340 SUNDANCER THREAD

Cali Dreaming said:
Howdy, I'm one of those boatless newbs posting here occasionally as part of my quest to not be boatless. Anyhoo. Not sure this is the appropriate place to post, but here goes. I think I'm going for a Bush era 320 or 340 (probably 340), but have a freshwater question--is it worth the premium?

I’m in Southern California, so I’m dropping it in salt regardless, but for the price difference in freshwater boats, plus the hassle of me having to deal with making a deal out of state/travel/survey/transport etc., I could pretty much just buy a saltwater boat, immediately swap out manifolds/risers and anything that touched the salt to give myself a maintenance baseline to jump off, and still be money ahead. Is there anything else I’m missing here that a freshwater boat would give me?
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I live in FL and knew I was going in salt as well. I made the decision to get a salt water boat, but with v-drives and fresh water cooled engine (horizon, I think is the term Merc uses, but not certain). I also found something which had been stored inside,and I dry store mine as well, so that helps. I think had I gone with stern drives and FWC I would have been fine as well, since I keep it dry stored, but at least I have the option of keeping it in a wet slip now. The risers/manifolds were just replaced in 2016, so that was another benefit.
 
Cali Dreaming said:
Howdy, I'm one of those boatless newbs posting here occasionally as part of my quest to not be boatless. Anyhoo. Not sure this is the appropriate place to post, but here goes. I think I'm going for a Bush era 320 or 340 (probably 340), but have a freshwater question--is it worth the premium?

I’m in Southern California, so I’m dropping it in salt regardless, but for the price difference in freshwater boats, plus the hassle of me having to deal with making a deal out of state/travel/survey/transport etc., I could pretty much just buy a saltwater boat, immediately swap out manifolds/risers and anything that touched the salt to give myself a maintenance baseline to jump off, and still be money ahead. Is there anything else I’m missing here that a freshwater boat would give me?
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I think your idea of replacing the exhaust components that have raw water flowing through them would be a good baseline. Additionally, for me, maintenance history would take priority over saltwater/ freshwater. That’s my .02

Good luck with your search and go for the 340, you will not regret having the extra space.
 
Just wanted to update the group on my hatch lift isssues. I sprayed the shaft with some lube and also tryed wiping some oil on it too. Neither did the trick.

I purchased a new actuator on Amazon and it was a direct fit and seems to be working just like new. Here’s the link to unit that I purchased.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XT6B2G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As a side note- I opened up the old actuator to see what the internals looked like. I noticed a lot of gunk and some metal shavings too. I bet these could be cleaned up and put back together. I’ve attached some pictures to show the condition of my original unit.
 

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suss1173 said:
Just wanted to update the group on my hatch lift isssues....
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Thanks for the feedback, I fret someday having to replace mine someday.
Hope the fall has been treating you well - boating has been almost nil for us - more like barging with the kids schedules.

-Kevin
 
KevinC said:
Thanks for the feedback, I fret someday having to replace mine someday.
Hope the fall has been treating you well - boating has been almost nil for us - more like barging with the kids schedules.

-Kevin
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The season is slipping away from us too. The Kids are back in school and participating in several activates too, so we are getting out on the water less and less.

I have to say I am so happy you and a few other were in my ear suggesting the 340 over the 310 I was considering. We love this boat and managed to get about 40 hours on her... Not to bad since we took delivery in mid July, and hopefully we will get one more trip in b/f 2018/2019 hibernation starts. Hopefully you guys will get some more boating in for 2018 too.
 
Our cockpit speakers in the arch are dried out and sound like garbage, and the ones toward the cabin entry and helm barely produce any sound at all... The boat has all the original Clarion equipment (head unit, CD changer, helm remote, and 4 speakers in the cabin and 4 in the cockpit). I believe this is all the original equipment from 2001.

I like having the remote at the helm and want to add the ability to stream music via Bluetooth. Since I assume none of the newer radios will work with the existing Clarion remote, and installing a new remote will be a PITA and some $$ too, that it will be easiest (least amount of install work) to just upgrade the cockpit speakers and add a Bluetooth dongle/adapter type thing to the existing radio.

Can anyone confirm that replacing the 4 cockpit speakers and adding a Bluetooth adapter or dongle is this going to be the easiest and least expensive way to achieve what I want.
 
suss1173 said:
Our cockpit speakers in the arch are dried out and sound like garbage, and the ones toward the cabin entry and helm barely produce any sound at all... The boat has all the original Clarion equipment (head unit, CD changer, helm remote, and 4 speakers in the cabin and 4 in the cockpit). I believe this is all the original equipment from 2001.

I like having the remote at the helm and want to add the ability to stream music via Bluetooth. Since I assume none of the newer radios will work with the existing Clarion remote, and installing a new remote will be a PITA and some $$ too, that it will be easiest (least amount of install work) to just upgrade the cockpit speakers and add a Bluetooth dongle/adapter type thing to the existing radio.

Can anyone confirm that replacing the 4 cockpit speakers and adding a Bluetooth adapter or dongle is this going to be the easiest and least expensive way to achieve what I want.
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I had a 99 340 and replacing the helm remote was shockingly straightforward.

Pop the storage area off the wall beside the captains chair and remove the back panel in your strbd aft closet and presto - you have nearly unfettered access fore and aft. With two people you could probably almost touch hands between those access points.

If you still want to avoid the running of wire you may want to consider a head unit like a Fusion that uses a bluetooth app on your phone as a "remote". It's not as seamless as a wired remote but it definitely works.

How much do you want to spend? The sky is the limit but you can get some really decent sound (big upgrade from OEM) for less than a boat buck for sure.
 
suss1173 said:
Our cockpit speakers in the arch are dried out and sound like garbage, and the ones toward the cabin entry and helm barely produce any sound at all... The boat has all the original Clarion equipment (head unit, CD changer, helm remote, and 4 speakers in the cabin and 4 in the cockpit). I believe this is all the original equipment from 2001.

I like having the remote at the helm and want to add the ability to stream music via Bluetooth. Since I assume none of the newer radios will work with the existing Clarion remote, and installing a new remote will be a PITA and some $$ too, that it will be easiest (least amount of install work) to just upgrade the cockpit speakers and add a Bluetooth dongle/adapter type thing to the existing radio.

Can anyone confirm that replacing the 4 cockpit speakers and adding a Bluetooth adapter or dongle is this going to be the easiest and least expensive way to achieve what I want.
Click to expand...
I installed a clarion m608, plug and play with old unit. Cd changer was taken out and a remote adapter was used for old remote. Works great and real easy to install.
 
OBrother said:
I installed a clarion m608, plug and play with old unit. Cd changer was taken out and a remote adapter was used for old remote. Works great and real easy to install.
Click to expand...

I know the Fusion system will allow you have the cockpit speakers and cabin speakers play at different volumes. For example, if you have the volume at 10 in cockpit you could lower the cabin volume to 4, while still having the cockpit speakers play at volume 10. Can you do this with the Clarion system, and if so, can it be done via the helm remote.
 
suss1173 said:
I know the Fusion system will allow you have the cockpit speakers and cabin speakers play at different volumes. For example, if you have the volume at 10 in cockpit you could lower the cabin volume to 4, while still having the cockpit speakers play at volume 10. Can you do this with the Clarion system, and if so, can it be done via the helm remote.
Click to expand...

Yes, You can have up to 4 zones with the Clarion. I also installed a M608. Very nice unit.
Works with the MW1 wired remote or MF1 Wireless. From scratch I like Fusion stuff but the holes were cut and the Clarion was plug and play.
20181003_110504.jpg
 
New 04 340 owner here. I realize this is not the best pick of the exhaust but can anyone tell if I need to be concerned with any manifold issues or need to plan for future maintenance/replacement? If boat is not wrapped this weekend will take pics of the backside of the EC. They are original as far as I can tell. Freshwater Ohio boat pulled every year and stored indoors if that makes a difference. Future plans are 1) convert old TV cubby into wine rack 2) mount smart TV on bulkhead 3) Camper-Top 4) Sea Deck. Wife and I are stepping up from a 21' 5.7L Mariah Bow rider so we cannot wait until spring. Plan on posting all my projects here to give back to the thread. Thanks everyone.
IMG_1563.JPG
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mblockb said:
New 04 340 owner here. I realize this is not the best pick of the exhaust but can anyone tell if I need to be concerned with any manifold issues or need to plan for future maintenance/replacement? If boat is not wrapped this weekend will take pics of the backside of the EC. They are original as far as I can tell. Freshwater Ohio boat pulled every year and stored indoors if that makes a difference. Future plans are 1) convert old TV cubby into wine rack 2) mount smart TV on bulkhead 3) Camper-Top 4) Sea Deck. Wife and I are stepping up from a 21' 5.7L Mariah Bow rider so we cannot wait until spring. Plan on posting all my projects here to give back to the thread. Thanks everyone. View attachment 61785 View attachment 61786
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you are OK....the exhaust was changed in 2002 to the 'water lift muffler' style which you have....

you are always welcome to post on this forum but it is mainly for 340's made from 1998 - 2003.5....

there is a separate 340 forum for 340's starting in 2003.5 since there was a model change then....the two models of the boat are very similar in many ways but also different in many ways....

good luck...
cliff

EDIT:
my apologies.....i thought you were asking about the different styles of exhaust on the early 340's.....
cliff
 
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At that age I personally would replace them
Even in fresh water. But I'm anal about that kind of stuff. I think your elbows are stainless. All good there. Someone correct me if not.
 
mblockb said:
Freshwater Ohio boat pulled every year and stored indoors if that makes a difference. Future plans are 1) convert old TV cubby into wine rack 2) mount smart TV on bulkhead 3) Camper-Top 4) Sea Deck.View attachment 61785 View attachment 61786
Click to expand...
Hello MBB,
Welcome aboard, and congrats on the new (to you) boat!

Earlier this year I moved up from a 21' bowrider to this '02 340 Dancer. I can't say that I'm highly experienced, and I've learned a LOT from fellow members on this site.

If you search, you can find several threads that talk about replacing exhaust manifolds and elbows. I'm lucky, like you I have stainless steel elbows and they tend to last a long time. I also know that my manifolds were last replaced in 2016.

There are no hard and fast rules, but from what I've gleaned by reading on the site...freshwater manifolds should be replaced every 6-8 years, saltwater every 5-6 years. That said, if you have no idea when yours were last done, it's probably a good idea to at the very least have them inspected by a good mechanic. I've even seen the suggestion that, if you don't know, you should go ahead and replace them so that you have a baseline. That's a pretty expensive proposition, but again, if you read the site, you'll see that failed exhaust manifolds can cause serious engine damage that could amount to 10s of thousands of $$. I can also tell you from a grand six months of personal experience, this boat, and the associated maintenance procedures and costs are on a whole 'nother level compared to a 21' bowrider. Personally, I've built and maintain a much bigger "boat problem" fund than in the past.
Good luck, please keep posting, and show us more pics of your new baby!

Rob
 
does anyone happen to know the dimensions of the filler cushion that fits between the two rear cockpit seats on the starboard side?.....i believe it is somewhere around 3" thick, 34" wide, and 18" deep.....

thanks...
cliff
 
CliffA said:
does anyone happen to know the dimensions of the filler cushion that fits between the two rear cockpit seats on the starboard side?.....i believe it is somewhere around 3" thick, 34" wide, and 18" deep.....

thanks...
cliff
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Cliff, I don't know if both of them are the same, but I have one at home and it's 34 x 23 x 4. That's probably the one that we don't use much, it covers the table if we use it to make a sun pad back there. The one that fills along the starboard side to make it a U shaped lounge is still on the boat. For some reason, I thought they were both the same size, but I could be wrong. My boats been put to sleep for the winter, so it's not as easy to check the other one.

Cheers, Ron
 
be_prepared said:
Cliff, I don't know if both of them are the same, but I have one at home and it's 34 x 23 x 4. That's probably the one that we don't use much, it covers the table if we use it to make a sun pad back there. The one that fills along the starboard side to make it a U shaped lounge is still on the boat. For some reason, I thought they were both the same size, but I could be wrong. My boats been put to sleep for the winter, so it's not as easy to check the other one.

Cheers, Ron
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thanks Ron....i think they are the same size....they both fit side by side to make the sun pad....one cushion rest on top of a FG filler panel that is the same size as the cockpit table and the other fits on top of the table....

thanks again for taking the time to measure the pad....

cliff
 
R-and-R said:
Hello MBB,
Welcome aboard, and congrats on the new (to you) boat!

Earlier this year I moved up from a 21' bowrider to this '02 340 Dancer. I can't say that I'm highly experienced, and I've learned a LOT from fellow members on this site.

If you search, you can find several threads that talk about replacing exhaust manifolds and elbows. I'm lucky, like you I have stainless steel elbows and they tend to last a long time. I also know that my manifolds were last replaced in 2016.

There are no hard and fast rules, but from what I've gleaned by reading on the site...freshwater manifolds should be replaced every 6-8 years, saltwater every 5-6 years. That said, if you have no idea when yours were last done, it's probably a good idea to at the very least have them inspected by a good mechanic. I've even seen the suggestion that, if you don't know, you should go ahead and replace them so that you have a baseline. That's a pretty expensive proposition, but again, if you read the site, you'll see that failed exhaust manifolds can cause serious engine damage that could amount to 10s of thousands of $$. I can also tell you from a grand six months of personal experience, this boat, and the associated maintenance procedures and costs are on a whole 'nother level compared to a 21' bowrider. Personally, I've built and maintain a much bigger "boat problem" fund than in the past.
Good luck, please keep posting, and show us more pics of your new baby!

Rob
Click to expand...
Cliff, thought I was posting in the 2003.5-08 340 thread, sorry about that. Looks like I will add manifolds to the list for 2019.

R&R, you are dead on. Definitely going through a bit of sticker shock moving up from a bow rider, which I did ALL maintenance myself. Although, I did my homework and knew what I was signing up for buying the 340.

Thanks everyone!
 
CliffA said:
does anyone happen to know the dimensions of the filler cushion that fits between the two rear cockpit seats on the starboard side?.....i believe it is somewhere around 3" thick, 34" wide, and 18" deep.....

thanks...
cliff
Click to expand...
Cliff,
I measured both cushons tonight. They are both 22 1/2 x 34 x 4.

Along the same lines, are you able to install both of the fiberglass pieces that the cushons go on at the same time. I can either do the U setup or have one in the middle. Both wont drop flush into place if used at the same time.
 
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