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

eddiemorales said:
Stupid question but worth to ask, Have you checked you Engine Oil level lately? I had this exact, identical error. It turned out I was 2 quarts low!!!! Worth checking...
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Eddie...sorry for the delay in the response (travels).

I just had my engine oil changed. Pressure guages all read ok, but come to think about it, it has been doing that since the mechanic did the work (oil/filter change, plugs and rotors replaced, and impellar changed).

I didn't think to check the oil, but I will. Thanks!

Dave...if the oil thing doesn't pan out to be the issue, I would agree, probably the paddle wheel and I can probably wait till after the season when I have it annually hauled out for bottom work, to check it. Danged speedometer hasn't worked since I bought it...I uses the GPS, which is probably more accurate.

This weekend I got up on plane to about 3300 PRMs. I did it slowly and didn't trip the alarm. Ran it like that for about a minute, then eased up to 3500 RPMs...then it tripped the alarm. But it doesn't read it is an excessive RPM warning. As far as I know, I should be able to cruise at 3500 RPMs easily, unless I am wrong.
 
dsteele1 said:
Cool. I know of these units - I have a Sunpentown portable 12,000 btu AC in my workshop at home that weighs about 100#. You have yours in your cabin. Do you think it would work in the cockpit near the aft doorway inside a full camper canvas package? You say you run the exhaust out the aft port - where exactly do you mean? Do you use the flexible exhaust tube and route it somewhere? How much does yours weigh?
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The aft has a perfectly round hatch I guess it's purpose is for ventilation. It sits under the port side front seat. I think a larger unit would work just fine. I would not even put it in the door way. I would find a place on the deck and just Bungee it to something sturdy. I would then run the exhaust hose out a part of the enclosure you unsnap. Then run a 5/8 drain hose to the deck drain. I would at least try it. I spent a summer on Lake Travis and I know what you mean.
 
Hi, my name is Mike and I just bought a 2002 Sundancer 260.
I am currently building a boat lift that will actually extend about 3 feet past my floating dock. My concern was how was I going to reach my stern drive to put on the elephant ears to flush my engine, since I am always in salt water.
Can you tilt the engine up and reach it, to put on the elephant ears?
The dealer said Sea Ray has a conversion kit they can put in the engine compartment that would work. Does anyone have this kit?
Thanks
Mike
 
Hi Dave:

Looks like we have twins. I have only had my 260 for 3 weeks as well. This is our first boat so we are going slow. As for Skolbe's comment about the mattress pad.....we had trouble as well in the aft cabin. Along with the cushions being hard, I personally found it a little short (I'm 6'1") to stretch out. We have since purchased the mattress pad but are planning on using it in the v-birth up front.
 
I was looking through the Mercruiser 5.7 350 MAG MPI Bravo III service manual and they show a sea water strainer for this engine.

Where exactly is this sea strainer and where is the water pickup - on the stern drive? Or is there a thru hull fitting? :huh:
 
dsteele1 said:
I was looking through the Mercruiser 5.7 350 MAG MPI Bravo III service manual and they show a sea water strainer for this engine.

Where exactly is this sea strainer and where is the water pickup - on the stern drive? Or is there a thru hull fitting? :huh:
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You don't have one. Sometimes the books generalize and show things that are on some models but not necessarily on others.
 
Hello Everyone. Can someone please help me out. I have a 2006 Sundancer 260. The big guage which is in the middle of the console has four guages. One for the fuel, one for trim tab, one for the oil pressure, and then I believe its one for the water temperature for the engine. Thats the guage im confused about. What exactly is that guage for? I know it used to be up to 175 all the time, and now for some reason it dropped down to 100 and it stays there UNTIL im driving really fast for a while. Then it only goes up to 150, but it never goes back to 175 like it used to. Can someone please let me know what that guage exactly does. Also, can someone let me know how i would know if my engine has a fresh water cooling system, rather than raw water cooling. And while im asking for all this help, lastly, my speedometer is not working. Someone told me to go look for a little hole on the outdrive and put a little drill bit in it to clean it out....is that true? Thank you so much for your help.
 
Hello Everyone. Can someone please help me out. I have a 2006 Sundancer 260. The big guage which is in the middle of the console has four guages. One for the fuel, one for trim tab, one for the oil pressure, and then I believe its one for the water temperature for the engine. Thats the guage im confused about. What exactly is that guage for? I know it used to be up to 175 all the time, and now for some reason it dropped down to 100 and it stays there UNTIL im driving really fast for a while. Then it only goes up to 150, but it never goes back to 175 like it used to. Can someone please let me know what that guage exactly does. Also, can someone let me know how i would know if my engine has a fresh water cooling system, rather than raw water cooling. And while im asking for all this help, lastly, my speedometer is not working. Someone told me to go look for a little hole on the outdrive and put a little drill bit in it to clean it out....is that true? Thank you so much for your help.
 
sundancer260 said:
Hello Everyone. Can someone please help me out. I have a 2006 Sundancer 260. The big guage which is in the middle of the console has four guages. One for the fuel, one for trim tab, one for the oil pressure, and then I believe its one for the water temperature for the engine. Thats the guage im confused about. What exactly is that guage for? I know it used to be up to 175 all the time, and now for some reason it dropped down to 100 and it stays there UNTIL im driving really fast for a while. Then it only goes up to 150, but it never goes back to 175 like it used to. Can someone please let me know what that guage exactly does. Also, can someone let me know how i would know if my engine has a fresh water cooling system, rather than raw water cooling. And while im asking for all this help, lastly, my speedometer is not working. Someone told me to go look for a little hole on the outdrive and put a little drill bit in it to clean it out....is that true? Thank you so much for your help.
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Hey 260
Yes take something wirey(sp) like a drill bit to clean the little hole on the leading edge of the outdrive. This is the opening for the pitot tube which gives the speedo it's readiing.

Also, it sounds like you may have a stuck thermostat. If it's stuck open it will continually cool the engine leading to lower temperatures.

As far as closed cooling(FWC or Fresh Water cooling) or not

Does the front end of your engine have a Large Cylindrical reservior with a Radiator cap or not?
 
Thanks for getting back to me. I will try to clean out that little hole to see if the speedometer works again. Also, could anything bad happen if the thermostat is stuck open and the engine is always running cool? How can i stop the thermostat from staying open? WHere is it located? Thank you
 
Have you tried displaying your engine temperature in the little Smartcraft window to see what the reading is? If it's substantially different than the gauge, then maybe the gauge is bad.
 
My fellow 260'ers, please keep me from doing something rash…

As some of you know from some of my previous posts, I just finished dealing with a nightmare of leaking issues. Ended-up being the oil pan that was providing the oil leak, but the trim puck and exhaust y-joint were providing the water.

Since I bought this boat in November of last year, I have had to replace the raw water pump, circ pump, a battery, serp belt, a seal on the head, the shift cable, shift cable bellow, exhaust y-joint, idle control valve, water pressure sensor, outdrive seals, alternator, trim puck, oil pan, and now the latest…the engine coupler crapped out over the weekend (no, I didn’t hit anything).

This will be fourth time in the last two months the engine/drive will have to be removed, and the second time I’ve had to be towed to the dealer.

Now, most of this has been covered by Passport, but I am getting tired of my boat spending more time in the yard this summer than in my slip. Did I get a lemon here, or is this just “owning a boat”?? To be honest, despite how much I absolutely love this boat and boating, I may be close to my wits end with this one.
 
MC1600 said:
My fellow 260'ers, please keep me from doing something rash…

As some of you know from some of my previous posts, I just finished dealing with a nightmare of leaking issues. Ended-up being the oil pan that was providing the oil leak, but the trim puck and exhaust y-joint were providing the water.

Since I bought this boat in November of last year, I have had to replace the raw water pump, circ pump, a battery, serp belt, a seal on the head, the shift cable, shift cable bellow, exhaust y-joint, idle control valve, water pressure sensor, outdrive seals, alternator, trim puck, oil pan, and now the latest…the engine coupler crapped out over the weekend (no, I didn’t hit anything).

This will be fourth time in the last two months the engine/drive will have to be removed, and the second time I’ve had to be towed to the dealer.

Now, most of this has been covered by Passport, but I am getting tired of my boat spending more time in the yard this summer than in my slip. Did I get a lemon here, or is this just “owning a boat”?? To be honest, despite how much I absolutely love this boat and boating, I may be close to my wits end with this one.
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I certainly can't blame you for feeling that way, but it also sounds like you've just about licked everything(I don't want to jinx you).

Our boat spent a couple weeks chasing a leak before we left on our 2 week trip and I believe now, it's dialed in and I can confidently relax.

Hang in there, it sounds like you've made it through the rough stuff. Hopefully now you can be done and really enjoy the boat.
 
Nehalennia said:
I certainly can't blame you for feeling that way, but it also sounds like you've just about licked everything(I don't want to jinx you).

Our boat spent a couple weeks chasing a leak before we left on our 2 week trip and I believe now, it's dialed in and I can confidently relax.

Hang in there, it sounds like you've made it through the rough stuff. Hopefully now you can be done and really enjoy the boat.
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Thanks Todd, that does make me feel a little better. I guess I will stop working on the layout for the yachtworld ad. Guess I just needed to hear from some of the experts that this in, in fact, worth continuing.
 
MC1600 said:
Thanks Todd, that does make me feel a little better. I guess I will stop working on the layout for the yachtworld ad. Guess I just needed to hear from some of the experts that this in, in fact, worth continuing.
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Yeah, you have to figure that now that you're pretty much done running through the bugs(let's hope) and now you'll have your boat the way you want/like it. If you sell it and go find another boat, you'll start at square one ironing out the quirks/issues on that one.

Hang in there.
 
Nehalennia said:
Yeah, you have to figure that now that you're pretty much done running through the bugs(let's hope) and now you'll have your boat the way you want/like it. If you sell it and go find another boat, you'll start at square one ironing out the quirks/issues on that one.

Hang in there.
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Too true! I just appreciate the sanity check. :grin:
 
Wow......thats quite a list. I really think you need to spring for a new 330DA ( I love spending other people's money:lol:)

Oh wait...........they have two Mercury engines on the 330DA so you will have twice the potential for problems. :wow::wow: And the boat will cost a lot more too, and it will certainly be more expensive to run and insure and haul outs and regular maintenance will be more costly. :smt100:smt100

So on second thought, maybe you ought to keep the 260DA. :grin::grin:
 
Dave S said:
Wow......thats quite a list. I really think you need to spring for a new 330DA ( I love spending other people's money:lol:)

Oh wait...........they have two Mercury engines on the 330DA so you will have twice the potential for problems. :wow::wow: And the boat will cost a lot more too, and it will certainly be more expensive to run and insure and haul outs and regular maintenance will be more costly. :smt100:smt100

So on second thought, maybe you ought to keep the 260DA. :grin::grin:
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Don't think we haven't about that, Dave. But the added challenges could be just as problematic. Oh, and if we did go that route, it'd be a nice 340 with the V-Drives! :thumbsup:
 
Hi there,
I am looking at purchasing my first new Sea Ray. Im currently looking at a 2004 260 with a radar arch. My question is, is that I am afraid the boat will be underpwered. It comes with a 5L MPI with about 224 hours on it. Its in great shape and it comes with a trailer as I will be trailering it. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be appreciated.

Marc
 
Hello. I have a 2006 Sundancer 260....can someone please tell me if its normal that both trim tabs move out of the water, when Im only pressing one button at the helm. I pulled my boat out on the trailer, and wanted to hose off the tabs. When I press the right side tab button up, and my buddy was looking hosing down the back of the boat, he noticed both trim tabs go down. Does it differ when its in the water, because I didnt have no problems trimming the boat while i was out. I didnt have too much time to test all the positions while i was out of the water, but was curious to know if anyone knows what this could mean. Thank you so much as always for sharing your knowledge. Thanks
 
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