'New' 1998 SR 330 DA questions...

Rob Spaulding

New Member
Jan 28, 2018
20
Pensacola, Florida
Boat Info
1998 Sea Ray 330 DA
Engines
7.4L MPI, V-Drive
Happy 2018 everybody. I am brand new to the community having just took possession of my 1st Sea Ray yesterday. The 1st few questions I have I just can't find answers on: My heat exchanger hose hookups are on the starboard side stern, but I don't know if there's a check valve, engines on, or engines off? She has 7.4s and a closed cooling system if that helps. 2d, how do I flush the HVAC? Also, I assume the sink in the bathroom dumps into the waste tank? Thanks to anyone who can help and sorry for the ignorance, I just upgraded from a 22 WA with a single 225 OB...
 
Welcome aboard!

"I don't know if there's a check valve, engines on, or engines off?" Can you re-explain the question? I'm not sure what you're asking.

The plumbing for the compressor and the pump can be flushed backwards from the discharge thru-hull, or by tee'ing in after the seacock. There's been some great posts about using phosphoric acid that you can probably find via the search function.

The sink will only dump into the holding tank if your boat has a gray water system (a very uncommon option, fyi). Dump water down the drain and see what happens.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. There are 2 hose connects by the transom on the starboard side and was told by the boat shop I bought it from that those were for fresh water flushing of the heat exchangers. He didn't know if I just hook up hoses and turn the water on or off there needed to be something else done (ie, engines running or some type of valve?

Thank you so much!
 
OK, now I see what you're saying. You'll just have to follow the lines and see where they tie in to the plumbing. You may have to close the seaocks - but there's no way to tell you exactly what to do without knowing all the specifics. Where things are tied in will also tell us if the engines need to be run.
 
IMG_20180128_133611466_HDR.jpgHere's a pic...
 
Happy 2018 everybody. I am brand new to the community having just took possession of my 1st Sea Ray yesterday. The 1st few questions I have I just can't find answers on: My heat exchanger hose hookups are on the starboard side stern, but I don't know if there's a check valve, engines on, or engines off? She has 7.4s and a closed cooling system if that helps. 2d, how do I flush the HVAC? Also, I assume the sink in the bathroom dumps into the waste tank? Thanks to anyone who can help and sorry for the ignorance, I just upgraded from a 22 WA with a single 225 OB...

Can't help with the flushing question as I am raw water cooled. The sinks and shower all dump overboard, not into the holding tank. The shower goes into a sump under the rear floor hatch and gets pumped overboard by the pump in the box. Your AC condensate also comes into that sump and gets pumped. All sinks are gravity fed directly overboard.

Check out the "Official 330" thread for LOTS of good information although might take a while to read all 2160 posts!
http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/official-330-sundancer-thread.12648/
 
Thank you too Creekwood, as well as you Lazy Daze. I inspected the box in the floor with the sump pump but didn't know that's where the condensation went as well, good info. I watched all around the hull as we ran the the various sinks and equipment, but didn't see where the bathroom sink excited, so I'll check that out again. I'll also see where the quick connect hose lines go and read some of those posts. Yowza...
 
Take it one boat system at a time - all together it may seem like a lot of absorb. Break it down into it's parts and it will be more manageable.

There were sometimes mid-model year changes and sometimes there were differences in build procedures depending on where the boat was built. Meaning, one 330DA may have all sinks drain overboard, and another may drain some of them to the sumpbox, which then pumps it overboard when it gets full. However, I have NEVER seen a cockpit sink NOT drain overboard... so if that one doesn't, you may actually have that grey water option. If you do have the grey water system, the sump box will pump to the holding tank.
 
Hi again, I really appreciate the open communication, thank you again. So yes, the cockpit sink and cabin sink are direct gravity flow out of the port side near where the sinks are, the HVAC pumps out of the forward starboard side. I don't know about the sump pump yet nor the bathroom sink since I live about 3 hours from where I docked her, so it'll be a couple weeks before I get there next. I'll keep plugging away to learn as much as I can, including that fresh water heat exchanger flush. I briefly opened the hatch yesterday to trace the lines, but the skies opened up and I had to close her up to head home. I did find the HVAC unit under the forward berth, so I'm getting to know her...a long way to go. I assume the metal grate behind the intake is the filter I need to change? Any more tips? Here she is, ready for a naming convention...
IMG_20180128_150541849_HDR.jpg
 
Those flushes were added by a previous owner as I've never seen them on a 330. There are two connections so I don't know if one is in and one is a discharge. Not sure what they are flushing. If you have a closed cooling system the only part that is seeing saltwater would be the mixer elbows on top of the manifolds. On our 330 the hot water heater did not have a take off to be heated by the cooling water on the engine it was purely electric.

When your down if you take some pictures to where it all connects I'm sure we can figure it out!

Take Care and I really like the helm on the 98's, like the tan gelcoat and the throttle levers. Like the black canvas as well updates the whole look of the boat.
 
Hi Alegria and thank you. The boat shop I bought it from said those are for fishing the components that do contact seawater and from I remember he said the heat exchangers and risers? Maybe there mixer elbows are part of that? I have seen those quick connects before on some other boats I was looking at with closed cooling systems, so when I asked what the procedure was for my boat he said he wasn't sure. I watched a fellow boater with a Luhrs 290 hook up 2 hoses (1 quick connect per engine) and he said he just runs fresh water through then for about 5 minutes with the engineers off. I'll definitely open her hatch up and take pics when I go down in a couple weeks.

As for the hot water heater, I hadn't even thought about that, but I assume that mine is electric as well and doesn't require flushing? It works like a champ.

I do know the HVAC brings in and pumps out sea water because I can see a steady flow being pumped out just above the water line on the forward port side whenever the compressor is running. When I accessed the unit under the forward berth, I really didn't see anything that I questioned other than I was looking for a filter much like the ones we change in our homes?

Is your 330 a '98 also? I agree, very nice looking boats. I want even in the market for a Sea Ray as I was looking exclusively at sport fish boats as we primarily dive and fish. I stumbled across a 2000 SR 310 DA in November when I was looking hard at a 1996 Luhrs 320, but my wife and daughter saw it...they loved it. So it turned out that 310 sold very quickly, but the boat shop said they were restoring this 1998 330 DA which would be ready after the 1st of the year. He sent me pics and video along the way and I bought her last Friday.

Now I'm brainstorming how to make it a great dive boat for 6 divers and 4 riders, as well as some respectable fishing capability. I'm open for ideas on that too. Most importantly is getting to know her inside and out.

I also agree with the stylish helm and thank you again. This community has been super!
 
Hi Alegria and thank you. The boat shop I bought it from said those are for fishing the components that do contact seawater and from I remember he said the heat exchangers and risers? Maybe there mixer elbows are part of that? I have seen those quick connects before on some other boats I was looking at with closed cooling systems, so when I asked what the procedure was for my boat he said he wasn't sure. I watched a fellow boater with a Luhrs 290 hook up 2 hoses (1 quick connect per engine) and he said he just runs fresh water through then for about 5 minutes with the engineers off. I'll definitely open her hatch up and take pics when I go down in a couple weeks.

As for the hot water heater, I hadn't even thought about that, but I assume that mine is electric as well and doesn't require flushing? It works like a champ.

I do know the HVAC brings in and pumps out sea water because I can see a steady flow being pumped out just above the water line on the forward port side whenever the compressor is running. When I accessed the unit under the forward berth, I really didn't see anything that I questioned other than I was looking for a filter much like the ones we change in our homes?

Is your 330 a '98 also? I agree, very nice looking boats. I want even in the market for a Sea Ray as I was looking exclusively at sport fish boats as we primarily dive and fish. I stumbled across a 2000 SR 310 DA in November when I was looking hard at a 1996 Luhrs 320, but my wife and daughter saw it...they loved it. So it turned out that 310 sold very quickly, but the boat shop said they were restoring this 1998 330 DA which would be ready after the 1st of the year. He sent me pics and video along the way and I bought her last Friday.

Now I'm brainstorming how to make it a great dive boat for 6 divers and 4 riders, as well as some respectable fishing capability. I'm open for ideas on that too. Most importantly is getting to know her inside and out.

I also agree with the stylish helm and thank you again. This community has been super!
 
The rear seat is removable for fishing trips which creates a nice big cockpit. I salmon fish mine on the Great Lakes and I can say that I think I am in one of the more comfortable “fishing” boats out there when trolling.
 
I popped my rear seat and starboard seat out to check out the room, and I've ordered 4 rod holders to put in the gunwales and transom, so we'll see how she does. I have to determine if I will keep my 22' WA with tuna tower as my offshore fisher and my 330 as a cruiser & dive boat. Keep the info coming...

:)
 
I think your flush is per engine and is probably plumbed in, in front of the raw water pump and flushes the entire raw water circuit. Oil Cooler, Transmission Cooler, and Heat Exchanger and exits out the mixer elbow on top of the manifold and out the overboard exhaust where you usually see water exiting when you are idling... Cool addition and will certainly make those items last much longer if you operate in salt water. I see from your picture they also updated the cockpit upholstery looks really nice.
 
That's what I assume too Tom as that makes sense and that's exactly what the owner of that Luhrs 290 explained as he didn't have to do anything besides hook up the hoses and turn them on for 5-10 minutes with the engines off. But I've read some blogs/articles including this one that some closed cooling systems need to turn off a seacock prior to flushing, so I want to be sure I don't screw something up. I had already hooked up a hose to it figuring they work like the Luhrs, but I didn't see water coming out of the exit port so I quickly turned it back off and started both engines letting them idle for about 5 minutes as I was worried about back washing and causing a hydrolock. I probably didn't let the water run long enough to fill the components that get raw sea water and flow thru the exit since it wouldn't make much sense to me to have 2 quick hose connects located on the stern near where the dock water/power supply is, but still have to lift the aft deck to manually turn a lever...but then again I want to be sure. I'll be back with her the weekend after this and raise the deck, trace the hoses coming from the quick connects, look for the seacocks, take and post pics and hopefully you good folks and I will know for sure.

Yes, the Boat Shop reupholstered everything on deck as well as brand new complete canvas. I was looking for a 30-34' sportfish-type boat, but when I saw this SR 330 DA with the hull and deck restored, props & shafts balanced and polished, engines and genset serviced with new exchangers, risers, manifolds, coils, plugs, etc...and the cabin looking like it is all-new with a price tag $17K under NADA - I couldn't pass it up. But as you can tell and although I've been a boat owner since 1986, this is not just my 1st SR, it's my first inboard, 1st twin engine, and 1st boat over 22' so I've got much to learn. Thank you again, and thanx also to Lazy Daze and Creekwood.

PS...my email is spud7pak@gmail.com for those of you that are comfortable to chat thru email.
 
You definitely want to run your engine while flushing with fresh water. If you don't the water pressure from the hose can cause the manifolds to flood, and water can enter the engine ...very bad. Typically turn the water on, then start the engine within 15 seconds or so. Run it for 10 minutes and done. You will also want to make sure that you close the seacock to the raw water intake for whichever engine you're flushing. Look for a sea strainer (clear cylinder) somewhere near the engine (on mine the strainers for the engines are at the front of the engine bay toward the outside of each engine ...your config is likely similar with the VDrives) ...one hose from the strainer will go to the bottom of the bilge to the through hull where your seacock is (close this), the other side will have a hose leading the water pump under your engine. You should have 3 strainers in the engine room ...one for each engine, and one for the ac/heat. If you have a genny, then you'll have a 4th. After you flush and leave the boat, remember to open up those seacocks before you start the boat again ...otherwise you'll fry your impellers in less than 30 seconds. If those nozzles on the transom are in fact for flushing the raw water components, they likely have a sea cock somewhere inside the engine bay you'll have to find.

PS Boat is a beauty!
 

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