1997 370 Sundancer

[kovalski3]

I just put a deposit on a 97 370 Sundancer. The boat has about 500 hours, but is in bristol condition. I am going to have the boat surveyed and sea trialed this week. I have heard that 95-98 Sundancers were prone to water ingestion issues. Is this something that I should be concerned about? The boat has obviously run for 500 hours without this problem. The manifolds, risers, and elbows were changed last year. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[J Levine]

I think there has been a 97 370 at Brennan for a while, it that the one?

The water ingestion all began with the 98's and the Gen 6 454's, a 97 should be fine.

 

[kovalski3]

370 Sundancer

I looked at the one at Brennan. Idi notcareforthe 2 stateroom layout. Other than that, the boat looked nice. Iwas also concerned since the boat has been on blocks for 2 years. I read a few threads on Mercruiser water ingestion on 95-98. I think Sea Ray admitted to the problem on 98 Sundancers. I know that there is a retro fit exhaust kit that you can buy for Sundancers. It changes the angle of the exhaust where it comes out of the risers. It is pricey though. I heard it was about $2500 per engine.

 

[J Levine]

I dont care for the 2 stateroom set up either.

The exhaust upgrade was only put on the Gen 6 454's that came out in 1998. $2500 a side sounds high, I would guess more like $2500 total.

The 1995 to 1997's run the Gen 5 motors. GM tweeked the valve timing on the Gen 6 to improve performace and it doing so created problems for the exhaust system Sea Ray had been using on the Gen 5 engines. The upgraded system uses water lift mufflers simmilar to what is in production today on the 8.1s. People often seek out the 98 and 99 370 DAs becuase the radar arch was raised allowing you to stand at the helm. I had already spent 6 season sitting under the radar arch of my 95 290 so this was just not that big of a deal for me then or now after 4 years with this boat. Water ingestion is tricky and many marine gas engines have had issues of some extent with it long before 1998, but it has been my experiece that most 95-97 370 DA's have not had this problem.

 

[fwebster]

On a '97 gas boat be sure the survey includes a mechanical survey of the engines' condition. At a minimum that should include removing the risers and inspecting them as well as the manifolds, a compression test and an oil analysis.