Permament removal of raw water strainer

[jimmylee1000]

Just bought a 1993 Ski Nautique. The previous owner removed the Sherwood Raw Water Strainer, and put a straight brass piece in its place. He stated that Mastercrafts and Malibus have no such device and all they do is create unnecessary restrictions in the cooling flow path. I am thinking of reinstalling it, but not sure if it is necessary. Any opinions?

[core-rider]

I guess if the water use your boat in is completely clean and has no random trash floating around in it (leaves, sticks, milfoil, etc.) then I guess it could be said you don't need the stariner... BUT I have never seen water that clean. I have also never seen a boat without a strainer. I always have little trash in mine I clean out periodically. They can't impeed water flow that much to cause problems or you would have people complaining everywhere. I say replace it and have the piece of mind.

[east tx skier]

The sea strainer ought to be standard equipment, and I've never understood why it wasn't on the MC or Bu. I had on on my old MC within a couple of months of my buying it. I have never had trouble with a bad seal causing cooling problems on either of my boats with sea strainers.

[bubba]

Ditto, put one back in for peace of mind. I only clean mine once a year, during the winterization process. It hardly has anything in it except once there was what I would consider a DEAD minnow, go figure.