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63 Skier 
Grand Poobah 
Joined: October-06-2006 Location: Concord, NH Status: Offline Points: 4234 |
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 Topic: Bilge BlowersPosted: October-30-2006 at 6:50pm |
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My '63 doesn't have a bilge blower. I've thought about installing one many times over the years but never bothered, just lift the cover before starting. I do this on all cold starts but not on hot starts like when picking up a skier.
Two questions. First, how many of you run your blowers when shut down only for a few minutes. Second, did many of these boats explode in the early years? The original owner was my neighbor and I never saw him lift the cover before a start, I'm a$$uming it wasn't an issue people were aware of then. |
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'63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique
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Mercrewser
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Joined: December-06-2005 Status: Offline Points: 90 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 7:10pm |
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I would put a blower in it and run it the entire time I am skiing, knowing the boat will be shut down and restarted often. That way, you'll find a fuel leak by seeing it rather than by having the boat blow up first.
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1969 Chris Craft Commander SS #39
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MaddMarxx
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Joined: June-29-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1741 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 7:11pm |
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I do the samething you do! I lift the cover when cold starting. I don't like to use the blower, I think mine has a short it takes a lot of power to run...but it only takes one time blow your @ss up....
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TRBenj
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Joined: June-29-2005 Location: NWCT Status: Offline Points: 21125 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 7:12pm |
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The only time Ive opened the motor cover and smelled gas was when I had a leaking fuel inlet on the carburetor. Under normal conditions I dont think its a big deal to run the blower before starting, though it is certainly a good safety practice. Once the motor is already warm, Ill admit I rarely use it.
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Tim D
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Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2635 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 7:14pm |
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I run my blower before any start. I would say it's more important to run the blower after a short shut down. The previous owner of my '66 Mustang put a blower under the gas tank.
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Tim D
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JeffL
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Joined: September-11-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 7:58pm |
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My 67 mustang does'nt have a blower either, and I lift the cover before starting.. Where do you mount the blower, anywhere in the engine compartment, and it just sucks the air and blows it out through a duct? First time boat owner and I'm not familar with these things at all.
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Tim D
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Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2635 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 8:20pm |
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Mine pulls air from the engine area near the transmission by some flex hose. It is pumped out through the two small chrome scoops on each corner on the back of the boat. The hose that runs to those scoops is like under the dash heater vent tubing. Also, a lot of the older boats have a vent on the back of the dog box which you can see on mine.
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Tim D
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62 wood
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Joined: February-19-2005 Location: NW IL Status: Offline Points: 4527 |
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Posted: October-30-2006 at 11:11pm |
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63,
I just installed a blower in my 64 American Skier earlier this summer. I always lift the cover on initial start up also.(to turn my gas valve on). But,I always use the blower in any slow/no wake zones .. and turn it off at cruising speed. As for mounting.. I installed two vents facing rearward on the stern. The blower is mounted directly below one of them,next to the gas tank, via a 3" hose. I then ran a hose from the opposite end of the blower, below the floor, to a bracket I made at the rear of the engine compartment...by the trans. you can just see one of the vents in this pic... 
Up front -I searched a long time , but found a chrome scoop on ebay to mount on the hull,behind the bow light, again with a 3" hose that runs below the floor into the front of the engine compartment. 
As for blowing up in the early years.. I worry about what 40 plus years of wear and tear could do today...Nothing is for sure, but when it comes to safety, why not do the best you can? |
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63 Skier
Grand Poobah
Joined: October-06-2006 Location: Concord, NH Status: Offline Points: 4234 |
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Posted: October-31-2006 at 12:20am |
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Wow, I posted the question and walked out the door, guess I missed some answers, thanks for the feedback. 62 Wood, your boat has the same seating arrangement as mine, I really like the bench seat for cruising with the family, though for skiing the observer has to sit backwards.
I have no vents at all on the boat, and I'm reluctant to mount any. I suppose a couple of small vents wouldn't look bad. One thing I would mention about the boat is they left a 3/8" gap around all the flooring for ventilation, so when the motor is running it draws air from all around the bilge, which is what you want. So, my only time when there might be danger is those hot starts when I don't lift the cover. I did have a gas leak 3 years ago, the fuel pump diaphragm went and the pump sprayed gas into the bilge (automotive pump with no line running to the carb). It was scary when I finally noticed the fumes and took a look, could have caused a big bang. |
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'63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique
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62 wood
Grand Poobah
Joined: February-19-2005 Location: NW IL Status: Offline Points: 4527 |
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Posted: October-31-2006 at 12:49am |
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I had to cut the 3 holes in my 64 for the vents also...nervous times...but worked out ok.. I just wanted to make sure they looked era correct when I did do it. ....nobody has ever said they dont look original..
Im not sure, but I think bilge blowers were a dealer installed item on these early boats? As for the bench seat , I also like it...I still "con" my wife into setting next to me and love it! ( the floor shifter doesnt hurt anything either  )
as for a gas leak like you had, I dont think a blower would have done a whole lot extra...sometimes good ol luck wins out! |
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Riley
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Joined: January-19-2004 Location: Portland, ME Status: Offline Points: 7952 |
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Posted: October-31-2006 at 8:02am |
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Before blowers were invented, many old wooden inboards blew up. Our '67 Barracuda didn't have a blower. We just lifted the motor box on the 1st start of the day. I still do that on the new boats, but run the blower on all other starts and idling.
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Tim D
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Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2635 |
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Posted: October-31-2006 at 8:50am |
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I lift the box before backing off the trailer to make sure the drain plug is in place.
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Tim D
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