I have a 1989/90 procraft fisher 180. A through hull fitting forward near the keel is leaking slightly. The outer flange is gone. It looks impossible to replace. What is its purpose, and can I just plug it? I never use the forward live well, only the rear.

Unplug the washing machine from the wall outlet.

2

Remove the plastic end caps on the left and right sides of the control panel using your fingers, and then remove the screws under the end caps.

3

Lift the control panel up and rotate it 180 degrees.

4

Unplug the wire connector from the top of the cabinet and then use a flat-head screwdriver to release the spring clips on the left and right sides of the cabinet.

5

Tilt the cabinet toward you, then lift and remove. Set the cabinet aside.

New top load machines all have the cabinet where it comes off forward and the screws only hold the control panel on.

Repair any cracks or damage to the hull with fiberglass repair kits, available at most hardware stores. Use an overlay prior to the fiberglass if the area is bigger than a quarter so you don't develop a soft spot.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/49777-dropping-keel.html
I found this site for you, I have never been involved in pulling a keel or removing lead, so you are on your own, check this out.

These boats are very short and have a smooth hull with very little keel. Because of this they will not track well and will have a tendency to turn.

You don't say how experienced a paddler you are.
Check also that you are holding your paddle equi distant from both blades. You may be unconsciously paddling harder with your right hand if you are right handed. Most of us are one-side dominant. You may also be sitting slightly diagonally in the boat without realising it. Experiment with shifting your position. Also consider a backrest if one is not already fitted.

You can fit a skeg to the stern whichwill improve straight line tracking. Abit like a fixed rudder. Use heavy duty elastic to hold it onto the boat stern.

If the washer leaks all the time, check these:

• Hot and cold water fill hoses - Check the hot and cold water hoses from the household plumbing. If either hose is leaking, tighten it or replace it, as appropriate.



• Main tub seal - The main tub seal is located between the transmission and the outer tub. It's the primary water seal in the outer tub for the transmission-shaft entry point. If this seal leaks, you can see the leak by opening up the machine's main access panel while the machine is full of water with a small amount of detergent in it. The leak appears at the underside of the outer tub, at or near the center. This seal is difficult to replace. You probably should call a qualified appliance repair technician.



• Pump - If the pump leaks, you can probably spot the leak when the tub is full of water. The pump has two or more black rubber or plastic hoses attached to it and usually has a drive belt that spins the pump. If the pump is leaking, you need to replace it.



• Outer tub - Over time, the steel or plastic outer tubs can rust, split, or be punctured. If this happens, you may have to replace the entire outer tub--but that may not be an economical repair to make. Consult a qualified appliance repair technician for further details.

thanks and please do not forget to accept the solution

jmiller,

Sound like your getting turbulence from the hull or your angle is allowing cavitation under the transducer. Look under the hull where the traducer is mounted and look for a part that has no obstruction including saltwater pickups, hull relieves, etc. The other thing to check is to take a strait edge on the bottom of the transducer to ensure the angle is slightly forward than the hull.

Bob

For those with water on floor after wash, check my post on "eco smart won't drain, smells hot". It could be something clogging drainage area at very bottom of the tub. I couldn't see the sock that was stuck in my FP's drain when I looked from the top between the white outer tub and the wash tub--everything looked fine. Then I removed the black motor/white plastic housing piece--Tip back washer and you should see this black electric motor/white housing on bottom. see my post for how to remove and check for plugged drain. it's really pretty easy.

don't know about outer tub holes, but glad i don't have that problem.

i hate my fisher paykel washer/dryer. i can't wait to sell this house--i will leave them here and get a new front load Duette for my next house!

There is a vent at the back of the machine near the top that is covered by a small round white plastic cross pattern. Inside of the machine there is a black flexible hose that attaches to the vent from the top of the outer tub. inside of the tub attachment point is supposed to be a light blue plastic valve that looks like an old style army helmet on a peg. The peg fits into a flange in the opening on the outer tub. If this valve is missing water will escape from the vent on the back of the machine. Another likely point of water leak is a loose inlet hose or missing washer on the inlet hose.

The problem is not so much the flat bottom, although they are prone to this problem. The way the sonic waves have to travel through the water is affected by turbulence, especially by air bubbles and cavitation, and by the transducer actually leaving the water, which happens frequently on flat bottomed boats. The best solution to this is to have the unit mounted through the hull so it is completely flush with the hull surface - often they are mounted with a surface flange on the outside of the hull which although thin still causes cavitation around the transducer at higher speeds. about 14 knots will usually interfere with the accuracy of the readings on most hull shapes - forward looking sonars perform usually better. Another thing to check is that the transducer is actually seating right in the housing, if it is not flush with the flange then you have problems - even half a millimetre is too much. check no muppet has painted the transducer with antifouling paint - that never helps, also check if there is a build up of marine growth on or near the transducer - a smooth hull will always keep your depth working until a higher boat speed. if the transducer is growing stuff itself then gently scrape it off - be really careful not to scratch the surface. There are now available non-sonic depth sounders, especially ulf radio signal devices, but I have heard no good reports about them, last i saw they were very expensive and maybe they experience other problems at high speed. there also have been towed devices available that may suit your needs better, although probably a lot of trouble in shallow waters. If you can borrow a waterproof video camera, you could mount it behind (not too close) the transducer, this would be a pain to do, but it may give you an insight into what part of the hull if any is causing the problem (tie the camera to the top of the boat securely in case the mount fails) Hope this helps, sorry but your dealer is not totally wrong :)