probably right. If one was already down and now the other has followed its probably the pump. The meter is a quick way to eliminate the wiring though. That's the starting point.

BOAT is absolutely spot on if you take it to a mechanic for everything but it can be break out another four hundred if you can do some stuff yourself. It's worth the pain to do it yourself with certain stuff. It will save you a ton in the long run. Remember that marine mechanics hate the bilge area just as much, and charge accordingly.

[reelnmn]

I have an older Procraft as well and wiring has been a constant battle.  I would dike the wires relatively close to the pumps...then touch the appropriate wires to the battery terminals.  You will know within seconds if the pump is the issue. 

 

If the pump is good, then it is either wiring, switch, or circuit breaker.  Just because your switch light has power does not mean the switch has power.  I have had a livewell wire shaken loose during a tournament; the pump stopped working, light was on, timer wouldn't work but pump operated when directly connected to battery. 

 

As mentioned check your circuit breakers.  My Procraft circuit breakers are built into the console.  When I bought my boat two of these CBs were bad and had been jumped to bipass them.  If these come loose then the switch won't work as well.  You shouldn't have to throw a dime at this problem until you know the exact issue.

[WIGuide]

Bilge pumps and aerators can be a pain to replace. As stated here though be sure to check fuses and wiring first. Once you're sure it's the pump, remove the hose clamps and pull the hoses off, clip the wires and then reverse the process on the new one. The hardest part of the job will be reaching it.  

[blackmax135]

Ok any skinny people want to volunteer to go into the dark cave to fix it for me. Lol. Ok I'm gonna take the wires lose touch to the battery.as Reelmn said. If they don't work I'm gonna cry and take it to the shop. I'm a very handy guy but It's mostly because I'm worried about tearing something up in the compartment I need to work in; there's a lot in there to ter up. Good plan?

[blackmax135]

Look up under your dash, trace wires.  Welcome to boat maint.  You should learn EVERY inch of your rig and what does what.  

 Any idea what to replace this with I've looked and can't find anything like it.

Bust

Out

Another

Thousand

[gulfcaptain]

Looks like you found our got the pump out

[blackmax135]

Looks like you found our got the pump out

Yea I decided just to man up and do it.  I did come out with battle scars though.