1997 250 DA, first pics after "rescue"

W

Weekend dancer

New Member
Sep 4, 2017
28
Tampa, Fl
Boat Info
1997 sundancer 250
Engines
Mercruiser, 5.7
Here is my 1997 Sundancer 250 that my Uncle gifted to me. She only has 135 hours on the meter, but very neglected and not running. This picture was from this weekend, I just finished getting her off the rented trailer and on stands. It was on a non-covered boat lift for 19 years in sunny florida. I need to get a new battery and see what systems do and don't work as it has not been started for about 3 years.

It should be interesting to see what I find. I am sure I will have a few more questions coming up.

1.jpg 2.jpg 20170930_143336.jpg
 
Good luck with the rehab-great site to get seasoned advice-pictures are the best-keep posting
 
Thanks for the parts manual, I just came across that last night, but it was too late. Now I have it easier to find.

What are your thoughts on sea foam?
 
Weekend dancer said:
What are your thoughts on sea foam?
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Sea Foam is good for the fuel system..... but if that engine hasn't been cranked over for a few years the rings might be rusted to the cylinder walls. Putting a few ounces of mystery oil in each spark plug hole and letting it sit for a few days will hopefully free them up so any damage will be minimal and once the engine is fired off..... the oil will burn off.

If you already started the engine then this will not be necessary but many car guys when they pick up an old car that been sitting for a while go through a few steps before putting fire to an engine they haven't seen run. Remove plugs, fill cylinders with oil, change engine oil, crank engine by hand and then put the fire to it if everything else checks out.
 
all I need is luck and money!

little ducky.. where can I find the mystery oil? Just an auto store?

Tonight I will share some interior pics, completely untouched for years. My uncle had some cleaners and a can of WD40 on the galley counter tops that literally did not move during a 3 mile water tow and 50 mile trailer tow!
 
Thanks.. I went to the Google box after your suggestion and that came up many times for starting old engines.
 
Weekend dancer said:
Thanks.. I went to the Google box after your suggestion and that came up many times for starting old engines.
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Engines are so pricey to replace.... I would even seek out a professional or a good local resource to bounce questions off of while you recommission.

Good luck..... sounds like a great project.

Does the boat have a generator?
 
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on the marvel mystery oil.

You may need an oil squirt can with a piece of hose on it to be able to access the spark plug holes.

When your ready to crank the motor, do it without the spark plugs first.

That way if you have too much oil in the cylinder, you won’t hydro-lock it.
Any excess oil will be pushed out of the spark plug hole.
 
Thanks for the advice. I will pick some up this weekend.

I don't have a generator.

The next few days will be the initial clean up, discovery and dry out. Removal of all interior cushions and seat backs and exterior seating (except the helm).

Then, I will start the restoration in the engine room.
 
As one who is in the 3rd year of a 6-month boat restoration I have a few tips for you....
  1. Since it was uncovered for 19 years it was subjected to a LOT of rain water. That water may have breached the fiberglass and you could have some wet and/or rotten wood under the glass. I would find a reliable Marine Surveyor and have him sound the hull. It may be fine but you would hate to do a lot of work to it and find out down the road it has soft spots or bad stringers or transom that need expensive repair. I would do this first before you go much further.
  2. Whatever time you are giving yourself for this project....triple it.
  3. Whatever budget you are giving yourself....double it
The boat I am restoring/refurbishing is 12 years older than yours and sat in salt water for 28 years so I've had to replace more than I hoped for. I have researched a lot on line so if I can help in any way please let me know. I told someone the other day I feel like I am building a boat from scratch. Fortunately, I owned this boat with a partner from 1989 to 1998 so I have very intimate knowledge of the boat and systems.

Where are you located? Let me know if I can help.

Shawn
 
Shawn.. I thank you for your input and assistance. I think I will start a restoration thread so I can document and revisit all information in one place. I am in north-east Tampa, and about 45 minutes from the gulf.

Aside from the engine, my other concern is that I know water sat in the cabin /bilge for about 2 years, that is when both the sump pump and the bilge pump stopped working. Any where from 2 - 10 inches based on the carpet stains.

I am not sure what is and is not fiberglass, so I am not sure how long it would take to rot. Once I remove the gas tank, I will cut some holes to check it out.

I started removing the interior junk tonight, I will post some interior pics tomorrow on the new thread.
 
Before drilling holes you may want to start tapping everywhere with the handle of a good screwdriver with a plastic handle. You are looking for a solid, sharp knock. If you get a dull soft-ish thud, you've got a problem. I would really go the surveyor route as they usually have a moisture meter that will measure the moisture content in the hull. Also check around the top deck everywhere there is a rail stanchion, the hatch, windlass, anyplace something is screwed to or drilled through the deck.

One other issue may be the wiring. I've been told that the stranded wire will "wick" water up the wire inside the insulation. Corrosion begins slowly and will can show up years after submersion. I would find a really good anti-corrosion spray like Corrosion X and spray all of the wire terminals that were submerged.

I have a couple of restoration threads that I started. If I can locate them I will share them with you.
 
Shawn.. great threads, I just subscribed to watch it. Looks like an intense project, great job so far. I hope to start my thread tonight, that work thing always gets in the way! I had some interesting finds last night after some clean out of my uncle's things, I will update later.
 
I have a moisture meter, General Tools MMD7NP, and it works great on boats. I have tested it on known wet boats and it will indicate right where the moisture readings increase as you slide it along the gelcoat. The gelcoat should be dry when using, meaning not damp from washing, high moisture condensation, or morning air.

MM
 
MonacoMike said:
I have a moisture meter, General Tools MMD7NP, and it works great on boats. I have tested it on known wet boats and it will indicate right where the moisture readings increase as you slide it along the gelcoat. The gelcoat should be dry when using, meaning not damp from washing, high moisture condensation, or morning air.

MM
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I have the same meter. What setting do you use? It has hard wood, soft wood, brick, or wall. Have you used it on stringers? Have you compared the accuracy to a high dollar one? Just curious as I am starting to look at moving up and although a survey will be a definite I would like to rule out any bad ones if I can find issues before paying a surveyer.
 
boatman37 said:
I have the same meter. What setting do you use? It has hard wood, soft wood, brick, or wall. Have you used it on stringers? Have you compared the accuracy to a high dollar one? Just curious as I am starting to look at moving up and although a survey will be a definite I would like to rule out any bad ones if I can find issues before paying a surveyer.
Click to expand...

I have only used it on decks and hulls. Not sure if it works over bottom paint. My model does not have settings.

MM
 
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