Blower hook up and location?.....

[87VIP]

I have a 87 VIP Vision 1760 It has a 1987 OMC Cobra 2.3L The engine comp blower started squalling today. It has a 2" outlet. The main question I have is how it is mounted it doesn't look like or smell like it's doing any good!<br />1) it is on the right side of the engine comp. the outlet goes to the cowl vent on the boat ( I think that's what it's called) the inlet side is just open ended in the engine comp. screwed to the floor...... there is another 2" hose right next to it that is screwed to the floor and goes to the same cowl vent? I don's see what the second hose is for? Both hoses are open ended in the engine comp. I am new to boating so if this is supposed to be this way I apologize for my ignorance in advance.<br />Thanks for your patience and suggestions

 

[chris in va]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Not sure about your setup, but my '94 Caravelle has a 3" blower with the tube going from near the bottom of the engine out to the cowling vent. Nothing fancy, just some ventilation. <br /><br />Don't get another Attwood, buy a Rule. Much better quality.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Toby<br />2 inch blower is a strange size most are 3 or 4 inch blowers. Most will have two hoses coming in and two going out.<br /><br />Outlet hose and hose with blower should start as low as possible in blidge below engine but not so low that could get covered with water. Idea here is gas fumes will sink to bottom of boat and you want to blow them out of the boat before they get high enough in boat to reach a spark source. Engine has most of the possible spark sources. Cowl vents for outlet hose should be open faceing stern so when moving foward natural air flow will such air out.<br /><br />Inlet cowl should be facing foward so will catch air and fouce fresh air in. These should end high in engine area above the carberator to help force fumes down and out of outlet hose.<br /><br />The second hose is just to supply more air circulation. The hope is never smell any fumes as no one wants an explosion on board. If fact if you ever smell fumes make sure find out what it is from and fix it befor useing boat.<br /><br />Blower should be turn off before getting fuel but then after turned on in case some of the fumes out of the tank got into the boat.<br /><br />Way I do my boat is when launch before starting motor turn on bildge blower then walk back to air outlet and smell for gas fumes. If Ok then go back up and start engines.<br /><br />Hope this makes since.

 

[87VIP]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Yes that makes sense. It sounds like my blower is for one. My blower only has 1 inlet and 1 outlet aswell. It sounds like I need to buy a new one with 2 in and 2 out. Is there a specific brand to get or to stay away from or are they all about the same?<br />Thanks<br />Toby

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Tony...I think you might still be a little confused, all blowers only have 1 inlet and 1 outlet, some have fan blades inside, some have a squirrel cage, some blow more CFM than others and some are more noisy than others but they all do thing, move the air. In my opinion the more air the better

 

[Boatist]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Toby<br />Blower only has one input and output, but many boats have a second hose with no blower. This hose works better than the one with blower on it when going down the road on the trailer. The cowling sucks the air out. Also on the water at speed same thing. Hose with out the blower sucks out more air than one with blower when the blower is off. Since blower off most of the time a good idea to have both.

 

[87VIP]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Thanks guys for all your help. I better understand this now. I will install a new 4" blower and install a 3" or 4" hose not hooked up to the blower for "fresh air" while blower is not on etc..... The only other question is, will the hose fit into the cowl vent like the one I have? If not how hard is it to install a seperate vent just for the blower?

 

[Boatist]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Toby<br />Really need to look at what you have. The two common sizes are 3 and 4 inch. Under the cowling vent will have a air box with fitting to put hose on. If this box on your boat is only 3 inches then makes no sence to buy 4 inch hose and fitting to hook up. Most boat I have worked on this box if made out of cheap plywood and easy to cut a extra hole and put on a fitting. You may find same thing I have on my boat and a friends boat. The fitting was there but they never put a hose on it.

 

[Deepwtr]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Well, to add to this question, which hose should the blower be hooked to, the inlet hose that comes in near the top of the doghouse or the discharge hose near the bottom? Also, has anyone put a blower on each?

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Are these hoses made of any special material? I'm thinking of getting some common flex hose from a hardware store. My present hose isn't low enough in the engine compartment...from what I hear here!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

cobra 3.0,<br />Nothing Special about What thier Made of.... Just a Plastic "Dryer" type flex-tubing.....<br />But, You Might have to get it from a Boat Store to get the Right Diameter....<br />erfigge,<br />You Should end up with a Line Starting Low in the bilge, to the Blower, To 1 of the Clamshells Facing Backwards.....<br />Ya, you Could put Blowers on All the hoses... But Why ?? Overkill ???<br />Boatist lays out a Good Routine,Alot like Mine....<br />I'd Change This Part though,<br /> "Way I do my boat is when launch before starting motor turn on bildge blower then walk back to air outlet and smell for gas fumes. If Ok then go back up and start engines." <br />Rather than smelling the Exhausted air from the Vent, <br />I use this time to Check the Oil,+ Do a Visual Engine Inspection + Sniff Test Under the Hatch.......

 

[Lou C]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

I put in a new Rule 3" blower in last spring, the old one worked but sounded like it was going to die any minute. On mine, a hose goes from the starbord vent down to the bilge, and another hose goes from down in the bilge, up to the blower, and then to the port vent. You can estimate the cubic feet area of your engine compartment and then buy a blower of the right cubic feet per minute (CFM) capacity. Also make sure that the wiring and fuse you have will support the blower you buy. I also sniff the outlet vent with the blower on before starting.

 

[Deepwtr]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Does anyone have any experience with Seachoice? I can get a 4 inch that moves 240 CFM at 4.5amps for basically $20. That seems like a pretty good deal. Also, does it hurt anything to run the blower all the time, even at cruising speed? I can already tell you that I am going to forget to turn the thing on or off when I go from cruising to slow speeds and vice versa. My thinking with two blowers is that would ensure lots of fresh cool air to the motor as well as moving plenty of air. (Yes, sometimes I like the overkill thing! )

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Running additional fans to turn over the air in the engine compartment is fine but entirely unnecessary. Get the right size CFM for your engine compartment and let it be. The side vents or funnelrators will provide more than enough air flow through the engine compartment as long as they don't have a restriction.<br /><br />I think if you have money to burn, update your fuel tank and delivery system. This will prevent fumes at the source.<br /><br />Some of the newer boats indicate to run your blower if you are running less than 5-8mph for a prolonged period. I won't hurt but you will be replacing blowers on a semi-regular basis. Look at the motors that drive these things, CHEAP. And in the marine environment they can go kapoot fairly regularly. <br /><br />Good ventilation is IMHO as important as anything, and adding additional blower motors is a high tech solution to a low tech issue.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Toby,<br /><br />Is your unit an inline or a bulkhead mounted? I didn't quite get the layout from the discription?

 

[Deepwtr]

Re: Blower hook up and location?.....

Hmm, glad you guys know more than me. Once it gets warmer around here and I can untarp it I will have to see exactly how the blower is set up and make sure it is right. Just to make sure I have this right, the blower should suck from the bottom 1/3 of the bilge and blow out facing backwards, and the clamshell that faces the front of the boat just comes in around the top of the dog house. Thanks everyone for you help.

 

[cyclops222]

How to get rid of gasoline fumes at the bottom is a USCG regulation Based on the square footage of the compartment in Square Feet. I start my blower before the gas hose is placed in the pipe.
The engine is always turned off. Blower on. Before I take the hose from a dock person.

 

[Chris1956]

Cyclops, That is the wrong procedure, although it seems to make sense.

The USCG approved procedure is to turn everything off including the blower and close all hatches. Closing the hatches helps keep gas vapors out of the boat. Now gas up the boat.

When the fueling is done, turn on the blower and ventilate for 5 minutes. Sniff the air coming from the blower for gas fumes to make sure it is clear of fumes. Now you are ready to start the engine and cast off.

 

[cyclops222]

Closing the hatches ? Confines the explosive gasoline fumes. BIGGER MORE intense explosion could result.
I want the least intense explosion.