2010 Elite V Oldman WB SS

We have a 2010 Centurion Elite V C4. Since it only has a 250LB center tank, we added a 750LB FatSac in each locker and have been using a portable pump to fill and drain them. Filling is not bad, but draining is a bit tricky. I am looking to add a bit of automation next year. I am considering just adding tees, valves, and hose and using the existing fill pumps to fill one or both FatSacs. This will prevent me from having to add new fill and drain pumps and switches for the FatSacs. I am also considering whether to run drain lines with valves from the FatSacs to the drain pump for the stock center tank but was considering the alternative of using valves with a short hose to drain them into the bilge and letting the bilge pump kick on. Has anyone tried that? Thanks in advance for any experience you wish to share.

I am looking for a mooring cover for my Centurion Elite V C4. I prefer to get an undertower cover but I am not sure which type of tower I have. Any advice on tower type and good cover manufacturers is appreciated.

I'm on a trailer so I guess it is a travel cover rather than a mooring cover, which is the snap on cover that I already have.

Based on the research I did, the following 15W40 oils would meet the SN spec (which supercedes the SM spec) for these older engines. Chevron Delo 400 SDE Valvoline Premium Blue Castrol GTX Traveller Premium All Fleet Mobil Delvac 1300 Synthetic All are rated for gas or diesel engines. The Shell Rotella T4 that most folks seem to use is no longer rated for gas engines.

Preparing to change my oil and checked the PCM manual. The spec is for SAE 15W-40 “GF-4/SM oil. I have not been able to find any oil that meets this spec. What are folks using in this engine?

I was not able to find a phone # for PCM so I tried to email them. I got no response so I called BoardCo. They said the service bulletin only applies to the larger engines. They are still using 15W-40 for the smaller engines like my 5.0L.

I found the bulletin. It does not appear to apply to my size engine (5.0). I will call PCM to check.

Thanks Troy. I can't open the file but I would see if I can find it online.

I finally got the new wiring installed but it took me awhile to test it out. Finally did that on Father's Day and everything worked, although the center tank does not drain that well. I may need to add a check valve on that vent line or temporarily insert a plug into the discharge port when emptying. Big thanks to Troy and others who helped me out with this. Next rainy day, I'll get some pics together and do a full writeup for others considering a similar project.

I have a 2010 Elite V C4 with 250# center tank that is filled with a Jabsco Ballast Puppy and drained with a Johnson Aerator pump. I am removing the aerator pump and plan to convert the Jabsco to fill and drain. I am going to use it to fill and drain the portl locker bag (750#). I plan to purchase a Johnson Ultra ballast to fill both the center tank and the starboard bag (750#). With its higher rating, it will fill the center tank and starboard bag in the same time it takes the Jabsco to fill the port bag. I routed the overflow for the port bag to the center thru hull discharge hole that was used for the aerator pump that was draining the center tank. I routed the overflow for the starboard bag to the same thru hull discharge hole that is used for the bilge pump. The factory switches were not DPDT since the factory setup was to fill with the Ballast Puppy and drain with aerator pumps. There are factory 5 pin SPDT switch connectors for center, port, and starboard. They all are wired to the stock Jabsco ballast puppy pump. I found a second fill pump connector that is also SPDT that I will connect to the new Johnson Ultra Ballast pump. I purchased the DPDT switch connectors that Wakemakers sells and have DPDT switches on backorder. My question is how to hook up those switch connectors to the factory wiring. There are 4 wires on the connector: Battery + and - and Pump + and -. The factory connectors all have 2 black wires in pin 7, 2 blue wires in pin 6, 2 brown wires in pin 3, a green wire in pin 2 , and an orange wire in pin1. I know the brown wires in pin 3 are for the drain pump and am pretty sure the black wires in pin 7 are the battery - since they are connected to the adjacent switch connectors. I assume the 2 blue wires in pin 6 are the battery + since they are connected to the adjacent switch connectors. I assume the green and orange wires are for the impeller pump but I am not sure which is + and which is -. The Wakemakers switch connector wires are 12 AWG. They say to connect to the battery and pump with 12AWG butt connectors. However, the wires on the factory switch connectors appear to be smaller (maybe 14 or 16 AWG). Also, as noted, there are 2 blue and 2 black wires. What is the best way to connect them to the 12 AWG on the switch connector? The factory wire for the 2nd fill pump has a plug connector but the Johnson pump I will be using just as 2 bare 12 AWG wires. If I cut off that plug connector, it looks like the wires are thicker, maybe 10 AWG. What is the best way to splice that the 10 AWG factory wire to the 12 AWG pump wire? As you can see, I am really weak on the electrical side so any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I did not know how to compress pics to fit on this page but I posted some pics of the SPDT factory switch connectors and wakemakers DPDT switch connector on the Centurion Crew.com Facebook page.

Thanks Troy. I called Centurion today and they said the factory wiring system was not working with the original ballast puppy and new DPDT switch because there is a relay in there and is really not designed for the reversible pump. They also said there also could be issues because the wire running to the pump is also connected to the wire for the sprinkler valve (although I had already disconnected and removed that). Anyway, they said to run new wire to the pump (like you said) and also to the terminal under the helm and add a 30 amp inline breaker. I guess they are not confident in that breaker panel after all. Anyway, I ordered all the necessary equipment from Wakemakers today. I may try connecting the system to that terminal under the helm which then runs to the battery with heavy gauge wire. I did buy enough wire to make it all the way to the battery because I like the idea of connecting to the house battery to allow filling and draining without running the engine. So tomorrow, I will install the new Johnson Pump and do all the plumbing and next week, I will take care of the wiring. Thanks for all your help.

Good idea if I can access and find the line coming out of the breaker to the switches. By the way, if I do end up going to the battery and adding inline fuses, should I go to the starter battery or the house battery? I would think the house battery would be better since it may allow me to fill and drain without running the engine.

Unfortunately, it did not work. I get power from the battery to the new DPDT switch but the pump does not work with the new DPDT switch and connector harness. Odd that the factory wiring does run the pump with the old SPDT switch. I am going to test a new line from the switch to the pump to see if it works and if so, run new wires from the switches to the pumps. I may just bite the bullet and go all the way to the battery too but it would be nice to use the existing breaker system between the battery and the switch.

Thanks Troy. I called Centurion and they said the breakers for those fill pumps should be good up to 30 amps. I see Johnson recommends 25 amp fuse/breaker and the specs say it draws 14 amps when pumping and up to 18 when reversing. Therefore, I feel comfortable using the factory wiring and breaker panel. If it ends up tripping the breaker, I will go ahead and run a dedicated wire and inline fuse later. I ordered the rest of the parts today so hopefully I can install next week and post some pics.

Thanks Troy. In addition to the center ballast which is all I currently have, I have breakers for 2 port and 2 starboard ballast as well as for fill pump 1 and fill pump 2. I pulled that breaker cover but unlike fuzes, the breakers do not appear to be labeled with a rating although I may take another look. I assume the port and starboard ballast switches were for aerator drain pumps which would have a lower rating like you saw with the fuzes you had for port and starboard. However, the fill pump 2 should be rated the same as the fill pump 1 which is a Jabsco ballast puppy. Apparently, the Johnson draws more than a Jabsco (Wakemakers recommends 30 amp fuse vice 20 amp for the Jabsco). If that is the case, I will probably have to go with Jabsco since the fill pump 2 breaker should be rated for it (not preferable since it produces less flow for about the same cost as Johnson Ultra Ballast), or verifiy that the fill pump 2 breaker is rated for 30 amps, or put in a 30 amp inline fuze between the switch and breaker panel.

Thanks Troy! I have been using your diagram and parts list to help me throughout this process. This is the first time I have seen the pics, very helpful. Regarding the wiring, one of the reasons I wanted to use the factory wiring is that it is routed through a breaker panel and then to the voltage sensitive relay which then connects to the battery. When you ran your dedicated wire to the battery, did you come through the breaker panel or just rely on your inline fuse? Did you run wires from each pump to the battery or did you combine them at some point and then just run a single wire to the battery?

I was thinking I could get away without them if I used wyes instead of tees. Then again, since the port bag is on the same line as the center tank drain pump, and the port bag is on the bilge pump drain line, I may have to add them. If I can access the vent/overflow line for the center tank, I may vent the to bags to that same line and use wye fittings. I don't think it would be necessary to have the check valves in that case.

Not sure how I missed this before but this is very helpful Troy. I was planning to fill my center tank and both rear bags with the factory ballast puppy but now I have a new idea. I am planning to add an aerator pump to fill the small center tank since it has a 5 pin switch wired for a fill pump and drain pump. That will allow me to keep that existing switch and have a switch dedicated to that tank which is the only one I need for wakeboarding. For surfing, I will then use the ballast puppy to fill and drain both bags (at least for now). I plan to drain both bags back through the bottom of the hull although I did consider going through the side like you did. I plan to vent the port bag to the center tank drain line and the startboard bag to the bilge drain line. This gives me a separate port for overflow of each bag. My diagram is not as fancy as yours but you can get the idea of my proposed setup.

Thanks for the input fjohnp. I only have one existing solenoid valve so I would have to build a manifold to add two more valves for the bags. That is tempting since the wiring is already there but I am not that experienced with wiring (not sure how to connect the existing wire bundles to the pump and valves since they are not located next to each other) while I am comfortable working with hose and manual valves. I also figure I can always add the solenoids in place of the manual valves later but I am probably more likely to add one or possibly two pumps if I am going to be messing with wiring. I only have 3 holes on the port side of my boat and none on the starboard. The holes are for the vent line for the center tank, the drain line for the center tank, and the bilge line. I had originally planned to drain the bags to that drain line for the center tank but based on quite a bit of input from others, I now plan to drain the bags through the bottom intake with the ballast puppy that I am using for filling. This seems simpler and will save me some hose, check valves, and quick connects. Therefore, I plan to use the old center tank drain line as my vent line for the two bags.

It was nice last weekend so I took a look to see what I had for wiring and switches. In addition to the center tank which is wired with a 5 pin switch, I have wiring and connectors (no switches) for port and starboard tanks/bags but unfortunately, the connectors for switches are also 5 pin. It looks like all three zones are wired the same at the panel (inputs from battery and wiring for inputs from pumps and also I think a solenoid valve). Right now, the only solenoid valve that is present is the one for the center tank. There are two coils of wire, one is lableled port and the other starboard sender. I assume those are for future solenoid valves for the port and starboard side. I also found a wire in the engine compartment for a second pump. Not sure if that would control both rear tanks/bags or if there is a separate wire I have not found for a third pump. I assume the 5 pin wiring for port and starboard zones would allow filling with the existing ballast puppy used to fill the center tank (or possibly that pump 2 wiring) and that I would have to connect other wires to new aerator drain pumps for those zones. That would be easiest from an electrical connection standpoint but I would have to add pumps, hose and valves. My current thinking is to remove the solenoid and probably the strainer, and replace that 5 pin center tank switch with a 7 pin switch that would allow me us the ballast puppy for filling and draining. At this stage, I am planning to use this same pump to fill and drain the port and starboard bags. Since I have a single switch and pump at this point, I will control the fill and drain of all zones with manual valves. Not ideal but still better than filling and draining with a portable pump. I am also planning to add overflows to the bags and plumb them to the line that is currently used to drain the center tank. If I use a wye, I am thinking I can go without the check valves on these lines. I appreciate any input folks may have.

Thank you fjohnp! Winter is here but I may trace the wiring if we get a nice day. Otherwise, I will figure it out in the spring.

I got my boat back this weekend and took a look. I saw some coils of wire with connectors near the transmission and ballast intake (1st picture) Are these plug and play wiring for two more ballast zones? I do not have switches for those zones but there are spaces to add them on the panel. I have not removed the panel yet to see if there is any extra wire under there that connects to the battery and the coils near the engine. If there are already wires for two more zones, I will probably add two more pumps. If not, I will probably just use my existing impeller pump to fill and drain the bags as well as the center tank. I assume I can do that by disconnecting the Johnson drain pump from the drain terminals of the switch and connecting the reversible impeller pump to those terminals. I assume I would also have to move the hose coming from the impeller pump to the center tank from the current fill point on the tank to the low point where the Johnson pump is currently connected for it to drain the tank (2nd picture).

Thanks for the info. I was thinking of staying with a single pump and upgrading it to a higher flow rather than adding pumps. Using larger hose for the bags is also a good idea. When I get my boat back next week, I will have to take a look at how I am going to do the wiring for the various options folks have provided.

I think there may be a sprinkler valve in my boat. It is on the rear wall of the boat and is located prior to the filter. It has a spring inside. Is that a sprinkler valve or check valve? If it is a sprinkler valve, is it a critical piece of equipment or can that be bypassed? I was also wondering about that filter. If I add a new manifold and pumps, is another filter needed? Regarding the manifold, it looks like Wakemakers no longer carries it. https://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-distribution-flow-manifold.html Are there other sites that supply it or is it just as easy to construct my own manifold with PVC pipes and valves? If I do that, I could probably construct the manifold after the existing intake rather than adding a new through hull fitting and possibly add a second through hull fitting and pump later. If I do install a DPDT switch to allow fill and empty of my stock hard tank, do I need to reroute the input into the low point where the Johnson drain pump is located in order to be able to drain the tank with the impeller pump?

Thanks Wylie. Pardon my ignorance but what is a DPDT switch? I assume it lets me use the existing impeller pump to drain as well as fill the hard tank. I am curious why Centurion chose to fill with the impeller pump and drain with the aerator pump. Maybe it would be difficult to drain with the impeller pump because the hose run from the pump to the tank is fairly long. Is it difficult to replace the existing switch with a DPDT switch? If I do that I assume I could still add valves and sequentially fill and drain the bags as well as the center tank with that single impeller pump. I realize filling and draining will go much faster with additional pumps so I just need to decide whether to spend the $ and get over my fear of adding a through hull fitting. I am also concerned about running the wires through the sides of the boat and installing new switches but I may have to do that anyway if I replace the switch. My boat is getting winterized now so when I get it back, I can reassess how difficult that may be. If it is not too difficult to replace that switch, I am leaning towards replacing that switch and adding valves and possibly overflows to the bags next year. Then possibly the following year, or when I get tired of turning valves, I could add the separate through hull fittings and impeller pumps. I sure appreciate everyone's time and advice.