94 charger foxfire 180 vf battery charger and fuel/water separator mounting location

[Delta Bass Fool]

I have a new Minn Kota 3 bank battery charger I would like to mount in The battery compartment bilge area as well as a new Yamaha Fuel filter/water separator. I'm not sure of the best location to mount these. The Minn Kota owners manual states to install the charger out of water. I am not sure if water will ever get high enough into the back block in the fist picture. I try to hit the bilge every time I come off of plane but some times I forget. I have a bilge float switch installed but I still need to redo some wiring before I get that working again. I want to make sure I put the bilge float switch on a toggle switch like the regular bilge switch so if something gets lodged under the float it won't burn out the bilge pump from running it dry. It happens "don't ask how I know".

For the battery charger, it looks as if there is a built in block near the transom where a charger may have been located at one point in time. You can see in the picture below of the location I am talking about.

Then for the fuel filter there are a couple of different locations I am thinking about but would like some advice as to the best location. Pictures show the areas I am thinking of mounting the fuel filter assembly. Picture number 3 shows it being mounted directly in the center which would take up a lot of valuable space for life vests etc. So I really don't like that location all that much.

[Delta Bass Fool]

24 hour bump. Well close enough to 24 hours.

[wishitwasbigger]

I like pic #1 for the charger. Which side has your fuel supply line?

[Delta Bass Fool]

Thank you wish. In this pic you can see how the fuel line comes out of the tank exiting the hole on the left just above the access shelf to the bilge pumps etc. Not the original orientation. A buddy rerouted the fuel line several years ago before I was able to say not to. I don’t recal the original hose routing but I know I don’t like where it is at the moment.

22DB1E13-51D4-4F7B-8D82-1B59EDE93F68.jpeg

[wishitwasbigger]

On my 496, the fuel line goes over towards the starting battery and oil reserve, then up through the rigging tube, On my 186, it went around the trolling motor batteries and through a dedicate connector in the splashwell. I like the way it is on the 496 much better. Less shtuff back in the splashwell.

[Delta Bass Fool]

I like that idea. I’d just have to seal the hole on the left side of the splash well where the line comes out at the moment.

[wishitwasbigger]

That's what I would do. Just get a small plastic button and put some silicone on it.

[Delta Bass Fool]

Easy enough.

[Delta Bass Fool]

I was really hoping some one from Charger would chime in.

[Delta Bass Fool]

OK I mounted the charger in the rear location as seen in pic # 1 . When I drilled the holes to mount the charger, some of the wood was not dry :/

I also mounted the filter on the left side pic #4 but then decided against the location it was in. I am now working on getting a couple of blocks and some bracket I fabricated out of stainless steel to be sandwiched between the two plywood blocks. I'll be fiberglassing it in so I won't have to drill any holes near the transom. It will have two stainless steel studs protruding so the filter housing will slip over the studs and be secured using some nyloc nuts. I figure for the location where I want it I can do this with out worry that the weight of the filter and fuel will pull any bolts out of any holes I'd have to drill to mount it.

So far it's coming along nice. I'll post some pictures of the filter mod and installation when I'm done and here is a picture of how the charger was installed.

charger installed.jpg

[wishitwasbigger]

I noticed on your 1st picture that it looks like there have been quite a few holes drilled in that area where you mounted the charger. I bet that is why it was a little wet. I do not believe that has any bearing on the transom itself. Charger puts that there for the sole purpose of mounting chargers. Install looks good by the way. Interested to see the pictures of your filter installed.

[Delta Bass Fool]

Thank you :).

I worked on the block some more today. I can't stand getting fiberglass resin all over my hands so I sandwiched the bracket between the two pieces of plywood using a couple of screws and 3m 5200. I will share pics of finished install. My tig welds are not the greatest looking so I had to do some grinding. Only thing that is metal that is visible now are the threaded studs so it won't look so bad... Well I hope so anyway.

[Delta Bass Fool]

Filter still not installed. Fuel lines just arrived and the 3M 5200 is still curing. It's taking forever to harden up. I just placed an order for a fiberglass roller that should be here tomorrow some time. This is the roller I purchased. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is a picture of the block as it sits curing.