260 Sundancer Thread.........Comments questions and answers

Thanks for the feedback!

I wonder if putting a check valve (one way valve) in the bilge pump outlet line would solve the "backflow" problem. Something that I can take off and clean every now and then. Although I have to make sure it never gets clogged :wow:. That would be a BIG problem. :smt021 Maybe not such a good idea. :huh:

I may also put some food coloring in the water holding tank to see if the leak is coming from there - I've seen some posts on this problem.
 
dsteele1 said:
Thanks for the feedback!

I wonder if putting a check valve (one way valve) in the bilge pump outlet line would solve the "backflow" problem. Something that I can take off and clean every now and then. Although I have to make sure it never gets clogged :wow:. That would be a BIG problem. :smt021 Maybe not such a good idea. :huh:

I may also put some food coloring in the water holding tank to see if the leak is coming from there - I've seen some posts on this problem.
Click to expand...

For safety reasons, a check valve is not recommended for the bilge line. And in fact you may not even be able to find one big enough for the size hose you have. I am going to raise up my hose higher at the loop to see if that helps. I'd try that first.
 
Good idea and much simpler :thumbsup:

I'm taking the boat out for the first time tomorrow (have been very busy buying stuff and setting up an OLD rusting "virgin" slip - no protection at all on a steel framed pier slip with 10 pier posts 3" dia. Luckily it is 13' wide and 30' long.

I'll be backing into the slip and using a dock bow spring line to boat mid-cleat first to limit my aft entry so I don't hit the dock end (I have an 8" fender as a bumper on the dock end just in case) and it should spring me to the springline side also (in theory anyway) :wow: so the wife can tie off the stern and bow lines. I'll practice this first a few times with the "Admiral" on the spring line. I hear reverse steers around prop center vs forward steering around 1/3 aft of the bow? Correct? :huh:

Out on the open water: Power trim full in - Trim tabs full up. Ready to rock. :grin: Full throttle. As I plane, power trim slowly to 1/4 out or so. Trim tab port or starboard bow down as needed - push bow down rocker on listing (raised) side using 1/2 second trials till level. Then throttle back to cruising speed. Start from scratch each time I come off plane. Correct? :wow:

Appreciate the help! :smt038
 
dsteele1 said:
Out on the open water: Power trim full in - Trim tabs full up. Ready to rock. :grin: Full throttle. As I plane, power trim slowly to 1/4 out or so. Trim tab port or starboard bow down as needed - push bow down rocker on listing (raised) side using 1/2 second trials till level. Then throttle back to cruising speed. Start from scratch each time I come off plane. Correct? :wow:
Click to expand...

Sounds about right to me. It's not necessary to firewall the throttle...... bring her up to speed nice and easy. :thumbsup:
 
Dave, I was at my boat today. Not sure where the panel is you refer to. I saw one in the panel area under the sink, after I opened the door there. If that is not it, I am not sure where it would be on the starboard side. I didn't check the engine room, but didn't think you meant that area. Still getting used to the layout of my boat.

On another note, your tip about the engine trim worked like a charm today!!!
 
Dougbb said:
Dave, I was at my boat today. Not sure where the panel is you refer to. I saw one in the panel area under the sink, after I opened the door there. If that is not it, I am not sure where it would be on the starboard side. I didn't check the engine room, but didn't think you meant that area. Still getting used to the layout of my boat.

On another note, your tip about the engine trim worked like a charm today!!!
Click to expand...

It's in the mid-cabin.
 
Water in bilge issue:

I have water in my bilge also, I can pump about 1-2 gallons a week now, it was worse. What is irronic is we probably have the same service tech and both of us got the same answer. Just be sure to document when and where the tech was made aware of any warranty issues. I email the service department and follow up with a phone call, one to document the problem, and two to still maintain a good working relationship with the service department.
 
I just returned from a 3 day "newbie" run of my 2006 260 at our lake in Texas :grin:. Happy to say I am thrilled with the boat and how she handles given the wonderful "training" you guys have provided. :thumbsup:

I have never owned a boat before but have driven other bow riders about 30 times about 30 years ago and most recently driven a rented Ski Nautique on Lake Tahoe a couple of times and 5 weeks ago a rented 2007 Sea Ray 195 in 30 MPH winds (not recommended) :wow:.

Things I tried and results: Winds were variable from 10 to 20 with gusts of 25 MPH out of the South

Power trim to full in - Trim Tabs to full up at start and any time I came off plane. This was always my starting point - otherswise you have no idea where the trim tabs are!

Planing: Power trim full in till she just start to crest then power trim out to about 1/4 to 1/2 in short spurts. The trim gauge is weird as it shows no movement then suddenly shoots up the 1/4 after several taps on the up button even though I heard the power trim pump working. :wow: Then if I trim in again there is a delay then it drops down to "0" suddenly on the gauge (Is this normal or just a gauge response issue?) :huh:Once on plane the engine does not like being trimmed in - she complains by giving you a "growling" noise at the prop. Once trimmed out to her happy place she purrs and speeds up slightly.

Trim Tabs and Listing: I noticed some very strange events here. She always listed high on the port side no matter what direction I was going> If wind was pushing on my starboard side the boat would still list high on the port side! (Shouldn't the wind be pushing the starboard side high????). No problem: Pushed the port bow down trim tab rocker switch and she slowly (in steps) leveled out. And she stayed level driving in almost any direction and in any wind. If she started to list too high to port I would only press the port bow up rocker remembering to only adjust the rocker that I last used! This worked out very cool! :smt038 I only had the wife with me and she didn't move from her favorite spot (holding on for dear life) which made trim tabbing easy! :grin: I also have a genny which weighs about 250 lbs. mounted dead center which may help with stability.

Question: Is it normal for the Smart Gauge Depth indicator (it has a depth transducer) to suddenly flash the trim number intermittently and then go back to the depth indicator? :huh: I almost had a heart attack when going between two small islands with a depth of 15 ft showing then I look back and the number 5 is showing! 5 feet of water!!!! :wow::wow: BAT STOP! Throttle quickly to idle and power trim out!!!!! I think the wife browned her undies! :smt043

All in all a very enjoyable boat! Now if I could do something about the $300 plus fuel fill bill! :wow:
 
charlieft said:
Last year my bilge was "bone dry" too, but this year I get about the same level that you show ... I think it is rain water in my case. I suspect some calking has dried out somewhere ... still planning the investigation.
I sucked out all the water with a shop vac and it stayed dry until after the next rain storm. I'm thinking I'll have to go into the engine room while it's raining and look for water drips.
Open to suggestions.

-Charlie
Click to expand...

I found my leak ... the blower louver on the port side needed to be re-caulked.
 
I just did a real quick and easy fix to my bilge line that hopefully will be adequate to keep sea water from back feeding thru the hull fitting into the bilge. All I did was remove the hose from the thru hull fitting, cut one of the plastic ties holding it down and then reroute it with a high loop that I secured with plastic ties. Here's a picture of the rerouted line.

DSC05482.jpg
 
Nicely done and it looks great also.

On another note: With the gasoline prices as high as they are along with everything else, I'm trying to save money vs having the job done "right" by a trained service tech by doing as much maintenance as possible myself.

As I have my boat permanently parked in a slip on a Texas lake that will never freeze but the lowest temps do get below 30 for about 5 days a year and I do have a bilge heater, I would like to know if an "in water" oil & filter change is possible. I've seen the manual showing the "tube pulled out the drain plug" draining method which obviously won't work for me. I'm also wondering what else I can do myself on the engine? Water Separating fuel filter? Anything else?
 
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I did my 20 hour service "in the water" and serviced the generator with no problems. I would get the electric pump to pump the oil out though. Be sure to check your oil level before you start and make a note on how much you pump out and replace the oil with the same amount, then add some if you need to get it to the full mark.
 
Guys I need some help from my fellow 260'ers - hence the reason I'm putting this here instead of another category.

I have developed a water leak that I cannot find, and my tech has spent the last 10 days disassembling my motor and drive with no luck finding it either.

It is a steady drip that occurs about every 2 seconds. We know it is coming from BELOW the steering pin, so that is not the culprit. That bilge has been gone over repeatedly with mirrors and everything else to try and find this leak with no luck.

When the drive was first taken off, there was water in the shift cable bellow, so that was replaced along with the shift cable. The place where the outdrive lube drain tube goes through the transom has also been replaced thinking that may have been it. Stil...drip...drip...drip...

The prevailing thought now is that it may be the actual transom assembly. Anyone have any other thoughts of places we can examine? Just looking for some 260-specific info!

Thanks guys!
 
It sounds like they have done a thorough job of checking and at this point you may have no choice but to assume it's the transom itself or the transom assembly. Unfortnately as you are probably aware that's a major job as the engine has to come out so the transom assembly itself can be removed. It could be the transom assembly seal or a flaw in the gel coat that will not allow it to seal properly.

Our dealer recently spent weeks trying to trace a leak in a 280DA that turned out to be a flaw in the gel coat (it was wavy) on the bottom of the boat where the Sea Cock was mounted which allowed water to enter the bilge when it was at speed.

Let us know how you make out.

Dave
 
Dave S said:
I just did a real quick and easy fix to my bilge line that hopefully will be adequate to keep sea water from back feeding thru the hull fitting into the bilge. All I did was remove the hose from the thru hull fitting, cut one of the plastic ties holding it down and then reroute it with a high loop that I secured with plastic ties. Here's a picture of the rerouted line.

DSC05482.jpg
Click to expand...

Well this didn't work (in terms of keeping water out of the bilge). Yesterday we had seven on board and at the end of the day I went from a dry bilge to one which had an inch of water in it just like before my modification. This is a real head scratcher for me. I just don't understand how my bilge can stay totally dry when only two of us are on board yet pick up water when I have a bunch of folks on board. :huh:
 
Dave S said:
Well this didn't work (in terms of keeping water out of the bilge). Yesterday we had seven on board and at the end of the day I went from a dry bilge to one which had an inch of water in it just like before my modification. This is a real head scratcher for me. I just don't understand how my bilge can stay totally dry when only two of us are on board yet pick up water when I have a bunch of folks on board. :huh:
Click to expand...

I wondered about that too.... it looks to me as though the water would pump up and out OK but when the pump stops, the water in the tube from the high point of the loop would just flow back down into the bilge through the bilge pump - like mine does. No way around this that I can see except with a check valve but I still don't like that idea so much. I wonder how the new 270 fixed this problem? :smt021

Could the water be coming in from the blower vents under the louvers? Especially the intake (starboard) louver vent? It must be a 4" hole there. With more people on board, the lower the deadrise, which might allow water to splash up into the louver and be sucked in (if you keep your blower on). Just a thought :huh:

I'm going to dry my bilge out and lift up the lower end of the starboard blower tube with something temporarily to see if water collects in the loop I create. Worth a try :huh:
 
Re: Smartcraft Alarm Blinking

New issue. Ever since I had my impeller replaced and the oil/filter changed by my mechanic, I have noticed my Smartcraft alarm blinks in the upper right side of the indicator when I get the boat up on plane.

I have read through the manual, and for the life of me I cannot tell what the alarm is for. The oil pressure, water temp, and battery all check out fine and run at normal levels. When I turn the boat off, then back on, it no longer comes on. It never comes on when I go at slow cruising speeds.

How can I tell the reason for the alarm signal blinking? if is a visual alarm, not an audible one.

Thanks!
 
Doug

Can you elaborate a bit on the "blinking alarm"? That is a new one for me. Where does it show and what does it say?

Dave

-------------------------------------------

I am editing this post since I just looked thru the Smartcraft Manual and on page 2-10 it mentions the blinking alarm (that was a new one I never heard about). According to the book the blinking shows up if you switch Smartcraft screens after the fault has been displayed. I would try turning on the ignition again and seeing if it displays the reason for the alarm first.

In any case, there is a fault code stored in your ECM and your dealer should be able to tell you what is causing the alarm.
 
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