# Shallow Water Intake Scoops



## Scottom1 (2 mo ago)

Seen them on someone’s boat recently liked the idea. Don’t see a whole lot from my searches on here. What’s everyone’s take on them, do they have any downsides. They seem like they may inhibit water pickup in reverse but my boat goes forwards more than reverse lol


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

@Smackdaddy53 Zephyr Cove Customs has developed a patent-pending intake system. I haven't seen it in person but the reports from new owners is extremely positive. You need to check with him as far as horsepower requirements, cost, installation. Sounds like a very useful accessory for the extreme shallow waters y'all often fish in Texas.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

he's talking about the little scoops that replace the intake screens on the LU. I think maybe Jack Foreman had them made


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Roger. That makes more sense now.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

Scottom1 said:


> Seen them on someone’s boat recently liked the idea. Don’t see a whole lot from my searches on here. What’s everyone’s take on them, do they have any downsides. They seem like they may inhibit water pickup in reverse but my boat goes forwards more than reverse lol


TR Machining in Tivoli TX
He has them for a lot of engines. They seem to be reasonably priced. You are correct, not much info out there on them. 
Give him a call. I’m sure he would discuss the pros and cons with you. 
Chip


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## Scottom1 (2 mo ago)

@Zika That water pickup system is bad to the bone but I think it’s a bit overkill for an lt25. 

Yep I was talking about the scoops. they seem pretty neat and likely a pretty low cost way to run the JP a little higher


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## Vpdiaz (Jul 14, 2021)

I’ve used them. They helped my boat keep water pressure and I would buy them again. Don’t expect them to work miracles but I was able to get an extra 1-2 inches on the jackplate without having issues of water pressure and over heating.
They seemed 3d printed and my concern was them lasting over the years or becoming brittle from The elements.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Vpdiaz said:


> I’ve used them. They helped my boat keep water pressure and I would buy them again. Don’t expect them to work miracles but I was able to get an extra 1-2 inches on the jackplate without having issues of water pressure and over heating.
> They seemed 3d printed and my concern was them lasting over the years or becoming brittle from The elements.


Todd Rowell, TR Machining
(361) 218-7676

The real ones are machined and the material will not crack. I’ve been to Todd’s shop and visited for a couple of hours and seen him make them. I have a run of my shallow water pickup housings made of this material coming soon. If you have 3D printed ones they are knock offs and I know who’s doing it. They are not the same material, they are junk that will crack and end up tearing up your water pump, getting lodged in your cooling jackets and cause power head failure if they create a dam and block water flow to one area of your cooling jacket around the head. I have a ziplock bag full of them that I took off lower units and installed my pickup system. There’s usually a price to pay when people knock off other’s products.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

I run Jack Foreman's version on my Tohatsu 50 - they work as designed. His are not 3D printed and are a very hard composite material. I had someone take a look at it that does 3D printing and they said the materials from printing would not hold up and would crack and break as Mac said.

Now they do have the tendency to catch more grass and let in more sand, but I don't have enough hours on them yet to see how it affects the impeller. I have found the Tohatsu is picky with water pressure out of the pee tube - I've had to periodically clear it with weed eater line. That's a good tip btw - coil some up and have it on the boat. If your engine isn't peeing like a racehorse, run the line up through the tube and make sure it is clear.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

coconutgroves said:


> I run Jack Foreman's version on my Tohatsu 50 - they work as designed. His are not 3D printed and are a very hard composite material. I had someone take a look at it that does 3D printing and they said the materials from printing would not hold up and would crack and break as Mac said.
> 
> Now they do have the tendency to catch more grass and let in more sand, but I don't have enough hours on them yet to see how it affects the impeller. I have found the Tohatsu is picky with water pressure out of the pee tube - I've had to periodically clear it with weed eater line. That's a good tip btw - coil some up and have it on the boat. If your engine isn't peeing like a racehorse, run the line up through the tube and make sure it is clear.


Jack Foreman’s are from TR Machining.

Tohatsus are strange critters…there is a rubber tube between the midsection and power head that gets clogged and will cause the outboard to overheat. The pee tube comes out of the power head next to it and feeds the water pressure sensor and pisser. It can get restricted, stop peeing and show zero water pressure but not overheat. It will fool you sometimes…Strange design. A few guides were leaving the midsection cowling off all the time so they could clean debris out of the tube between the midsection and power head. It’s on the starboard side.


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## Sandyman (2 mo ago)

Scottom1 said:


> Seen them on someone’s boat recently liked the idea. Don’t see a whole lot from my searches on here. What’s everyone’s take on them, do they have any downsides. They seem like they may inhibit water pickup in reverse but my boat goes forwards more than reverse lol


I hear nothing but good things about them. Seem to definitely help water pickup.


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## Scottom1 (2 mo ago)

Ill def look into TR Machining. I have to figure out how to get the oem ones off though lol. On Wednesday I came screaming out of Double Bayou and was a little off the channel and stuck the landing hard. The ol' Hatsu was shy to pee and a can of compressed air saved the day but I tried to take the screens off to see if anything was in there but the nut was spinning in the recessed slot. Any tips. I was thinking stick a little piece of thin sheet metal in-between the nut and the plastic to give it something to shoulder against


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Scottom1 said:


> Ill def look into TR Machining. I have to figure out how to get the oem ones off though lol. On Wednesday I came screaming out of Double Bayou and was a little off the channel and stuck the landing hard. The ol' Hatsu was shy to pee and a can of compressed air saved the day but I tried to take the screens off to see if anything was in there but the nut was spinning in the recessed slot. Any tips. I was thinking stick a little piece of thin sheet metal in-between the nut and the plastic to give it something to shoulder against


Drill it out and get new intake screens.


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## TXJM (Aug 14, 2020)

Scottom1 said:


> Ill def look into TR Machining. I have to figure out how to get the oem ones off though lol. On Wednesday I came screaming out of Double Bayou and was a little off the channel and stuck the landing hard. The ol' Hatsu was shy to pee and a can of compressed air saved the day but I tried to take the screens off to see if anything was in there but the nut was spinning in the recessed slot. Any tips. I was thinking stick a little piece of thin sheet metal in-between the nut and the plastic to give it something to shoulder against


You may have to cut the plastic away to get to the nut or to just push it through. My older 2stroke has lots of room to get the nut or screw head through and out the other side. I guess you would have to commit to new screens. 
chip


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## Scottom1 (2 mo ago)

TXJM said:


> You may have to cut the plastic away to get to the nut or to just push it through. My older 2stroke has lots of room to get the nut or screw head through and out the other side. I guess you would have to commit to new screens.
> chip


I will prob just commit to the new screens and take smacks advice and drill’er out


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

I have run those screens and they are great except when running water with debris high in water column like grass mats on top. They will clog quick and overheat.

This is the exact reason I went with macs LWPU system and it works perfect for that amongst other scenarios. If you run areas with grass mat or other debris on surface or close to it. Get macs system.


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## Scottom1 (2 mo ago)

I dont often run areas with a lot of surface debris and I don’t have a whole lot of sea grass around me so I’m not sure if the smacks lwpu is right for me on this boat. It will be a serious consideration on my next boat though


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Scottom1 said:


> I dont often run areas with a lot of surface debris and I don’t have a whole lot of sea grass around me so I’m not sure if the smacks lwpu is right for me on this boat. It will be a serious consideration on my next boat though


Try the scoops, they are about $100. I might have one set of used ones that are not knockoffs I’ll sell you. If you are interested message me. I have a gallon bag full of them and sold two sets to a guide. I think I have one set of the TR ones.


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Jack Foreman’s are from TR Machining.
> 
> Tohatsus are strange critters…there is a rubber tube between the midsection and power head that gets clogged and will cause the outboard to overheat. The pee tube comes out of the power head next to it and feeds the water pressure sensor and pisser. It can get restricted, stop peeing and show zero water pressure but not overheat. It will fool you sometimes…Strange design. A few guides were leaving the midsection cowling off all the time so they could clean debris out of the tube between the midsection and power head. It’s on the starboard side.


 No doubt! Have the Foreman scoops and will be getting one of Smacks real low water systems soon!


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Jack Foreman’s are from TR Machining.
> 
> Tohatsus are strange critters…there is a rubber tube between the midsection and power head that gets clogged and will cause the outboard to overheat. The pee tube comes out of the power head next to it and feeds the water pressure sensor and pisser. It can get restricted, stop peeing and show zero water pressure but not overheat. It will fool you sometimes…Strange design. A few guides were leaving the midsection cowling off all the time so they could clean debris out of the tube between the midsection and power head. It’s on the starboard side.


Good info to know, thanks Mac.

I agree it seems strange that the engine shows full water pressure, my temp was fine, but no water was coming out of the cowling tube. I've had this happen twice - first time, the alarm sounded (during break in at a lake). Second time I could smell something was hotter than normal, so I shut down and ran the weed eater line through the tube - then she was pissing like Seabiscuit before the Derby.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

coconutgroves said:


> Good info to know, thanks Mac.
> 
> I agree it seems strange that the engine shows full water pressure, my temp was fine, but no water was coming out of the cowling tube. I've had this happen twice - first time, the alarm sounded (during break in at a lake). Second time I could smell something was hotter than normal, so I shut down and ran the weed eater line through the tube - then she was pissing like Seabiscuit before the Derby.


Yeah they are strange especially if you have been watching a pee stream your whole life as an indicator.


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## Sandyman (2 mo ago)

Scottom1 said:


> Seen them on someone’s boat recently liked the idea. Don’t see a whole lot from my searches on here. What’s everyone’s take on them, do they have any downsides. They seem like they may inhibit water pickup in reverse but my boat goes forwards more than reverse lol


I am working on buying some scoops for my motor. Received a strong recommendation from a guy I trust. These are made by a guy in Tivoli Tx I understand.


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## Honeybun0196 (Apr 14, 2017)

I have thought about a set in then past but never was able to find out much about them or where to get a set. I ended up ordering a set this week also after seeing this. Figured they'd be fine until I could justify the 
real low water pick up


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