Sea strainer to help stop a slug of sand?

[zimm17]

I posted this on OSO too:

I found out the hard way that a IMCO lower will not tolerate brushing over a sandbar. It picked up so much sand the pump pushed sand into my intercooler, heat exhanger, then plugged the 1 1/4" line out the output side of the pump. It took me hours to get off the lines off and blow them all out- then I had 2" of sand in my bilge to get out. What a mess. I don't want to do that again, and there no avoiding shallow sandy areas around VA beach.

I know sea strainers don't block sand, but if they will catch a big slug of it so it won't clog my lines, that's better than nothing.

I don't need a $600 fancy model either- no beauty contest going on in my bildge. I found some cheaper models, but don't know how well they work.

Groco makes a brass and glass one for $140. Don't know how it comes apart though.

I also found this Sherwood unit for $42- and it has a removeable lower bowel which might work best for getting sand out of the unit.

The rexmar unit has a fitting for my pressure blowoff feeding the intercooler- avoids the "t" in my line. I just don't know if having the input and output fittings in the bottom of the strainer is a good idea to try and stop sand. It's $399.

[glashole]

My drive also picks up weeds and sand like crazy :(

I have had sand in the bottom (below the mesh) therefore it will go past, however it stayed in the bottom up to the output shaft

my opinion would be to get one as deep as possible to therefore have the sand drop and not have to worry about it all day :boat:

keep in mind mine is a pain in the a$$ to get apart and empty

make sure to get one that is easy to come apart and dump etc as it alone would be worth the aggrivation of getting down in the bilge and emptying everything out

however you do have Chaz to climb down in there for you :)

[VetteLT193]

If money isn't a problem, you could get one from livorsi that filter sand so you know you won't have a problem.

http://www.livorsi.com/catalog/sea_strainers.htm

Look at the KPM sea strainers.

[gcarter]

The real solution is to use a through transom pickup. You can still pick up stuff, but it really has to be shallow water.....but you need the strainer too.

[zimm17]

I ordered the groko unit with 1 1/4" fittings. I like the fact that the inlet and outlets are at the top so sand will fill the bowl. The "high performance" models have a low outlet that sand will flow into. And it was $165 and should outlast the boat.

I'll post pics when I install it.

[MOP]

One important thing about sea strainer used in salt water applications, using stainless steel types are very tricky unless very carefully bonded. Un bonded stainless develops electrolysis amazingly fast, you best bet is bronze! Zimm I know that that is what you are doing just wanted to throw that in! The basket in the SA1250 will only hold just so much then stop flow completely, You should have a water pressure gauge.

Phil

[BigGrizzly]

On the criterion I have a Peco with top entry and exit, but I also have transom pick up. When I hit the sand bar in Sarasota with a full boat no sand in the engine at all!

[Cuda]

The real solution is to use a through transom pickup. You can still pick up stuff, but it really has to be shallow water.....but you need the strainer too.
Bingo! You beat me to it George. :)

[Cuda]

One important thing about sea strainer used in salt water applications, using stainless steel types are very tricky unless very carefully bonded. Un bonded stainless develops electrolysis amazingly fast, you best bet is bronze! Zimm I know that that is what you are doing just wanted to throw that in! The basket in the SA1250 will only hold just so much then stop flow completely, You should have a water pressure gauge.
Phil
My Formula has bronze sea strainers. I think they are Gil's, but I can't be sure at this moment.

[gcarter]

In relation to MOP's post about bonding is important. I used a Perko like Griz. It has a nice wide thick bronze cap mounted on swing bolts. I drilled a tap drill for 1/4" pipe thread through it in the center. Once I tapped it, I screwed in a pencil zink. It was easy to service and change the zink.

[lsuryan]

K im having problems with picking up sand/ mud everytime i take my boat out,due to the low water p/u .. I have pulled all lines that i know of and flushed through them. Im still having problems with overheating. Just wondering if i have missed something... I also changed the water pump so i dont thin thats an issue.. Any help would be appreciated...

[gcarter]

Did you backmflush the coolers? You probably have two and they cn be difficult to clean out.

If it's a reoccuring problem w/your boating area, carefully consider a transom pickup and a sea strainer. That will completely solve most problems.

[tamburello]

Hardin Marine makes a sand strainer for intercoolers. It's not cheap though.

http://www.hardin-marine.com/SearchResult~CategoryID~236.aspx

[gcarter]

You'll find the Perko strainers are about half the price of the Hardin products and are extremely durable as they are cast bronze. I think most retailers are under $300.00 for a 1" or 1 1/4" model.

[justleft]

Just remember that when you pop the tops of your strainers the ocean will
come rushing in ! Oh Yea !! :nilly: Next you test your bilge pumps.

[Pismo]

The real answer I hate to say is the transom pickup first plus a strainer.

[gcarter]

Just remember that when you pop the tops of your strainers the ocean will
come rushing in ! Oh Yea !! :nilly: Next you test your bilge pumps.

If you're careful w/your placement, the top can be right at the waterline.
No hay problemo!

[MOP]

Groco has a line of strainers called the SA Series that are about the best on the market for our sized boats, they have a single wing nut to take the top off and a pull out basket. That is the one I use and set it up with the top just above water level so I can service it even offshore in minutes with no tools, there is a 1/8" pipe drain plug on the bottom to drain it in the winter. I removed the drain plug and installed a 1/4 turn S/S valve, this makes flushing any sand/debris a simple chore. Any strainer that requires tools to service it in my eyes is a very poor design, some of the worst are the Blingers great to look at but a pain to service.

[Brad Lyon]

What transom pickup is recommended?

[mrfixxall]

What transom pickup is recommended?

adjustable stainless marine or imco..

[roadtrip se]

I wouldn't do a pick-up unless I had no other choice. Primary reasons are that you are putting something in the water close to the surface which could potentially suck weeds in at idle from the surface and compund your problem. And you are creating a drag point which will slow you down with an IMCO boat. As an example, my IMCO is speed sensitive to the depth of a pick-up for a drive shower mounted in the splash plate. Really.

As for strainers, I have attached a picture of my newly installed Hardin unit. It has one clamp and one large hand crankable nut to get to the basket. I did a bunch of research on these things over the winter, and this one kept coming to the top as a great design. Nothing is going to help you, if you pack the drive full of sand, but this something is better than nothing. It also has an attachment for running the boat on the hose and flushing the lines.

And it doesn't look like something from the boiler room of a tug boat either.

[BUIZILLA]

And it doesn't look like something from the boiler room of a tug boat either. i've never seen a steam powered tugboat :wink:

[Carl C]

I wouldn't do a pick-up unless I had no other choice. Primary reasons are that you are putting something in the water close to the surface which could potentially suck weeds in at idle from the surface and compund your problem. And you are creating a drag point which will slow you down with an IMCO boat. As an example, my IMCO is speed sensitive to the depth of a pick-up for a drive shower mounted in the splash plate. Really.
As for strainers, I have attached a picture of my newly installed Hardin unit. It has one clamp and one large hand crankable nut to get to the basket. I did a bunch of research on these things over the winter, and this one kept coming to the top as a great design. Nothing is going to help you, if you pack the drive full of sand, but this something is better than nothing. It also has an attachment for running the boat on the hose and flushing the lines.
And it doesn't look like something from the boiler room of a tug boat either.

Oooo, looks almost as nice as mine ;) (which George thinks is a bad design:eek:) ::eek: http://www.donzi.net/forums/showpost.php?p=590593&postcount=33

Maybe we should have gotten these which do look like they are right off a tug boat: http://www.donzi.net/forums/showpost.php?p=590660&postcount=36

[roadtrip se]

i've never seen a steam powered tugboat :wink:

Okay Buiz, you're right, I guess maybe a better illustration is the plumbing materials display wall area at Lowes...

A couple of more thoughts Brad. When we talked at AOTH, you mentioned that you got the stock lower as part of the boat deal. If it has the side pick-up and lower torpedo pick-up combo, you can seal the bottom pick-ups and probably do better with this lower than the shorty. The shorty creates a lot more velocity with its single hole pickup on the torpedo. The Bravo lower will be more forgiving with its pickup style. Of course, you would lose the performance benefits of the shorty, including probably having to go with a smaller pitch prop.

Let us know how you make out...