another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Hey guys, i was at my boat yesterday cleaning the bilge and stuff and i noticed that my transducer came loose from the hull.. No problem so far, i did read all the threads about this topic and its sollutions. The question i have is that it seems to be mounted under the engine in a hole in the hull.. Seems to me that when there's water the bilge it also goes in the hole where the transducer is mounted.. Isnt that a little bit odd ? I took a 12v pump from a car to suck the water out of the transducer hole and it was like a gallon or so... There's some space left around the transducer when its mounted in the hole so water will keep flowing in... Isnt that supposed to be sealed or something ?


thanks

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

the way I've read the installation instructions for the transducers is that when you apply the epoxy, you turn the transducer and push down, which is supposed to create a "wall" around the transducer to keep the water out. However, the transducers are completely sealed, and shouldn't be affected by water. Some even use mineral oil in between the transducer and the mounting point. You'll just have to figure out which transducer you have and find the installation manual for it to make sure you're installing it properly...

I still haven't gotten around to re-epoxying mine down. :shakehead: One of these days....

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Aloha Chris, thanks for your fast reply... Is you transducer also mounted in a " hole '' ? In my boat there's a hole about half an inch wider then the icehockeypuck transducer in the hull but when i stick my finger in it there's some space between the layer where the hole is made into and the actual '' hull ''. Almost a gallon of water came from thats space so i think it goes all the way thrue the engine compartment..

The problem is that the space around the transducer is almost 1/5 of an inch.. I will need to make a mess if i need to fill that up with epoxy :eek_animated:
Is it mounted the same way at your boat ? I'm thinkin about closing that hole after a good cleaning and mount it in the ski compartment...


thanks again :wink_thumbup:

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Mine is mounted in a plastic ring and I have to replace the mineral oil every couple of years. Transducers cannot pass the signal through air so I would be careful about moving it forward. When your boat is on plane the area under the transducer may have a lot of turbulence or might even be out of the water. When mine needs more oil the signal is unstable due to the air under the puck. Hope this helps.

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Aloha Bob... is it possible to post a picture of your transducer set up ?? Mine is like i said located in a ''hole'' in the bilge so it reaches the lowest part of the hull ( the part that has actually water on the other side ). That section is filled with mineral oil and sealed with a ring over/ around the transducer at your boat if i understand it right ?

I will post a pic of the transducer situation at my boat tommorow cause my english isnt that good ( like you guys didnt notice yet :yes_grin: ) and i having troubles explaining what i mean :D


Big Mahalo from Holland

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Mine is directly under the motor and not easily seen. It is just a plastic ring screwed to the hull, filled with oil and the finder set in place.

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Here's a photo of mine, with some obvious hardware removed. :)

My transducer is a Lowrance PD-N model. It's mounted inside a hole cut in the fiberglass molded floor. There is a sort of wood/fiberglass bracket in there it should be mounted on. The installation manual says to use a slow setting epoxy, and to build a "epoxy dam" around the surface it should be mounted to. Put epoxy on the transducer, and then push the two together and turn, to release any of the air bubbles which might have developed inside the epoxy. There's no mention of any mineral oil or anything like that. I believe in late 2000/early 2001, Mariah switched to using Faria's depth finders, which I think are the ones that use Mineral Oil.

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Awesome, thats the one Chris... When i look at the picture i can see some space around the transducer, thats where i was talkin about :wink_thumbup:
When I was cleaning my bilge i noticed the transducer came loose from the hole and when i stick my finger in there i felt some water.. I sucked it out with a little 12v screenwasher motor from a car and there was almost a gallon of water in it. Does yours have the same Chris or is it sealed with epoxy all around so theres no space left around the transducer ( or atleast supposed to ) ???


Many Mahalos

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

well, when it was still attached, there was usually water in there, and there wasn't epoxy filling the space around it, just a small amount around the transducer itself, probably about 1/4" or so. the install manual for the transducer can be downloaded here. it gives the instructions for how to mount it. hopefully this will help you!

Re: another depth gauge transducer problem
 

Yes it does :wink_thumbup: Thank you Chris for awnsering my questions so fast :wink_thumbup:
When i did discover that frikkin' hole in my boat it almost killed me, couldnt even sleep the night before last :rolling_laugh:

another thing i discovered is on a dutch site like Ebay theres a boat just like yours for sale wich is a absolutly rare thing in our little country, thought maybe you want to check it out :)

Marktplaats.nl > Mariah Z250 2000 7,4 ltr V8 MPI Z 250 - Watersport en Boten - Speedboten



a big mahalo for your help !!