Live well operation 1997 186 Champion

[kmelford]

I have a 97 186 Champion and it continues to work great for me. I haven't had any issues with fish in the live well until recently. I'm looking for the operation manual and haven't found anything online that covers my boat. Here's how it used to work:

I have one switch with two positions - manual / auto. I use manual to fill the tank and auto for recirc or aeration. I usually see the bubbles.

I have a few questions when in the Auto position: Does water come in, is it recirculating or just bubbling, if the water level is high will it work properly, can I adjust the frequency of the cycles, does it work when on the trailer waiting for weigh in?

Thanks for any info.

[Lea]

In the auto position, water circulates between lake and livewell. You would need the Hydro option for just air bubbling. The timer was manual at one point, but then they changed to auto. You should have a dial if you have manual adjustment.

[Lea]

BTW, you do NOT want recirc to work while on trailer. That is also what the Hydro is good for. Otherwise you would be emptying your well...

[kmelford]

Thanks Lea. I don't have the Hydro option that I know of. Where would it be or can I add it? Thanks again.

[kmelford]

I just found a thread and it references your 'fix' related to hydro and raising the venturi tube but can't find the details or pics. Thanks again

[Lea]

The fix photos are in a thread pinned up top. It is only for a few existing Hydro systems which may have had live wells which filled over a too-short Venturi tube. Adding a Hydro system is beyond my pay grade, but others here may be able to help. It requires, among other things, a pump fastened to the wall of the livewell.

[Tx Champ]

I think the tournament models in the mid to late 90 may not have had a Hydro (recirculate) pump. In that case the Aerate (fill) pump manages livewell aeration. In the manual mode, water is pumped in via an aerator. Once it is filled to the desired level, switch to Auto. This runs the same pump on a timer. Once the water reaches the overflow, excess water is returned to the lake. Each time the pump cycles on, it pumps fresh water in with excess going out the overflow. To verify, with the livewell empty, turn on Auto and see if water is pumped into the livewell.

[kmelford]

Thanks Lea. I tried the link for the tube and it didn’t take me to the info. I will try again.

Tx Champ - thanks for the ops info. I will check it next time on the water.

[Lea]

Not sure which info you mean. As you have seen, The stickied post does not contain info on how to add Hydro....it is simply to explain how to fix an issue with the Venturi being underwater in some rigs. My 2005 had to be modified.

[kmelford]

Lea, I can't see the stickie posts showing the venturi modifications. It looks like they have been deleted? Can you please repost? Thanks again!

[Tx Champ]

It's not for adding Hydro air, but modifying so that the aerator's venturi doesn't get covered with water. Unfortunately, it's old enough that the pictures are no longer available.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=56584

[mrsturggie]

Open your live well Lid and take a look at the top of the water inlet tube. There will be a small hole in the top of it. Get a piece of drip irrigation tube at the hardware store. Cut a piece of it that is long enough to be taller than the top of your overflow port. Take and shove one end into the top of your water inlet, in the hole mentioned above. I used needle nose pliers to get it started myself. Then I used a 1/4 in ratchet extension turned upside down to slip over the end of the drip tubing. Use a small hammer to gently tap the extension to drive the tubing all the way into the water tube hole. Then test it out. You will see the difference in how it operates. I found that I you don’t use something to drive that tubing in to the bottom of the hole, fish thrashing in the well nock the extensions off all the time. Since I have driven them in as described, now more problems.

[Lea]

I have the pictures on my laptop, but I am in hospital. Remind me in a few days and I will try to repost the photos. IF I can get out of here. A-fib attack hit yesterday morning. I am not a happy camper right now.

[Tx Champ]

I have the pictures on my laptop, but I am in hospital. Remind me in a few days and I will try to repost the photos. IF I can get out of here. A-fib attack hit yesterday morning. I am not a happy camper right now.

Prayers that they get you back in rhythm in short order.

[Lea]

Ok, I have been discharged on new meds. Am staying with Bassncop for a few days, as she lives close to the hospital.. I feel fine.

If I can, I will go home to feed my hummingbirds and bring laptop back and try to repost the photos. Maybe tomorrow.

Thanks for the Prayers, Reggie!!!!

[kmelford]

Thanks Lea! Take care. No hurry. I hope your recovery continues to go well.

[Lea]

Photos reposted on new sticky thread up top.

[Beantown]

Hello Lea, hope you are getting better, I am on my way to a meeting, so I have to rush, anyway, I have a 1989 201, that I bought as a basket case, and I had to rewire everything, and re plumb everything, with the fuel tank out, and I learned a lot from this so, in my boat, it had the Hydro-Air feature already, and I just copied it and replaced everything with all Flow-Rite fittings and hoses, which was OEM anyway for my boat, I have two pumps, like most systems, the fill pump pulls fresh water in from the lake, and the recirculation pump, circulates the existing water in the livewell, they are controlled by the same two way, three position switch, up turns on the fill pump, and down turns on the aerate pump, and in the middle position is off. In the electrical circuit from the aerate switched power, it can be interrupted, by the timer setting, or Hyrdo-Air, which is controlled by a separate timer switch, knob style, dial. if the dial is set to off, the aerator pump runs constantly, if the knob is on, it enables the timer feature. On the outlet pipe, the aerator fitting or Hydro-Air fitting, which is a piece of 3/4' pipe, that turns down to the bottom of the livewell, that basically just adds air to the recirculation pump out, by means of a small 1/4" hole on the top of the elbow, and yes, I believe you can add it to any livewell, they make threaded, and push in style fittings, 3/4" and 1", that will match up, and if you keep your water level low, then air can be sucked in, and delivered to the bottom of the livewell. some guys will buy a fitting that flow-Rite sells, that you can use to extend from the top of the aerator fitting, above the water level, with a small piece of teflon tubing, and by drilling a hole in your boat somewhere, to take air from outside of the livewell, usually just under the livewell lid, so it is hidden, you need a barbed 1/4" x 3/16 fitting from the big box store I believe, I can get some pictures tomorrow if you need them, I am sure I have seen it somewhere in a past thread also, hope this helps

[Lea]

Would love to see the pictures! I reposted the two that vanished from the original hydro air thread. Hope it helps. Thanks!!!!!