Livewell problem

This is a great message board. I've been lurking since June of 2004, and have picked up a lot of tips. Now I've got a question , for which there are probably as many answers as message readers
I bought a used 16' 1986 Monarch bass boat, that's in really good shape, engine (90 hp Merc) runs good, and rides great ! Problem is, it's got 2 livewells, and I can't get either one to fill. I've had the pump out, checked it out in a bucket of water, and it shoots water out big time. The valves on the aeriator tubes were corroded (or old) enough to be stuck....... couldn't tell whether on or off.... so I replaced the rear livewell aeriator tube and valve. The front one is "just" out of reach , under the deck, so won't change it out, until I find out what the real problem is. I've re-installed the pump to the pickup, and when I run a garden hose into it, I am able to pump water into the livewells, but at the lake, I get nothing up to the wells. Could it be my pump, or is it an "airlock", or should I look for some other solution ?

Dennis

[catfishtonyd]

You've got a plug somewhere. Â*Disconnect the lines from the pump and from the end of the livewell. Â*Use a garden hose to backflush the lines. Â*A garden hose produces a lot more pressure than a livewell pump so you should be able to push the plug out. Â*Flush it from one end to the other.

Thinking more now. Â*You say you have two livewells. Â*Do you have one pump for both? Â*If that's the case, you can figure the plug is somewhere before the line to the first livewell. Â*I'd check out the inlet line TO the pump from the outside. Â*You may have sucked something up into that.

[Rob Mak]

also check your spray heads the i have had alge scum plug them up at the spray head. also check to make sure they are set right.


zooker

Thanks for the suggestions, CajunBass and Zooker. I'll follow them through........ as soon as I can get water through my garden hose again........ It's COLD here !
Dennis

[fredhatch]

Had the same problem with my old boat, believe it or not it was a weight problem. If I was in the front of the boat it would work fine. If I moved to the back it would stop. The intake on the side would play up and down just enough to let air in and out. Added a extended piece of hose that always stayed submerged and never had a problem again. 8)

[dogfisher]

Thanks for the suggestion, flfireman. My inlet is is a "through-the-hull" mounted right beside the drain-plug, at the lowest point of the transom. So, I assume it's never out of the water, since my hull is pretty much a deep-V. When the weather warms up enough for my garden hose to bend, I'll do some more serious checking out. Gotta get that solved, so's I can stuff the livewells

Dennis

[macgyver]

Do you have an cap for the livewells? And did you remove it. I know it's a basic question, but I'm been known to forget the drain plug a time or 4 :-[.

Lizards

[Rob Mak]

well at least ya did not put the plug in the wrong hole like that there feller from west texas done did.

never forgot the plug yet. mine is a one piece joby that does not come out of the hole. has like a t on the end.



zooker