1985 250 DA questions

[mkroulik]

I've had this boat for a couple years and I am at the point where I am either gonna start fixing a bunch of little things that have been bugging me or get a new boat. Has anyone replaced their fridge? How hard is it and waht size fridge fits in that opening? Also, I seem to have a couple spots that drip water when it rains heavily on both the side windows ans the hatches. I am going to try resealing them, is there a specific sealer I should use, or anything I should check for before doing this? I am also going to redo the canvas on the sides. One last question. Has anyone tried to repower the boat and put in a bigger gas tank? It seems like my tank is only about 50 Gal, and it gets annoying having to get gas every couple of trips out fishing. The engine I was thinking about putting in would be a 454 cin. Not sure how it would impact gas mileage since it'd be more powerful I could run it at lower rpms and achieve the same speed. I have no idea if this motor would even fit, or what all would have to be checnged/upgraded. Thanks for any info or suggestions.

Mike

 

[KC_Sundancer]

I have an 270DA that i have been working on. Sounds like you have similiar side window issues. This is a common problem with the express cruisers.

Removing the windows, cleaning off the old sealant and reinstalling with 3M 5200 would probably be sufficient. Just sealing around the perimeter is a very short term fix. Peal out the rubber strip you see in the frame perimeter to expose the screw heads.
Get help when reinstalling as the windows are a bit awkward. It's easiest to have two people on the outside installing while someone on the inside works the fasteners.
Use caution with clean-up after reinstalling. Once this stuff starts to set it's tough to remove - make sure the "bead" is nice and clean ASAP.

I completely removed ours, disassembled, replaced seals, rebed the plastic and reinstalled using 3M 5200. A complete overhaul - it's been 2 years now with no leaks.

Hatches should also be removed, cleaned and reinstalled with the same sealant.

Something to watch for because of these leaks is possible water damage to the hull structure.

You may be interested in following my posted updates and pictures titled - 1985 SRV270DA Restoration