aerator on ranger

[hl]

I need some advice on replacing the aerator on a 1986 ranger.How difficult is this, and what do I need to watch for while replacing the pump

 

[alwims]

Re: aerator on ranger

It's not hard. I replaced hoses and motors on my '85 Ranger 340V. If yours is factory stock, don't expect to get the hoses off easily. I had to cut mine off which is why I decided to replace everything including the PVC piping. I also eliminated the valves Ranger uses as I couldn't afford the $30 apiece it was going to cost to replace them. Now I just use plugs in the live wells. It was surprisingly inexpensive to just replace everything, just be sure and use a food grade braided hose. DO NOT use heater hose as you'll kill all your fish. Unhook the hoses from the livewell and the fittings on the transom and it'll all come out in one piece.

 

[KRS62]

Re: aerator on ranger

I did this in my non-Ranger bass boat. The hardest part is actually getting to the pump. It was tough to get to and therefore replace. Generally speaking, if you can get to it and have basic mechanical skill it should be do-able.

PS - You might want to do your bilge as well if it is the same age.

KRS62

 

[hl]

Re: aerator on ranger

Thanks, I found out today that it will be a few weeks before I will be able to get to it. I let you know how everything turns out.

 

[Jacket4life]

Re: aerator on ranger

Did mine on my bass tracker, but I suspect I have more room in an all welded aluminum than you guys have in those fiberglass boats. I did what alwims said, gutted it all and use plugs.

 

[hl]

Re: aerator on ranger

Thanks, Completed the job and everything works good.The hoses were harder than I expected to remove.

 

[Realdon]

Re: aerator on ranger

It's not hard. I replaced hoses and motors on my '85 Ranger 340V. If yours is factory stock, don't expect to get the hoses off easily. I had to cut mine off which is why I decided to replace everything including the PVC piping. I also eliminated the valves Ranger uses as I couldn't afford the $30 apiece it was going to cost to replace them. Now I just use plugs in the live wells. It was surprisingly inexpensive to just replace everything, just be sure and use a food grade braided hose. DO NOT use heater hose as you'll kill all your fish. Unhook the hoses from the livewell and the fittings on the transom and it'll all come out in one piece.

I found your post interesting because you eliminated the valves and just use plugs. I have an 1982 V-375 which I think is quite similar to your boat. I want to use the front livewell simply as a cooler and the back one as a livewell. I could eliminate everything up front and just us a plug and drain so that one would not be a problem. I guess that I don't understand livewells (never had one before) but if I were to use a plug in the back livewell how does if fill? would the aerator pump fill it via the aerator tube on the top of the well? If this would work it would be great.....just put the plug in, turn the pump on, and be done with it. On the other hand, it sounds too good and simply to really work.

Please advise,

Don

 

[milehighboater]

Re: aerator on ranger

I found your post interesting because you eliminated the valves and just use plugs. I have an 1982 V-375 which I think is quite similar to your boat. I want to use the front livewell simply as a cooler and the back one as a livewell. I could eliminate everything up front and just us a plug and drain so that one would not be a problem. I guess that I don't understand livewells (never had one before) but if I were to use a plug in the back livewell how does if fill? would the aerator pump fill it via the aerator tube on the top of the well? If this would work it would be great.....just put the plug in, turn the pump on, and be done with it. On the other hand, it sounds too good and simply to really work.

Please advise,

Don

The well still fills from the aerater tube and you leave the back unplugged for drainage/overfill. The hole they are plugging is the one in the bottom of the well.

 

[Realdon]

Re: aerator on ranger

The well still fills from the aerater tube and you leave the back unplugged for drainage/overfill. The hole they are plugging is the one in the bottom of the well.

If the well is full and then the plug is pulled does the water run out through the pump or is the drain connected behind the pump or some other way?

Thanks,

Don

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: aerator on ranger

If the well is full and then the plug is pulled does the water run out through the pump or is the drain connected behind the pump or some other way?

Thanks,

Don

My Ranger has 3 openings in the live/baitwells. One is the aerator/filler, one is a drain and the third is an overflow. I chose to NOT use these compartments and plugged all 3 to make storage cabinets. In use, the aerator will fill, the plugged lower hole is the drain (and gets removed to drain the livewell) and the upper is basically an overflow. So mine has no real active aeroator, just a pump with a spray nozzle that continually overflows the livewell out the upper hole. Pretty simple design actually. The aerators were threaded 1/2" PVC caps that had a slit sawn out of them. I changed those out with unmodified plugs so that if I want to use the wells I just swap the caps out and unplug the top holes. I plugged all the holes because in my boat he bottom hole sits about 3" below water level and would flood. This was not good for storage of stuff like maps, etc. BTW the "plugs" I mentioned are basically bilge plugs.

 

[Realdon]

Re: aerator on ranger

the plugged lower hole is the drain (and gets removed to drain the livewell)

Yeah, that is exactly how mine is but I was going to remove the valve and cable on the rear one and just use a plug in the bottom drain rather than the valve because I would rarely use it as a livewell. My concern is if I was using it as a livewell and it was full of water would the water actually drain through the pump if the plug was removed. I though maybe the pump had a check valve in it that would not let the water drain through it.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: aerator on ranger

Well according to the schematics I have in my Ranger manual (I don't have any valves at all on mine but it's a manual for several different models) then the answer would probably be "yes" it would drain. I think they used those as combo aerator/fill plumbing circuits and the valve keeps it from draining back. My fill/aerator is at the top of the livewell but the overflow is about 2" below the overflow. Hope that helps. Maybe snap a picture and post it, might help.