Champion livewell question

[Maximillianaire]

Started the work on my 89 champion super champ 17'6 today. Took the old motor off and the controls that went with and started to remove everything I didn't need. I noticed to the bottom right of the drivers seat there is a livewell button/switch that says pull to empty push to fill (or vice versa) and im assuming that it opens and closes the outflow of the livewells. I'm pretty sure it's stuck it wiggles a little bit but doesnt change much. When I had the boat in the water last the livewell would fill up halfway just from the boat being in the water with some weight in it so I know it's in the fill position. I want to know either how to fix it or what to do to bypass it. Does anyone know how it works? Or has a diagram or something showing exactly what it does because I have absolutely zero idea where it leads and how it could be stuck.

[Tx Champ]

If you have a Super Champ, there should be 2 drain controls. One for the front and one for the rear livewells. Looking on the Flow-Rite site, I don't see the push/pull cables any longer. So, what I'd do is disconnect them at the valves and see if the issue is with the cable or the valve. If the valve, you can get replacements or repair kits from Flow-Rite. If the cables, I'd pull them, clean any petroleum based gunk out of them then use powdered Teflon or graphite based lube.

Update ... TH Marine CA-1 may be your push/pull cable you need.

[Maximillianaire]

Tx well it's a super champ fish and ski so the front livewell is tiny. I only see one of these mechanisms do you know where the second one would be located? And what would happen if I just decided to by pass the system? How could it be done? Where can the valve I need to check be found?

[Tx Champ]

On my 90 176, one was above the other. Could be you have just one valve for both. It is in the bilge, under the tank.

[Maximillianaire]

Okay I'll take a look at it tomorrow morning and try to figure it out. Maybe there are two and I just didn't notice the second one. So essentialy what the levers do is open and close a valve to allow water to empty out of the livewell? Since we're talking about the livewell I plan on checking if the livewell pump workkk tomorrow and was wondering if that pump and aerator are one unit? I notice in the livewells that there are two tubes and one I can tell is where the water comes in from and it's fixed at the top while the other black tube is fixed to the bottom of the livewell which leads me to believe that is for the aerator

[Tx Champ]

There will be 2 pumps, one to fill and the other to recirculate. You could have an air pump, if you have a black hose in the bottom of the livewells.

[Maximillianaire]

Thanks Tx I'll take a look in the morning before worl. Thanks for the help!

[pops slowdog]

My '85 17'6" FNS has two push-pull plastic handles on a panel below the shifter. Also has electric switch for manual and auto, and a timer control knob. Push pull handles operate cables that open close valves on the water drain lines for each of the two livewells. These are located in the bilge under the gas tank and are in-line in what resembles garden hose. There is no pump in/pump out function on these lines on my boat. Probably an option I do not have.

The electric switch operates a pump that pumps water from the lake into both livewells at the same time through a spray bar in the top of each livewell. The water spraying into the live well water causes the aeration to occur. If the switch is in auto the timer knob adjusts the interval between pump operations. Not sure if your '89 is the same or not.

[Maximillianaire]

I took the gas tank out this morning and figured everything out. I do have an aerator and a livewell pump that are both run seperately. And you were right about the valves with one for each livewell. I took a look at them and they are seriously stuck I tried prying one manually and it wouldn't even budge. With all the work I have going into the boat already I think I will just leave them open as they are and just plug the livewells with small drain plugs and save that project for some down time and rainy day. Also discovered I need a new livewell pump the motor was shot and the wires are a mess and spliced here and there. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Thanks for the help guys

[Tx Champ]

I was working from memory which is pretty dangerous, but glad to help out ...

[rustyed]

My old '84 had metal valves that rusted out. If yours are metal I would go ahead and replace now while you are in there. My bilge kept filling up with water, it was leaking in through the valves.

[Maximillianaire]

Luckily mine are not metal they are red plastic valves. A simple fix to remove them would be just to replace them
with a pvc connector to connect the two hoses (Atleast that's what I assume). I like the idea even though the design is prone to failure so I will try to take them out and tinker with them some other time. They have never leaked on me so I have no reason to add to my workload for now but thank you for that heads up!

[Maximillianaire]

Something I did forget to ask though! What do you guys recommend for a new livewell pump? The old pump was a Mayfair 400 gph proline model 2340 1 amp draw 2 amp fuse. I think I want to switch to maybe a 500-750 gph pump and im pretty sure the old pump was a thru hull model since the intake tube went directly through my hull into the water through a hole similar to my drain hole.

[Tx Champ]

Your red valves are Flow-Rite. They make a kit that has all the flappers, o-rings, control arm, etc ... or you can replace the whole thing. Unless the plastic is cracked, the kit will usually get you going. https://www.flow-rite.com/products/marine/valves

Mayfair was bought out by Johnson Pumps and still would be my choice for replacement. The pumps now have replaceable cartridges that is the motor and impeller, which makes it easier to change out later. Cartridge Bilge and Livewell Aerating Pumps | Bass Pro Shops

[Lea]

Max...be careful about going to a larger capacity pump. The design is set to fill well and then go out the overflow back into the lake to recycle water into and out of well. Too large a capacity can cause water to flow from the well onto your deck, instead of out the actual overflow tube.

[pops slowdog]

What Lea said! I find that even with the same stock size pump, my front live well (little bitty) sloshes out into the floor on any kind of waves at all. Also, you know it already but just a reminder, if you leave your valves open the water in your livewells emptys out into the lake while driving on plane.

[TX Cranker]

Pops, do you have anymore pages scanned of that manual? I have an 1985 and would love to see more.

[pops slowdog]

Pops, do you have anymore pages scanned of that manual? I have an 1985 and would love to see more.

PM sent

[TX Cranker]

PM sent

Appreciate it Pops!! My electrical world is complete now. ha

[Maximillianaire]

I appreciate all the info guys its a huge help you have no idea its making the project seem like a breeze now. Pops would the livewell empty even if I had the drain that connects to the flow rite valve plugged from the inside? Its a small little drain hole so I was thinking about just getting two livewell plugs the size of the hole and just doing it manually until I replaced the valves