BKSAE

Installed chillers and -2 lowers last year on staggered set-up. I went the cheap route first to see results. Now that I know it's working, I need to install pick-ups due to low water pressure feeding both engines and chillers off imco lowers. This is a 2001' 42. I do not want to place them where they will interfere with water flow to the lowers or props. Any advice is appreicated.

monstaaa

straight down the middle of the bottom .
fish hook style will work best.

monstaaa

you could also try welding closed the original holes/ pickup in the imco and machine in new ones about 6 inches further toward the skeg on the bottom side of the bullet

BKSAE

I have one drain plug right at the bottom of the V. Are you saying just on each side of the drain plug at the bottom and center of the V. Welding shut the current pick-up and drilling a new one on the drive is probably too much for the experience I have available to me. Thanks for the input.

monstaaa

if you need 2 pickups then you can make a plate that goes over or around the drainplug and then weld 2 fish hook style pickups to it. this way you dont interupt the plug and you have a way to fasten the external pickups.

Sea-Dated

Something like this is what he is talking about I think.

monstaaa

that would be it

BKSAE

Thanks. Is the one in the picture available from any manufacturer or just custom made for the application. I did talk to Latham. They make one that caught my attention. One has a screen built-in to catch debris before it would even enter a sea-strainer. Also, any thoughts on using one large sea-strainer for two chillers. Latham makes some that are described for such a purpose.

RaggedEdge

I had a pair of 525 SC's with Super Chillers and ran them thru one strainer. The way I had it set up was with two thru hull pickups located each side of the center line of the pad, much like Monstaaa has suggested here, then two seperate lines plumbed up into the single strainer, then two seperate lines up to each of the intercoolers, then out and to thru hulls on each side of the boat. Worked great, as long as you go into the intercooler on it's low side and exit higher you'll never have any issues with traped air, and you can easily see if all is working by looking at the dumps on the side of the boat.

I would wonder about a screen in the pick-up itself, if it were to plug up you might have to take the boat out of the water to clear it, or at least unhook the hose to blow back thru it, and if it is below your water line that's not good. A good strainer should take care of itself in most conditions.

carcrash

Bob Teague put similar "offshore style" pickups on my boat, then to twin big strainers. I strongly recommend it: the flow through the drives is a maze of twisty little passages, a restriction waiting to happen.

I suggest the following:
1) Twin intakes. They really don't need to be sophisticated, mine are simply 90 degree angles, with a tiny bit of an angle protruding below the bottom -- maybe a quarter inch or less. More and you get far too much water pressure.
2) Seacocks immediately on the side of the hull, so way down there under the engines. Make them the gate kind that turn 90 degrees, and put rods on them to remotely close and open them. You only need to close them in an emergency, or when you need to open the strainers while at sea.
3) Twin strainers that are very easy to open, and to close. Glass top and/or bowl -- you need to be able to see into them to know if they are clogged.
4) A way to connect your garden hose between the strainer and the engine, so when you are on the trailer and the engine is not running, the hose will backflush the strainer, so all the junk goes back out the pickups and onto your driveway. Way easier than opening the strainers on my boat, anyway.

The strainers must be below water level, so you MUST have a seacock between the strainer and the pickup so you can clean them out. Very important!!!

If you are going to feed one strainer, I'd just go with one pickup. Less holes in the bottom of the boat the better!!