fake-a-lake

I bought a fake a lake, used it once. Could not trust it to stay in place. Now I just run the garden hose into the boat (get an on-off shut off fitting for the end of the hose). Unhook the raw water intake hose from the thru hull water intake and and stick the garden hose into the water intake hose and clamp it tight. I try not to give it too much water pressure. Actually did that today to winterize the boat.
Others will use a garden hose to suck water out of a five gallon bucket supplied by a garden hose.

My fake-a-lake dosen't fit the hull fitting at all and water goes all over the place but when I start the boat almost all water runs into the pick-up and out the exhaust.

TRBenj has a flush hookup design that you can install for under $15.

Best $15 I spent last year.

I'll try to find the link, but I bet Tim beats me to it!

Only have a few minutes before work & didn't find the original post with pics.

But here is a later description of the hardware from Tim:


Just put a tee into the waterline.

You can get the parts for $15 from Lowes.

They sell a 1"x1"x1/2" (hose barb x hose barb x female npt) tee, then get a 1/2" male NPT to female GHT (garden hose thread) adapter, and add a GHT valve. Add a couple hose clamps and youre in business.

Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll stop by the local Amazon Hose and get some fittings. The raw water hose is 1" size? I need to be sure so I get the correct bxbxnpt brass tee from them. I will have a 1/2" mip x 3/4" mht hose adapter at my work, along w/the clamps.

Bought a West Marine fake-a-lake when we went to check out the Southwind before we bought it, because I knew we wouldn't be able to lake-test it. Same problem, was not at all a fit. My wife crawled underneath to hold it to the intake...turned on the hose and water sprayed all over the place but it worked well enough to fire it up and run for a bit. She crawled back out and said "Buy It!"

Jeff N wrote: SN, Do you have a picture of what you rigged up that you can show me.

I think Fake a Lakes are the quickest and easiest way to run your boat in the driveway. I either replace the impellers on a schedule or inspect them and don't see the need to run a bucket to see if they work.

Call me cheap, I just take the hose off of the hull water inlet stuff the hose in the end tighten clamp and turn her on. (it's easy enough to remove that on the 2001 hull with no disassembly others may not be).

At the shop we have ends on our hoses with little water valves. We have a 1 inch hose clamped to that and we just remove the inlet side of the trans coolers and stuff/clamp that hose on there. The valve is nice because you don't need to jump out of the boat to turn the water on.

We tend to use the bucket method here because the pressurized water gets us in trouble and hides cooling issue.

I have a 1998 Nautique Super Sport with a GT40 and I am going to be installing one of the DYI flush kit hook ups. Here is what I have:



The "T" has (2) 1" hose barbs and 3/4" thread. The female hose adapter is 3/4" MIP male thread to 3/4" Female Hose Thread.



Shut off valve closed.



Shut off valve opened.

My question for Tim and anyone else that has used this set up, is the open on the shut off valve large enough? It seems rather small. I just want to make sure I will have enough volume of water flowing through the valve.

Thanks Tim!

Waterdog wrote: My fake-a-lake dosen't fit the hull fitting at all and water goes all over the place but when I start the boat almost all water runs into the pick-up and out the exhaust.

Same here

FamilyManCCF wrote: I have a 1998 Nautique Super Sport with a GT40 and I am going to be installing one of the DYI flush kit hook ups. Here is what I have: The "T" has (2) 1" hose barbs and 3/4" thread. The female hose adapter is 3/4" MIP male thread to 3/4" Female Hose Thread. Shut off valve closed. Shut off valve opened. My question for Tim and anyone else that has used this set up, is the open on the shut off valve large enough? It seems rather small. I just want to make sure I will have enough volume of water flowing through the valve.

I would like to rig this up on my 79 Nautique.... is the water pickup house 1" on it?

8122pbrainard wrote: Ga Sportsman wrote: I would like to rig this up on my 79 Nautique.... is the water pickup house 1" on it? The hose size depends on what engine is in the boat. It's best you measure.

Gotcha...it has 351 commander if that helps

I got my parts at ace hardware.