Rusted dipstick on new long block??? 06' 290DA twin 5.0

MichaelDustin

MichaelDustin

New Member
May 19, 2020
7
Boat Info
On the market for a 290DA
Engines
Boatless
Hello all! First post and looking to get some ideas before going any further with this purchase. (Basically is it something small that warrants still buying this boat and getting it professionally surveyed or move on?)

The boat is a salt water 06 290DA with twin 5.0 BIII...Beautiful boat, and everything checks out except what you see pictured. The boat has 295 hours on it, port 5.0 is original motor with all new manifolds and risers for 2020. STBD has new long block May 2019.

In May 2019 5k worth of work was put into the boat to summerize it including new water pumps. The owner put in the water and 15 minutes later it was back at the shop getting a new long block put in. The STBD 5.0 long block was replaced with a Jasper reman with a 3 year warranty along with complete new exhaust. He put 25 hours on it last summer then winterized. I looked at the boat today and noticed the port manifold on the stbd motor had a lot of rust and when I pulled the dipstick I saw the droplets/rust in the picture (pictures are of both opposite ends of the dipstick, lots of rust at the top). Boat is still winterized, hasn't been run.

NOTE: The boat apparently runs great and the broker said we can sea trial and put it through hell. Seller said it does 48mph on GPS and runs like a top.

What do you guys think is going on here and how should I proceed? Thanks is advance. -Dustin
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Salt water boat? Looks like raw water cooled manifolds. Did the manifolds kill the original stbd engine? Looks like the port side could be close behind.
 
Yep it's a salt water boat. It's just not making sense, new block & new exhaust 1 year ago, 24 hours on it. I looked at it late in the day and the broker said he'd get it checked out but was under the impression the boat is in tip top shape. The seller just had a complete service this month to prepare it for a turnkey sale, 7k worth...new manifolds/risers on the port engine, complete outdrive service with new bellows and gimbles. Is it possible this is nothing or that something major happened between that service and now??
 
Ditto on the “run Forrest run”

I just bought a 19 year old twin I/O 4.3’s raw water cooled 280 with 500 hours on original engines and NO RUST ON EITHER DIPSTICK.

I also have a 1989 220 with a 5.7 raw water cooled with 14billion hours and guess what, NO RUST ON THE DIPSTICK.

Lots of boats out there. Don’t get suckered in.
 
I’d also move on from this one. Lots of other tells in the picture, the motor mount looks to be in terrible shape and the center bilge is filthy. Those issues on their own might not be a big deal but it paints the bigger picture and rust on the dipstick is a huge red flag. I’d walk
 
Why in the world would the owner dump $13,000 into it last spring and $5,000 into it this year if there's a problem?? It just doesn't make sense??

He purchased a bigger DA which is why he's selling, currently a two boat owner.
 
Is there any chance that's just condensation in the oil that needs to be burnt off??

Still doesn't explain the rusty manifold and engine mounts though!! He removed the engine last spring to replace the block, why would those engine mounts not have been changed? This is just weird!
 
I wouldn’t try to speculate on motives or logic. Just objectively evaluate the boat as the machine it is. I have seen and owned a lot of boats. Just looking at the pics and reading your description is telling me this one will need some work.
You asked our opinion...
 
DWABoat said:
I wouldn’t try to speculate on motives or logic. Just objectively evaluate the boat as the machine it is. I have seen and owned a lot of boats. Just looking at the pics and reading your description is telling me this one will need some work.
You asked our opinion...
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Oh I'm fully agreeing with you guys, I guess I'm just rooting for the boat to be the one and hoping that maybe it's nothing or that it's the only problem and covered by the Jasper warranty.
 
The boat apparently runs great and the broker said we can sea trial and put it through hell. Seller said it does 48mph on GPS and runs like a top.
 
If you are buying it as a project boat and expect to do some major work to it, just price it accordingly.
However, if you think you are buying a turnkey boat in tip top shape, like the commissioned sales guy says, then you are hosting a very risky mindset. Your emotions of hoping it to be the one will very likely cloud your judgment and suck you into a quicksand of financial drain.

I highly recommend you emotionally separate yourself from this boat by going to look at a few others very soon. Once you get a few more looks under your belt, you may feel differently. No harm done by looking around.

Just looking out for you, bud.
 
DWABoat said:
If you are buying it as a project boat and expect to do some major work to it, just price it accordingly.
However, if you think you are buying a turnkey boat in tip top shape, like the commissioned sales guy says, then you are hosting a very risky mindset. Your emotions of hoping it to be the one will very likely cloud your judgment and suck you into a quicksand of financial drain.

I highly recommend you emotionally separate yourself from this boat by going to look at a few others very soon. Once you get a few more looks under your belt, you may feel differently. No harm done by looking around.

Just looking out for you, bud.
Click to expand...

Appreciate it, I'm interested to hear what the mechanic who has maintained this boat has to say tomorrow.
 
An independent engine surveyor that works for you would be the better option, over the guy that was paid by the seller and hopes to have the sellers business on his new boat.
 
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i would not waste my time with this boat. It has not been properly cared for and you will end up with hassles and deferred maintenance issues. If you enjoy those challenges price in the work including your time in the offer and go for it. If you really prefer to go boating, look for a boat in better condition.
 
Michael, my advice to anyone buying a first boat is to buy their second boat first. By that I mean many people fall in lust with a boat and froth at the mouth over the thought of owning it.

They buy it, use it a year and realize they screwed up. Big time. So they sell it, taking a BIG hit in the process and buy their second boat, which is the boat they should have gotten in the first place.

So, take your time. Walk away from this boat because of the potential for future problems ($$$$$). Look at lots of boats, walk a lot of docks, talk to people who own similar boats. Take a few months to do that and THEN, when you have narrowed your search into a particular make/model and find the right boat, buy it.

Good luck with your search.
 
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