Need some ideas on fixing my livewell

[JJB]

I have a 16' lund with the livewell on the side. Last fall I took the kids out fishing and while they were playing in the livewell somehow a bobber the same size as the drain tube slid down and now has the drain plugged pretty good. It is one of the small red and white round bobbers and we cannot get it out. It made it about a foot and a half down into the system and is now wedged pretty good Anyone ever have this happen or have ideas to free the line back up? It looks like 1 inch aluminum piping that drops about 10 inches out of the well and 90s straigt out the back.

[Dave]

My guess would be using one of those metal snakes that electricians use to run wire in conduit to pull wires. Coat hanger may work dpending on how long you need it. Maybe you can push an end into the bobber and break the bobber up into pieces, so it can flow out of the drain system.

[JEV]

If possible, I would try and hit it with a shot of air from an air compressor from the end of the drain and see if you can "shoot" that bobber back up and out....

JEV

[upnorth]

Garden hose on the intake side full blast should move it.

[ZapBranigan]

I have a 16' Lund with a livewell on the side so I think I can see your dilema. First I would try a Shop Vac to see if I could get it to move. Both from the top and from the back out let tube. The back end try to reverse the flow of the vacume. Or maybe a pressure washer from the back end. Or an air compresser. Any thing that could blow it back out with some pressure. Otherwise you gotta get a rod and bust it up and try to flush it out the back end. Better if you could keep it intact so pieces won't get hung up in there. You really don't want to use chemicals to try to dissolve it cause under the floor after the turn may be plastic to rear.

My workmate says if it is dry and you can see the bobber get a peice of PVC tube and gob on plastic cement and try to affix to the bobber then leave it overnigt then try to carefully wiggle and work it free.

Good luck with this.

Sorry I had no definative answers. All these ideas are untried.

[Fisher Dave]

If the livewell drain hose is not encased in foam(floatation) you should be able to disconnect the hose from either the drain side, or the livewell side.. something should be accessable. It shouldnt be much of a problem with an end disconnected.

You may have to take off the entire drain hose.

[JJB]

Thanks guys,

I have tried the hose but it didnt do it, I tried to push it from the well and think i hung it up pretty good so took out the air and still didnt get it. I bet busting it up would be the best bet. Even if I can get it back up to the 90 I can try you idea Zap and get out the cement.

Im sure it has to be 6ft plus to the well from the back. Where could I find something that long that will at least push it back to the well? I think we tried a snake and couldnt get it to move.

Thanks agian!

[Chris Haley]

Is it a plastic bobber or foam?? If it's styrofoam you could dump a solvent down the drain and disolve it. Be sure to have a can at the drain end to protect the environment. Paint thinner will disolve it.

[efgh]

Try hooking a garden hose to the outlet of the live well, there is usally 50-60 pds. pressure in waterlines,jar the hose if you can when you turn on the water.

[JJB]

Its a plastic bobber and I can olny imadgine the top spring is whats got it wedged so good. When I get home tonight I am going to try and find something to break it loose from the back and atleast get it back to where I can see it. Then its a toast I have plenty of pvc cement and the way that stuff bonds it should break the bobber before it lets go

Thanks for the ideas

[Dave]

If you invited some FMer's over for supper, supply a box of tools, I'm sure they'd have that bobber outta there in no time flat. It may take ya awhile to put your boat back together though

[ZapBranigan]

Youch! I didn't realize it made it around the 90 deg bend. Arrgh! Just be careful with any ideas involving chemicals because I'm almost certain after the bend you are dealing with a plastic hose. The plastic hose is probably that stuff which can be bent around corners so it has ribs in it. This creates your problem with getting it forward or backwards. The real problem may be even if you get it busted up the outlet may be smaller than even the inside hose. Mine has like a hard plastic lip on the outlet at the bottom which restricts the size even smaller. How close are you to putting in a new floor? If you were positive where under the floor it was there are seat plugs for covering holes made by seats that are moved. Cut a hole and take a part the hose running to the back. I would make sure with the Mfg that it is a plastic hose after the bend first though. If it were all metal I would go for the chemical breakdown choice.

[msm1018]

Quote:

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If possible, I would try and hit it with a shot of air from an air compressor from the end of the drain and see if you can "shoot" that bobber back up and out....

JEV

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that was my thought exactly, find a pipe blow out tool used for RV's it looks like a big tear drop with the black part being rubber and the end is like a tire air valve.

[Dave B]

dynomite

[ZapBranigan]

Just one more idea fill the tube with water and hit it with a toilet plunger. It might produce the right jerk or bounce with pressure to jar it loose then maybe a wet/dry vac to keep moving it up. Also you might want to post this in Equipment section there are a lot of mechanics like AirJer who maybe use just the tool your looking for.