Re-doing Pumps and electrical

[kilowatt39]

Whats up guys? I have an '07 Puma and I am looking at replacing all of the pumps and hoses. While I am in there, I want to rewire and clean up the bilge area and replace the thru-hull transducer. Am I biting off too much at one time? My next tourney isnt until Feb. So, that is roughly my timeframe.

Any suggestions for pumps/hoses or to make this process go smooth?

[Knuckle]

The rewiring may be a little more labor intensive than you are planning on. Not super difficult, just tedious. Take pictures and get the wire diagram from BCB. Everything else is pretty easy.

[kilowatt39]

The biggest reason for re-wiring is that I am getting interference on my graphs from my TM. I want to ensure that they are completely isolated from the power to the TM. Reallym my concern is pulling the wires from teh bilge to the console and then on to the bow. I want to make sure that they do not get tangled up or anything.

[Knuckle]

They should be isolated already since they run off different batteries? This may be a different issue other than wiring? It may be a good question in the electronics section.

[catdude28]

Interference can be a real dilemma, and like Knuckle mentions, rewiring may not resolve your issue. If you mean "direct wiring" for the graphs, then that is something that should be done anyhow, so that they are not on the boat's wiring harness and subject to voltage loss. They need to have clean power on their own circuit, but again, may not eliminate interference.

[kilowatt39]

That was my desire. To isolate them on the cranking battery only. That's the only thing that I can think of. Garmin Ultras that are crystal clear until the moment I use my TM, whether on constant or momentary doesn't matter. As soon as I stop the TM, the interference goes away.

[kilowatt39]

Knuckle, you would think! I just figured that if I was in there with the pumps and all, might as well rewire and clean it up.

[Ranger Rod]

I believe this is why the trolling motor cables run up 1 side of the boat and all the other wires run up the other.

[catmantwo]

Most likely interference from the TM. Many solutions exist (ferrite rings, direct wiring, etc).
Go to the Garmin board and do a search on interference, then browse thru the results (there will be many).
Try to find one that matches your TM to garmin ultra's.

Should not need to rewire everything in a basscat to fix this.

[kilowatt39]

RangerRod, I wasn't sure about that on my '07 Puma, that's part of the reason I mentioned it here instead of the Garmin board. I have done the ferrite cores, both on and off, no difference. Which is why I wanted to ensure that the power to the TM was completely isolated. I am going to pull the access at the bow to ensure that the power for the graph up front is not crossing the TM at all.

[Cajunhunter67]

I would hook up temporary wires on top the deck and check to see if it corrects the interference problem.
If it does, than run them correctly. If it doesn't, you didn't waste a lot of time and back bending work.

[catmantwo]

As cajunhunter67 advised using a temporary battery to test is a good idea.
You may also try moving the Transducer away from the TM head to see if that eliminates the interference.

About 4 years ago, as I migrated to Garmin, I installed the electronics upgrade wiring package basscat offers in their online store.
It allowed for easy changes and upgrades and is totally isolated. Heavy duty 6 gauge from battery to a terminal block (I installed this under my console), and then 10 gauge to the bow. Definitely worth it. My console units and live scope box connect under console to terminal block, while bow units connect upfront.
Link to wiring package:
https://www.basscatstore.com/powercableforgraphs.aspx

[Phisherman]

pm sent

[riverrat29]

I would not rewire the entire boat for that. Just run dedicated properly sized wires to each graph. I used #8THHN for both. Do not attach them to the main bundle coming up to the front etc. I have an 07 with HDS 9's and no issues with interference. The wiring and rigging is solid on these boats. The new graphs can be finicky on power source though. Also make sure your tansducer wire routing is not causing interference as well.

[Bigfishwilb]

From personal experience could be a grounding issue also. Inspect the TM connections carefully and your graph grounding.

[FishinDad]

I had a similar issue with the graphs on my '09 Cougar. As suggested check the grounding bar at the transom. I replaced mine and cleaned up the terminal connections with a wire brush attachment on a Dremel and all has been good ever since.

[ranger185]

I had the same problem with my lowrance up front. I saw a post where a guy had the same problem, and moved the wires from the finder off of the cable of the tm. I took my transducer wire off the tm pedal cables and wire tied the transducer cable to the side of my fortrex. Does not look as neat but i did get rid of my interference.

[Phisherman]

1. You can run wiring ALOT easier by removing the horn,on your year model verses through the opening at the console. Take a piece of bailing wire measured from the horn to the back of the boat and add 3ft to it. Loop it, doubling the wire and cut it. Apply electrical tape at the loop and go 3" back. Twist the wire. Now feed it to the back of the boat. I can run wiring on average in about 1 minute or less using the method. I ran 10 gauge wiring for my graphs personally.

2. TM harness is ran on the port side of your boat, by the factory. Everything else on the starboard side.

3. If you have a MGTM there was is an internal ground that can be gotten and installed inside of the TM lower unit. Remember its a BIG OLE magnet and magnetic field.

4. If you had called BCB during black Friday, you could have gotten 1000gph pumps, 6 of them at discounted price w/1$ shipping.

5. I doubt that there is anything wrong with the pump wiring itself. Though the pumps themselves could be drawing to many amps do to age and or normal wear. If you see butt connectors do voltage drops across them because that is the weak link in BCB wiring. To have used butt connectors in an environment that a boat is in was not the best thing to have done, in my opinion at least.