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Step 3Modifying the cooler and hooking up the pump
Drill two 1/2" holes near the top of the cooler for the supply and return tubes to pass through the side. It should be a tight fit to reduce any water from leaking. Also, drill a smaller hole, about 3/16" for your power wires to pass through. You'll notice I didn't do a very good job lining my holes up. Clean up any extra bits of plastic and insulation from the inside of the cooler.
My bilge pump has an outlet for 3/4" ID tubing. I need to reduce this size, in stages, down to .17" ID tubing (1/4" OD). Since there isn't a reduction coupler that will do this all at once, we have to do it with a few parts. The first one reduces it from 3/4" ID to 3/8" ID (US Plastic item #064383). Attach your short piece of 3/4" ID vinyl tubing to your pump and then insert the reducer coupler to the other end. Then to the other end of the coupler, attach enough 3/8" ID vinyl tubing to go up and out the new supply hole you drilled. Make sure that about an inch of tubing sticks out of the cooler. Insert the male end of the quick release connectors (US Plastic item #060467) to the short sections of tubing emerging from the cooler.
As a side note about my pump; I bought it from some guy on Craigslist and when I fired it up, the flow was pathetically low and slow. As far as a bilge pump is concerned, he sold me a hunk of garbage. But for this purpose, the slow flow is actually a benefit. I've heard of other projects like this and how their back really freezes and they have to cycle the pump off and on to keep from going numb. I had been thinking that I would have to rig up some sort of thermostatic control or something, but as it worked out, this pump is perfect. I just have to keep the pump pretty much on the same level as the cooling pads as it will only pump about 12" of head.
Next, cut about 6 inches of 3/8" ID tubing and stick that through the other large hole, leaving about an inch sticking out of the cooler on the outside. This will be the end piece of your return tube. Next, pass the power wires for the pump out through the small hole you drilled and splice them into your 12VDC wire, which then is spliced into the cigarette lighter plug. Note: Be sure to locate your splicing outside of the cooler. You do not want to get water on bare wires!
I applied some hot glue around both tubes and the wires where they penetrate the inside surface of the cooler. This is to prevent leaks from water sloshing around as you drive. You could use silicone caulking instead of hot glue. Lastly, I cut a piece of felt and hot glued it to the bottom of the cooler to prevent it from sliding around on the carpeted floor in my car's trunk.
My bilge pump has an outlet for 3/4" ID tubing. I need to reduce this size, in stages, down to .17" ID tubing (1/4" OD). Since there isn't a reduction coupler that will do this all at once, we have to do it with a few parts. The first one reduces it from 3/4" ID to 3/8" ID (US Plastic item #064383). Attach your short piece of 3/4" ID vinyl tubing to your pump and then insert the reducer coupler to the other end. Then to the other end of the coupler, attach enough 3/8" ID vinyl tubing to go up and out the new supply hole you drilled. Make sure that about an inch of tubing sticks out of the cooler. Insert the male end of the quick release connectors (US Plastic item #060467) to the short sections of tubing emerging from the cooler.
As a side note about my pump; I bought it from some guy on Craigslist and when I fired it up, the flow was pathetically low and slow. As far as a bilge pump is concerned, he sold me a hunk of garbage. But for this purpose, the slow flow is actually a benefit. I've heard of other projects like this and how their back really freezes and they have to cycle the pump off and on to keep from going numb. I had been thinking that I would have to rig up some sort of thermostatic control or something, but as it worked out, this pump is perfect. I just have to keep the pump pretty much on the same level as the cooling pads as it will only pump about 12" of head.
Next, cut about 6 inches of 3/8" ID tubing and stick that through the other large hole, leaving about an inch sticking out of the cooler on the outside. This will be the end piece of your return tube. Next, pass the power wires for the pump out through the small hole you drilled and splice them into your 12VDC wire, which then is spliced into the cigarette lighter plug. Note: Be sure to locate your splicing outside of the cooler. You do not want to get water on bare wires!
I applied some hot glue around both tubes and the wires where they penetrate the inside surface of the cooler. This is to prevent leaks from water sloshing around as you drive. You could use silicone caulking instead of hot glue. Lastly, I cut a piece of felt and hot glued it to the bottom of the cooler to prevent it from sliding around on the carpeted floor in my car's trunk.
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