Livewell on 92 Explorer - OK, I'm stumped

[nerd]

I bought a 92 Explorer that arrived last week. So far, everything seems to be pretty much in order and as expected, but the livewell has me stumped.

I should say - not everything, since so far I've opened just about every deck hatch I can find and I haven't found a single seacock. Which either means my boat doesn't have any, or I'm looking in the wrong places.

The livewell is a split section behind the front passenger's seat. There's a smaller section with a bilge pump and an aerator tube, and a clear plexiglass cover up top with a hole in it (I guess to make lifting easier). The larger section has only the drain, and came with a rubber stopper. When I hit the 'livewell' button on the dash I hear the pump going, but obviously with no water there's not much for it to do.

What I've read is that you need to ensure the seacock is open, and that a standpipe should be attached to get the water flowing. I see water in the drain, so I think the seacock is open (and if there is one, I'd like to find it so I can close it when I'm not using the livewell). I don't see a standpipe anywhere in the boat, and the owner was pretty meticulous about keeping his stuff. I see a filter in the battery compartment near the transom which I assume is for the saltwater washdown with no water in it, but I don't know if that's common to the livewell.

Anyone have any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? I downloaded the manual from the Grady White site, but it's not all that helpful. Anyone care to set this newb straight?

 

[The_Chain]

Okay I will give it a shot, I have not used mine except for once since I just got my 1992 Explorer a few weeks back and have yet to take it fishing. On the dash you have the switch for it which is correct. Check the rear inspection hatch (6 inch round port) behind the deck where your fuel tank is sitting. Thats where you seacock is located and it has a shutoff valve there that may be closed preventing you to take in water. Also check on the stern below where the rod holders are you may have a white handle that is either for the washdown or the livewell make sure its over towards the livewell lable. THere is also a silver knob that is pulled to fill either the livewell near the cockpit or the rear livewell tank ( I think it has two functions). Have a check and see if those are there....I will have a look this weekend and see how mine works...there should be others on here that can point you in the right direction

 

[nerd]

Thanks Chain! At work now, just passing time until I can get back to the boat later today, but I'll be sure to check I'm a little concerned about the fact that I can't seem to find a seacock lever or mechanism anywhere, I might be new but that seems like something I'd want to know before I get out on the water (haven't actually left the dock yet, boat's been sitting still for almost a week).

Tight lines!

 

[Tuna Man]

I used to own a 92 Explorer "242G" with the outboard on a Gradydrive (bracket). The thru-hull was certainly about 24" in front of the transom near the bottom of the V. As suggested, this thru-hull feeds the saltwater washdown and the livewell through the Y-valve.

 

[Seafarer228G]

It sounds like you have an aerated livewell and not a raw water livewell. If its aerated then you will not have a seacock for the livewell.

 

[nerd]

It sounds like you have an aerated livewell and not a raw water livewell. If its aerated then you will not have a seacock for the livewell.

I did consider that. Just that I don't know why it would be split in two compartments, with the pump and aerator on one side, and a plain one adjacent, with a common drain (that somehow still has water in it).

I wrote G-W, and got this response:

The seacock valve for your live well system/wash down systems would be located below the small rectangular hatch located to the aft in your cockpit. Access to this area is through the round 6” inspection “pop out” plate in the hatch. If service to the valves is needed the hatch itself can be removed by cutting the sealant around the edges of the hatch and then removing the screws securing it.

The raw water live well system during this production period did not utilize a “stand pipe”. In this system water flows into the well and then out by way of a overflow port located near the top of the well.

I hope this information will be helpful and let us know if we may be of further assistance.

So I looked under the hatch in question (through the deck plate) - and the only thing I could see is a fiberglass tank of some sort. If there was a way to open the seacock to the livewell through that deck plate, it certainly isn't very obvious.

 

[Tuna Man]

Based on your photos, it looks like the splashwell hinge on the left side of your first photo. Assuming this is correct, your layout is slightly different than the setup I had. Based on memory, if you stuck your digital camera (or cell phone) through the 6" inspection plate in your second photo and pointed it towards the transon the thru-hull with yellow handled valve would be visible. I guess it would be about six to twelve inches behind the inepction port (closer than the transom).

Hope this helps.

 

[nerd]

Based on your photos, it looks like the splashwell hinge on the left side of your first photo. Assuming this is correct, your layout is slightly different than the setup I had. Based on memory, if you stuck your digital camera (or cell phone) through the 6" inspection plate in your second photo and pointed it towards the transon the thru-hull with yellow handled valve would be visible. I guess it would be about six to twelve inches behind the inepction port (closer than the transom).

Hope this helps.

Thanks Scott. I got to the boat too late to take any pictures tonight, but that's on my list for tomorrow.

According to Grady White, that's a water tank that was not original equipment for this model. It's probably obstructing my view of the seacock. I just don't know how someone could knowingly do that, and prevent the ability to shut down the seacock in the event of an emergency.

Here's G-W's response:

I'm surprised to see what looks like what may be a water tank in this compartment. If so, this would not have been a factory installed item. We would have installed the seacocks in this compartment. If your boat is out of the water take a look at the hull bottom for the location of the seacock intakes fittings . This will help you determine where they can be accessed from the topside.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

If you have inspection plates by the splash well open them, you might see/access the seacock from there, always the seacock is located right where the pick up thru hull enters the boat hull.

 

[nerd]

I finally broke down and asked the previous owner. Turns out, Seafarer was right - he would just add water manually and turn on the aerator. There is a saltwater washdown, but it was aftermarket, and added by putting a thru-hull on the transom above the waterline and a small length of hose running down into the water.

I just wonder if the water drains on it's own when you remove the plug, or if you have to sit and pump it out somehow. That would be a royal PITA.

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Well the good thing is that the drain is above water line and also it should drain on it's own.