Official 330 Express Cruiser / 340 Amberjack 1997-2003 Thread

GrimmSpeed

New Member
Jul 1, 2009
160
Stillwater/St. Croix River, MN
Boat Info
1998 330 Express Cruiser
Engines
7.4 454
Ok so I looked and looked and couldn't find a 330 EC or 340 AJ thread anywhere. I know there aren't very many of us out there but since this is Sea Ray's best boat ever built :grin:, we should probably have one.

We just signed the papers on ours today. It is a 1998 330 Express Cruiser, 7.4s, 1000 hours. We are coming from a 2005 260 Sundancer so we are very excited for the extra room!

My first couple questions:
Is the electric salon bed suppose to lay completely flat? On mine, the backrest doesn't fold all the way down.

V-Berth Door - I can't get mine to shut, seems like its all off the track and missing pieces. What is the easiest way to gain access to the inside of the pocket door?

Has anyone bought new canvas (bimini, aft curtain, etc)? If so, where and how much? I just got a quote from Great Lakes and it was 2500 with their current 15% off sale. This seemed very reasonable to me but I have no benchmark for pricing on it.


Anyways, HI!
 
Ya beat me lol

You say yikes to 1000 hours on your 454's I say u have plenty of plenty of life left in them. If you maintain them properly they will take care of you. I have 1100 hours. Compression numbers are near perfect to factory spec and pull hard. A few oil drips here and there but nothing worth pulling the motors for. Keep an eye on your coolers and heat exchangers. My transmission cooler went last year so yours are probably on they're way out (same age same hours ) when you change one I would recommend changing all 4. 2 trans 2 oil coolers. Best of luck with your purchase and enjoy her they are great boats
 
Electric sofa bed will lay flat but you need to help it out. It hits the stairs a little but a little push down and it will. That's my bed until I get around to making the v berth a permanent memory foam bed.

There is no a cess to the pocket doors but the pins that run the track on the bottom are push pins y can push them up into the door to put them back in the track. Make sure the screws in the track are fish with the track so the guide pins don't hit them and so the door from sliding
 
I did it myself and bought them from http://www.mrcool.us/engine-products/heat-exchangers-and-oil-coolers.html if I Remember correctly around 700$ for all 4. Oil coolers were exact replacement but trans coolers we're a little longer but still direct replacement just make sure to add extra trans fluid to compensate for the larger cooler. Very easy replacement just hose clamps and threaded connections. The main heat exchangers are a different story. 800 or so a piece. And a little more involved in changing. No need to change them unless your losing antifreeze, running hot or there leaking
 
It failed and I noticed an oil slick coming out the exhaust. Checked all my oil levels and the star transmission had water in the oil. If your not one to look at your water flow you would never notice
 
glad you made this but this is a thread not a group right ? I made a group but in the wrong cat. anyway bought my canvas from Harvard marine same as great lakes paid 2500 looked great in the beginning but wthin a year I replaced the plastic windows for 400 and had most zippers done over not wrth it I called them with no help they use cheap ****, use a canvas shop
 
All my canvas is great Lakes. Except the 2 small side windshield pieces. Replaced a couple weeks after sand and everything is still in great shape. All sumbrella material and isenglass. Don't know the price previous owner payed. But I have all the part numbers and tags for them
 
glad you made this but this is a thread not a group right ? I made a group but in the wrong cat. anyway bought my canvas from Harvard marine same as great lakes paid 2500 looked great in the beginning but wthin a year I replaced the plastic windows for 400 and had most zippers done over not wrth it I called them with no help they use cheap ****, use a canvas shop

Yeah, I figured it makes more sense to make it a thread instead of a group. It will be much more visible. Do you know what brand of canvas you got from Harvard marine? I'd like to steer clear of whatever it was that you got that you didn't like.

I wonder if Great Lakes can do strataglass
 
Harvard marine is a supplier of great lakes witch is factory canvas for sea ray, all sunbrella the material is good problem is that factory stitching done on machines .hand done is much better and they use standard thread and cheap gauge zippers 14g vs 16g that custom shops use also they use 30g isenglass roll witch is lowest quality
 
Harvard marine is a supplier of great lakes witch is factory canvas for sea ray, all sunbrella the material is good problem is that factory stitching done on machines .hand done is much better and they use standard thread and cheap gauge zippers 14g vs 16g that custom shops use also they use 30g isenglass roll witch is lowest quality

Thanks! I just sent an email to Great Lakes to see if they can upgrade to better zippers and isenglass. I'll post back with their answer...
 
That does remind me. I did have to ask my mom the restich a couple corners. And a few zipper pieces. The started to separate.
 
So happy we have this thread! I have been hoping for a place to discuss the 330EC.
 
I did it myself and bought them from http://www.mrcool.us/engine-products/heat-exchangers-and-oil-coolers.html if I Remember correctly around 700$ for all 4. Oil coolers were exact replacement but trans coolers we're a little longer but still direct replacement just make sure to add extra trans fluid to compensate for the larger cooler. Very easy replacement just hose clamps and threaded connections. The main heat exchangers are a different story. 800 or so a piece. And a little more involved in changing. No need to change them unless your losing antifreeze, running hot or there leaking

Got mine from Mr. Cool as well and exchangers, mine were shot, plugged.

--Mike
 
Got mine from Mr. Cool as well and exchangers, mine were shot, plugged.

--Mike

I've felt the sting of having to replace one of my main heat exchangers (suspect the dealer didn't winterize fast enough and cracked some of the tubes within the exchanger). Could not believe they were $800 new! Also could not believe that due to their design were apparently not able to be re-cored, but that was what I was told. At least it solved my disappearing A/F mystery.
 
I've felt the sting of having to replace one of my main heat exchangers (suspect the dealer didn't winterize fast enough and cracked some of the tubes within the exchanger). Could not believe they were $800 new! Also could not believe that due to their design were apparently not able to be re-cored, but that was what I was told. At least it solved my disappearing A/F mystery.

Yeah, I bit the bullet and did both the coolers and the exchangers all at once. It started with an over-heat issue and losing coolant on the starboard engine. Figured it was the exchanger so after that was confirmed I checked the port. It was pretty bad, showed its age and was partially clogged. Check the coolers too, all partially clogged. These were all the originals so I figured I would just do it now rather than chase them individually later. I did manage to sell the coolers and exchangers for copper scrap for about $375.00! Helped a little.

--Mike
 
All this talk about coolers! Has anybody been able to opens there's and enjoy the water yet this year?

Anyway. Did anybody change there fuel coolers? I wondered about them just never got a chance to look.
 
All this talk about coolers! Has anybody been able to opens there's and enjoy the water yet this year?

Anyway. Did anybody change there fuel coolers? I wondered about them just never got a chance to look.

Haven't looked at mine yet, probably should they are originals I think.
 

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