Live well problem..2002 SV1900 Sea Pro bayboat

[How2fish]

I have a 2002 SV1900 Sea Pro bayboat..yesterday my live wells quit working. I put some minnows in the forward well and went to turn on the live well...I could hear the pump working but no water. So I tried the aft well and same story. Now here is the strangest part. I left the minnows in the forward well with the live well switch off and ran a couple of miles to my 1st stop. Went to get a minnow and the live well was full of water ?? Tried the switch a couple of more times and could hear it running but not pumping any thing..anyone have any ideas ? Any advice would be most welcome !! Thanks Dan.

[Nimrod]

Is your intake a through hull scoop under the hull or through transom in the rear?

Has the pump worked correctly in the past?

[How2fish]

Nimrod it worked fine the last time I had the boat out a couple of months ago..and the through transom in the rear is what I have....I think the drains are so I'm thinking the intake is too.

[Nimrod]

How2Fish, I have to believe that you have a through hull scoop for an intake and that's how hour livewell filled while under way. An intake from the rear is high and dry when on plane.

If the well did fill from your forward momentum, your valves were open and water was passing through the lines. I can only ass/u/me that you may have debris in the pump(s). You can try to back flush from the well to the pump, or disconnect a hose at the pump if you can get to it and backflush. Or if you're lucky, the head may pop off the pump for cleaning.

Other than that, if you know the pump is running (if it were binding you would be blowing fuses), I can't figure what else it could be.

[How2fish]

Nimron thanks my problem is I don't have a clue on backflushing , the how's where's ect ? You idea on the scoop intake makes sense.. I'll try and take a look this weekend. thanks for the advice. I'll try to contact sea pro to see if they have any ideas too. Thanks again !

[Nimrod]

How 2 fish, This is all simple stuff that you really need to know about your boat. Backflushing is simply taking a hose, screwing off the livewell valve and forcing water backwards through the pump to flush debris backout the scoop. You would do the same thing if a dead minnow got stuckin the drain line...... flush it out with a hose and nozzle.

Your pump(s) will almost always be in the sump and you should be able to access them.

Another possibility might be the motor isn't getting the juice it needs to function properly. Be sure all connections are clean and not corroded. This includes the pump wire connections in the sump.

[Bullshipper]

If you are getting water under way it sounds like the hoses or intakes are not clogged or airlocked.

But if a wire was switched from + to negative, the pump will run backwards, and not produce much pressure or flow.

I have also seen the pressed on impellers fall off a rusted (smaller) shaft giving you motor sound but no action.

[uncwredfisher]

I would say that you have had the impeller in the pump come off or shear off completely. I have had the impeller come off and you hear the pump run but no water. Take the top off and look at it and that should give you an idea as to what is wrong. If not the impeller then something is clogged in the line or your pickup has something in it.

[How2fish]

Thanks for all the advice...I don't think anything is hooked up wrong..I have only connected disconnected the batteries to charge them and everything worked fine. Lights,trolling motor ect. I will try and backflush the lines and check the pump impeller..I'm not sure if I have 1 pump or two..my only complaint with the Sea Pro is that the access hatch aft is small and its hard to access the battery ect.Thanks again for the advice all of you..I'm anything but "handy" but also I don't have a detailed drawing of the boats layout..this is the 1st boat I've ever owned that had live wells so I'm unprepared for trouble. Thanks again.!

[pschwart00]

I have the same boat and experience the "same problem." It is not really a problem just a bit of physics issue. When the hose lines get completly drained the pump can get properly "primed" and therfore can't force all the air out of the hoses (the pump is not a pressure pump). This goes away once you get up on plane & the force of the water from moving fast pushes water through the hoses & then voila your pump & everything else works.
Here are the ways I've found to solve the issue:
1) Just turn on pump open up valves and get on plane (as you've already found out)
2) Turn on pump, open up valves fill up one of the livewells with water (via bucket) once it gets full the water will run back done hose and problem solved (not best solution)
3) These doesn't always work - turn on pump - open up both front and rear valves in tanks, turn off pump, close front valve, leave back valve open, turn pump back on - these seems to work by "disturbing vaccum"
Good luck

[Afishinado]

I have the SV2100. Had a similar situation on mine last week. found the impeller of the pump was sheared off. The scoop (water pickup) on my boat will fill the wells if I leave the valves in the wells open without the pump underway. Pump pops out without tools to inspect BTW, just be sure to close the thru-hull valve if you're in the water! Mine has the Rule 700 pump, replacement head is about $18.00. According to guys on the Pathfinder forum these pumps don't hold up real well and most of them carry a spare... I do now too!

[How2fish]

pschwart00, thanks for the advice but I have a question on:

2) Turn on pump, open up valves fill up one of the livewells with water (via bucket) once it gets full the water will run back done hose and problem solved (not best solution)

I did fill the front well with water ( well the boat did when I came off plane) but I tried the pump seveal times during the afternoon and it never did work. Also the pump was not on when the well filled up ??

[Bullshipper]

Pay heed to thy impeller as I first advised.