Official 280 Sundancer Thread

Not sure why the second pic uploaded upside down, but running the new cable was pretty easy and non-invasive surgically speaking.

It seems this website likes to orient the photos in landscape mode, with the width being more than the height. I've had to manually add whitespace to the side of a photo to stop it from auto-rotating it before I upload in the past. Ughhh.

Nice installs btw!
 
Nobody replaced their Nav light bulbs recently? Was hoping to order replacement bulbs to have on hand when I try to get the covers off...

I too upgraded my bulbs to LED within the OEM housings. Just be sure to purchase a polarity insensitive bulb. It seems that the way the were wired by Sea Ray, they are opposite the normal wiring and for those LED bulbs that are polarity sensitive, they won't light.

I found this out the first time I tried LED bulbs. I considered fixing the wiring, but Sea Ray didn't leave 1 inch of extra wiring to be able to cut and re-splice it.

Oh and the covers simply come off by removing a single Phillips head screw on the very top, if I recall.
 
I too upgraded my bulbs to LED within the OEM housings. Just be sure to purchase a polarity insensitive bulb. It seems that the way the were wired by Sea Ray, they are opposite the normal wiring and for those LED bulbs that are polarity sensitive, they won't light.

I found this out the first time I tried LED bulbs. I considered fixing the wiring, but Sea Ray didn't leave 1 inch of extra wiring to be able to cut and re-splice it.

Oh and the covers simply come off by removing a single Phillips head screw on the very top, if I recall.

I had removed the screw previously, but that didn't get me anywhere....I wasn't sure if there was a trick I was missing. I guess I have to pry a bit. Probably been on there a long time. I doubt the previous owner ever took it out at night.

https://store.marinebeam.com/compact-ge89-and-ge90-replacement-for-attwood-perko-tw-ge-15/

These seem to be a replacement, but since I'd yet to be successful at getting the cover off, I wasn't sure if it was single or double contact.
 
I had removed the screw previously, but that didn't get me anywhere....I wasn't sure if there was a trick I was missing. I guess I have to pry a bit. Probably been on there a long time. I doubt the previous owner ever took it out at night.

https://store.marinebeam.com/compact-ge89-and-ge90-replacement-for-attwood-perko-tw-ge-15/

These seem to be a replacement, but since I'd yet to be successful at getting the cover off, I wasn't sure if it was single or double contact.

My notes I took indicate they are a "Phillips 89LL" bulb (single contact).

As I recall, you remove the Phillips head screw, then pry off a chrome cover and then the plastic colored lens. The bulb is right there.

Good luck,

Tom
 
My notes I took indicate they are a "Phillips 89LL" bulb (single contact).

As I recall, you remove the Phillips head screw, then pry off a chrome cover and then the plastic colored lens. The bulb is right there.

Good luck,

Tom
Yup - just takes a bit of nudging.
 
could you change out the radio for a new one that has bluetooth connection? this way you can control it with your phone or a bluetooth remote
You are correct shipmate. However, I’m too cheap to buy a new stereo (however not too cheap to buy the remote and new cable, go figure.)
 
For those who don't have "Steering Angle" displayed on Smartcraft, i just ordered an assembly for mine - about $250. and attached is the pdf for install instructions.
 

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My generator (Kohler 5E gas) won't start this year. It will crank and turn over but nothing I do will get it to fire (usually messing with the choke lever will do it, if necessary). It ran fine when I winterized it last November.

I did get it to start if I sprayed starter fluid into where the flame arrestor is located, but it would die as soon as I quit spraying. So is getting spark, but no fuel. Guessing it is gummed up somewhere within the carb.

Before I tackle removing the carburetor (now this is going to be fun), I wondered if you all had any advice...like maybe I forgot how to start this thing! I did turn the switch in the cabin control panel to ON, blowers ON, and then hit the start button.

I did find a couple of short threads here about moving the water tank out of the way to get access to the carb, so that should help a bit.

Thanks,
 
My generator (Kohler 5E gas) won't start this year. It will crank and turn over but nothing I do will get it to fire (usually messing with the choke lever will do it, if necessary). It ran fine when I winterized it last November.

I did get it to start if I sprayed starter fluid into where the flame arrestor is located, but it would die as soon as I quit spraying. So is getting spark, but no fuel. Guessing it is gummed up somewhere within the carb.

Before I tackle removing the carburetor (now this is going to be fun), I wondered if you all had any advice...like maybe I forgot how to start this thing! I did turn the switch in the cabin control panel to ON, blowers ON, and then hit the start button.

I did find a couple of short threads here about moving the water tank out of the way to get access to the carb, so that should help a bit.

Thanks,

i would say possible fuel pump issue. if it stays running while spraying then it sounds like its not getting fuel.
 
I have a boat performance question. It seems my 280DA does not much fancy speeds above 8 knots and below 20 knots. I end up with an excessive bow up trim that I can’t resolve with either trim tabs or trimming the out drives all the way down. Is there something simple that I’m missing? Moving my guests up forward helps a little but not enough. Any sage advice from you more seasoned skippers out there will be met with an excessive amount of appreciation. Cheers.
 
I have a boat performance question. It seems my 280DA does not much fancy speeds above 8 knots and below 20 knots. I end up with an excessive bow up trim that I can’t resolve with either trim tabs or trimming the out drives all the way down. Is there something simple that I’m missing? Moving my guests up forward helps a little but not enough. Any sage advice from you more seasoned skippers out there will be met with an excessive amount of appreciation. Cheers.

Add weight to the bow. I stored everything that was heavy under the V berth - tool box, spare parts, water, etc. You could also switch to all chain for the anchor.
 
My generator (Kohler 5E gas) won't start this year. It will crank and turn over but nothing I do will get it to fire (usually messing with the choke lever will do it, if necessary). It ran fine when I winterized it last November.

I did get it to start if I sprayed starter fluid into where the flame arrestor is located, but it would die as soon as I quit spraying. So is getting spark, but no fuel. Guessing it is gummed up somewhere within the carb.

Before I tackle removing the carburetor (now this is going to be fun), I wondered if you all had any advice...like maybe I forgot how to start this thing! I did turn the switch in the cabin control panel to ON, blowers ON, and then hit the start button.

I did find a couple of short threads here about moving the water tank out of the way to get access to the carb, so that should help a bit.

Thanks,

You might not need to fully remove the carb, I'd start by pulling the bowl first if it's dry check the make sure the float works. What happens is the needle valve corrodes up and sticks. sometimes you can free it by working the float other times you need to replace the carb.
 
I have a boat performance question. It seems my 280DA does not much fancy speeds above 8 knots and below 20 knots. I end up with an excessive bow up trim that I can’t resolve with either trim tabs or trimming the out drives all the way down. Is there something simple that I’m missing? Moving my guests up forward helps a little but not enough. Any sage advice from you more seasoned skippers out there will be met with an excessive amount of appreciation. Cheers.
What you're experiencing is pretty common with planing-style boats. They don't really like that mid-speed range you are talking about. Add to the fact that there's a lot of boat there over a relatively short length and that's another reason. Also, if there's any growth on the bottom, no matter how slight, that can exacerbate the problem. Bravo III drives would help, but that's quite an expense. Larger tabs would certainly help and they aren't that expensive. However, the biggest impact comes from increasing span and you may not have a whole lot of room left given a relatively narrow beam boat and twin engines. Chord will help a little bit - possibly even drop fin tabs. Adding weight to the bow (maybe rearranging where you store some things, as well?) as mentioned above is probably the easiest solution - the further up the better. Even if it's just dead weight. Experiment: Put a 100lbs, or so, of weight in the anchor locker, or at least at the head of the berth, and see what happens.
 
I have a boat performance question. It seems my 280DA does not much fancy speeds above 8 knots and below 20 knots. I end up with an excessive bow up trim that I can’t resolve with either trim tabs or trimming the out drives all the way down. Is there something simple that I’m missing? Moving my guests up forward helps a little but not enough. Any sage advice from you more seasoned skippers out there will be met with an excessive amount of appreciation. Cheers.
Are you trying to get the boat on plane below 20Kts? I run my 280 at either 5+ kts for no wake areas or on plane which generally is in excess of 20+. That intermediate speed is very inefficient ($$gas) and throws off a heck of a wake. FYI prior to my 280 I had 2 center consoles and I couldn't operate them in that 8-20 kt range.

If you're finding it takes a while to get on plane (through that mid range speed) that's a different story. As others have stated moving weight around will help and using tabs to get on plane will help as well. Don't forget you have 240 lbs of fresh water sitting in the tank. So between the fresh water, your genny and the 4.3's it'll take a bit of extra power to get going.
 
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I have a fair amount of movement in my wheel. There was a previous post on the topic and the recommendation was to remove the wheel and adjust the 2 align screws. I removed the wheel today but didn't see those screws. Has anyway tightened or removed the "play" from their wheel or is this something I should just live with.
 
I have a fair amount of movement in my wheel. There was a previous post on the topic and the recommendation was to remove the wheel and adjust the 2 align screws. I removed the wheel today but didn't see those screws. Has anyway tightened or removed the "play" from their wheel or is this something I should just live with.

So at least on the 2001 there isn't any adjustment on the wheel side. It's a the wheel attaches to tilt shaft that drives a pinion gear in back of the helm that then moves a rack that actuates a cable going to the transom where the power steering assists.

As far as I can tell there is no adjustment for the rack and pinion, and there is slight play of movement.

How much play do you have?
 

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